RIPMJAZZ
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The Mississippi Rag

The long-running periodical devoted to traditional jazz and ragtime throughout the United States, The Mississippi Rag was edited by Leslie Carole Johnson in Minneapolis. Johnson notes that the name was chosen to represent the river along which traditional jazz flowed: from New Orleans to Chicago, Kansas City, and its headwaters in Minnesota. The initial scope for the Rag was “traditional jazz … ragtime, New Orleans jazz, boogie woogie, the blues, the Kansas City sound of Bennie Moten, early Duke Ellington, the Chicago sound of the Austin High School Gang, the music of Fletcher Henderson and Jean Goldkette, and so on and so on.”1 Published monthly for 35 years in a tabloid format, its production of some 400 issues is a remarkable testament to its popularity with, and support from, a large network of traditional jazz fans. 

Leslie Carole Johnson (1942-2009) was a journalist by training and a lover of traditional jazz. According to the IARJC Journal, her interest in jazz developed after hearing the Hall Brothers Band in Mendota, Minnesota.2   As Paige Van Vorst noted in Jazzology, the early success of the Rag was likely due to two factors: first, the renewed interest in ragtime (“Ragtime Revival”) that occurred in the 1970s, surrounding the release of the film The Sting (1973, starring Paul Newman) as well as scholarly attention to ragtime, ranging from composers such as William Bolcom to musicologists such as Joshua Rifkin. Second, the Rag was the only publication devoted to ragtime at this time, though others did discuss ragtime in the context of early jazz and early recordings. Johnson was assisted by Van Vorst as associate editor and jazz editor Paul E. Affeldt, whose own journal Jazz Report was merged into the Rag in 1975.

Initially, the focus of the Mississippi Rag was upon jazz and traditional music in the midwest United States, though this quickly expanded, gaining subscribers from throughout the country and beyond. Johnson sought to promote the Rag widely, giving away copies at festivals and building networks of contributors; after 20 years, Johnson proudly claimed over 100 writers and photographers as contributors.3 Unlike many other publications, Johnson took pride that the Rag compensated authors for their submissions and, as observed by Van Vorst, did not take a heavy editorial hand. Johnson even trademarked the Rag’s title, displaying a business acumen. 

Most all issues were comprised of contributions in the following areas: (i) articles on historic ragtime, jazz, and blues musicians; (ii) reviews and news of bands and music festivals, contributed by correspondents; (iii) reviews of recordings and print publications, especially books; (iv) listings of upcoming performances, festivals, club dates, and more; (v) a classified advertising section for musicians, ensembles, and musical goods. Of striking note is the great number and range of performances documented, demonstrating that the traditional jazz world was thriving in a way that, absent the coverage in the Mississippi Rag, might have been missed given the often thin documentation in other, mainstream publications. 

Most issues are complimented by a large number of photographs, both historical and of current performers. Some advertising, generally for festivals, performances, and events, can be found. Following health problems of Johnson, The Mississippi Rag ceased print publication with the September 2006 issue (volume 33 number 11) and moved online thereafter. Johnson kept up with the Rag even while extremely ill: according to Van Vorst, the last issues were assembled after the cancer had taken her vision. However, Johnson’s dedication to the Rag and the community it served was steadfast. 

1  Mississippi Rag 1, no. 1 (November 1973): 3.

2 Derek Coller, “Leslie Johnson.” IAJRC Journal 42, no. 2  (June 2009): 18.

3 Leslie Johnson, “Editorializing.” Mississippi Rag 21, no. 1 (November 1993): 2.

"The Mississippi Rag was the most successful magazine devoted to traditional jazz and ragtime and it featured not only historical articles but provided an important benefit in spotlighting up-and-coming artists. Scholarly articles and reviews on ragtime became a staple in the Rag and ragtime originators like Eubie Blake and popular performers like Max Morath were prominently featured."

Paige VanVorst, "Leslie Johnson," in JazzBeat (2009)
(URL, accessed 25 April 2019)

Ragtime Traditional Jazz