Guide to the David Reffkin Ragtime Machine Collection
ARS.0121
Franz Kunst, Nathan Coy, and Clare Spitzer
Archive of Recorded Sound
2012 Updated 2020
soundarchive@stanford.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Archive of Recorded Sound
Title: David Reffkin Ragtime Machine Collection
Creator:
Reffkin, David
Identifier/Call Number: ARS.0121
Physical Description:
73 box(es)
1332 tapes stored "pancake" in 10.5" boxes, 208 optical media
CDRs, and 5 folders of program log sheets.
Date (inclusive): 1981-2011
Physical Location: Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound
Stanford University Libraries Stanford, California 94305-3076
Abstract: The Ragtime Machine was a weekly
one-hour radio program about ragtime music, produced and hosted by David Reffkin and
broadcast on the University of San Francisco's station KUSF. The collection contains all
programs from 1981 to 2007, as well as program logs describing their contents, including
guests interviewed and songs played.
Access
Open for research; material must be requested at least two business days in advance of
intended use. Contact the Archive for assistance.Open for research; material must be
requested at least two business days in advance of intended use. Contact the Archive for
assistance.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with repository. Publication and reproduction rights reside with the
creators or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the
Head Librarian of the Archive of Recorded Sound.
Preferred Citation
David Reffkin Ragtime Machine Collection, ARS-0121. Courtesy of the Stanford Archive of
Recorded Sound, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Source
The David Reffkin Ragtime Machine Collection was donated to the Stanford Archive of
Recorded Sound by David Reffkin in 2007.
Sponsor
This finding aid was produced with generous financial support from the National Historical
Publications and Records Commission.
Scope and Contents
Ragtime authority David Reffkin is a researcher, author, and musician. The Ragtime Machine
was a radio program about ragtime music, produced and hosted by Reffkin on University of San
Francisco radio station KUSF beginning in 1981. The show, which is not currently broadcast
(due to the university having sold the station's frequency in early 2011), featured live and
recorded performances and interviews, some of which were transcribed and published in the
magazine Mississippi Rag. Notable guests featured on the program include Rudi Blesh, Sam and
Ann Charters, Patricia Lamb Conn (Joseph Lamb's daughter), Phil Elwood, Donita Fowler (Scott
Joplin's niece), Johnny Guarnieri, John Hasse, Dick Hyman, David Jasen, Carl Sonny Leyland,
Johnny Maddox, Bob Milne, Mike Montgomery, Max Morath, Joan Morris, Wally Rose, Lalo
Schifrin, Gunther Schuller, Ed Sprankle, Butch Thompson, Trebor Tichenor, Craig Ventresco,
Ian Whitcomb, and Dick Zimmerman. There are 1350 hour-long programs on 1332 tapes in the
collection, which is complete through July 2007; however, the tapes were also transferred to
compact disc by Reffkin prior to accession. Programs are numbered, and a copy of the
complete program logs is on file in the Archive.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Ragtime music
Radio programs
Ragtime machine (Radio program)
Programs
Physical Description: 1332 audiotape
reel(s)
Physical Description: 209 optical
disc(s) (cd-r)
box 1
1-37
1981 July 4-1982 March 29
box 2
38-55
1982 April 5-1982 August 2
box 3
56-75
1982 August 9-1982 December 20
box 4
76-94
1982 December 27-1983 May 2
box 5
95-113
1983 May 9-1983 September 12
box 6
114-132
1983 September 19-1984 January 23
box 7
133-151
1984 January 30-1984 June 4
box 8
152-170
1984 June 11-1984 October 15
box 9
171-189
1984 October 22-1985 February 25
box 10
190-208
1985 March 4-1985 July 8
box 11
209-227
1985 July 15-1985 November 18
box 12
228-246
1985 November 25-1986 March 31
box 13
247-265
1986 April 7-1986 August 11
box 14
266-284
1986 August 18-1986 December 22
box 15
285-303
1986 December 29-1987 May 4
Container Summary: folders
box 16
304-322
1987 May 11-1987 September 14
box 17
323-341
1987 September 21-1988 January 25
box 18
342-360
1988 February 1-1988 June 6
box 19
361-379
1988 June 13-1988 October 17
box 20
380-398
1988 October 24-1989 February 27
box 21
399-417
1989 March 6-1989 July 10
box 22
418-436
1989 July 17-1989 November 20
box 23
437-455
1989 November 27-1990 April 2
box 24
456-474
1990 April 9-1990 August 13
box 25
475-493
1990 August 20-1990 December 24
box 26
494-512
1990 December 31-1991 May 6
box 27
513-531
1991 May 13-1991 September 16
box 28
532-550
1991 September 23-1992 January 27
box 29
551-569
1992 February 3-1992 June 8
box 30
570-588
1992 June 15-1992 October 19
box 31
589-607
1992 October 26-1993 March 1
box 32
608-626
1993 March 8-1993 July 12
box 33
627-645
1993 July 19-1993 November 22
box 34
646-664
1993 November 29-1994 April 4
box 35
665-683
1994 April 11-1994 August 15
box 36
684-702
1994 August 22-1995 January 2
box 37
703-721
1995 January 9-1995 May 15
box 38
722-740
1995 May 22-1995 September 25
box 39
741-759
1995 October 2-1996 February 5
box 40
760-778
1996 February 12-1996 June 17
box 41
779-797
1996 June 24-1996 October 28
box 42
798-816
1996 November 4-1997 March 17
box 43
817-835
1997 March 24-1997 July 28
box 44
836-854
1997 August 4-1997 December 8
box 45
855-873
1997 December 15-1998 April 20
box 46
874-892
1998 April 27-1998 August 31
box 47
893-911
1998 September 7-1999 January 11
box 48
912-930
1999 January 18-1999 May 24
box 49
931-949
1999 May 31-1999 October 4
box 50
950-968
1999 October 11-2000 February 14
box 51
969-987
2000 February 21-2000 June 26
box 52
988-1006
2000 July 3-2000 November 6
box 53
1007-1025
2000 November 13-2001 March 19
box 54
1026-1044
2001 March 26-2001 August 6
box 55
1045-1063
2001 August 13-2001 December 17
box 56
1064-1082
2001 December 31-2002 May 6
box 57
1083-1101
2002 May 13-2002 September 16
box 58
1102-1120
2002 September 23-2003 January 27
box 59
1121-1139
2003 February 3-2003 June 9
box 60
1140-1158
2003 June 16-2003 October 20
box 61
1159-1177
2003 October 27-2004 March 1
box 62
1178-1196
2004 March 8-2004 July 12
box 63
1197-1215
2004 July 19-2004 November 22
box 64
1216-1234
2004 November 29-2005 April 4
box 65
1235-1253
2005 April 11-2005 August 15
box 66
1254-1272
2005 August 22-2005 December 26
box 67
1273-1291
2006 January 2-2006 May 15
box 68
1292-1310
2006 May 22-2006 September 25
box 69
1311-1329
2006 October 2-2007 February 5
box 70
1330-1348
2007 February 12-2007 June 18
box 71
1349-1350
2007 June 25-2007 July 2
Box 72
1351-1559
2007 July 9-2011 July 4
General
Programs 1351-1447 and 1553-1559 are on Mitsui CDR and Programs 1448-1552 are on
Memorex CDR.
Box
73
Program logs 1-1559
1981-2011
Ragtime Machine Program Logs 1-299, July 4 1981-April 6 1987
Ragtime Machine Program Logs 300-649, April 13 1987-December 20 1993
Ragtime Machine Program Logs 650-1049, December 27, 1993-September 2001
Ragtime Machine Program Logs 1050-1350, September 17 2001-July 2 2007
Ragtime Machine Program Logs 1351-1559, July 9 2007-July 4 2011
Physical Description: 5
folder(s)
