In “Black Music Footprints,” Mondre Moffett explores the history of American music from work songs and field hollers to modern jazz. This fascinating book explores Scott Joplin’s extraordinary life and enduring musical influence against the backdrop of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century America. Joplin was born in 1868 and overcame adversity, including racial prejudice and poverty, to become regarded as the “King of Ragtime.” His groundbreaking creations, which included iconic tunes such as “The Entertainer” and “Maple Leaf Rag,” not only defined the ragtime era but also broke down cultural barriers through their fusion of quick rhythms and classical components.

“Black Music Footprints” explores the history of ragtime, from its origins in Black folk music to its controversial appropriation in minstrel shows to its blooming in venues along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, where it launched America’s first popular music boom. The book effectively depicts Joplin’s important role in making ragtime a recognized art form, elevating Black musicians as major composers through his inventive works. It delves deeply into his ambitious opera “Treemonisha,” a pioneering blend of ragtime, classical, and operatic elements that transmitted a message of social justice and education.