This website, SanDiegoRagtime.com, is the home on the web of the Heliotrope Ragtime Orchestra! This aggregation's biography follows:

The Heliotrope Ragtime Orchestra
San Diego, California

 




San Diego's Heliotrope Ragtime Orchestra was founded in early 2005 by cornetist and author Bruce Vermazen and pianist Bob Pinsker, originally to provide accompaniment for ragtime-era events by the San Diego Vintage Dancers. The ensemble, co-led by Pinsker and Vermazen, first played for the Vintage Dancers in April 2005 and has been a success from the start. Many of the original members of the eleven-piece ensemble were drawn from the Hillcrest Wind Ensemble, a well-regarded concert band. The Heliotrope’s tuba player, John Winkelman, is the director of the Hillcrest group, and Vermazen, Fernando Herrera (flute and piccolo), and budding writer Patrick McMahon (tenor sax) are also Hillcrest colleagues. Rounding out the roster are professional violinists Cheryl and Daniel Swem, the celebrated Dixieland trombonist Alan Adams, and three recent recruits: Ed Henson (cornet), Everett Crouse (clarinet), and Ed Ducharme (drums).

The orchestra takes its name from the wonderful 1907 Louis Chauvin-Scott Joplin rag "Heliotrope Bouquet." The delicate and fragrant heliotrope's behavior, a constant turning toward the sun as the day passes, makes a good metaphor for San Diego's affinity for sunshine.

The Heliotrope Ragtime Orchestra reproduces the authentic sound of a dance band from the height of the ragtime era, say, about 1915. It has been featured at the Orange County RagFest 2005-7, has played at several events for the San Diego Vintage Dancers, charity events, etc., will be featured at both the 2008 Orange County RagFest and at the 2008 San Diego Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival, and is now available for your event - be it a wedding, Bar Mitzvah, what have you! Contact either of the co-leaders, Bruce Vermazen or Bob Pinsker, at the email address made up of their names in the form 'brucev' or 'bobp', plus the '@' sign, plus the address 'sandiegoragtime.com' (without any of the quotes). (Sorry about that awkwardness, but it's to cut down on spam.)
 
The Heliotrope Ragtime Orchestra: Schedule for Summer/Autumn 2008
Sunday, September 21 - AFCDJS Dance Concert - Lafayette Hotel - San Diego, CA: 1pm - 4pm
Sunday, October 26 - Ragfest! - The 9th Annual SoCal Ragtime Festival - Fullerton, CA - Imperial Ballroom: 1pm - 4pm
Fri & Sat, November 28, 29 - Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival - San Diego, CA - Ballroom

Newsflash! The Heliotrope Ragtime Orchestra is pleased to announce the release of its second CD - THAT'S GOING SOME! on Stomp Off Records, within this month! The CD release party will be our appearance at the AFCDJS Dance Concert on the 21st - here's the cover:


The first Heliotrope Ragtime Orchestra CD, IT'S A BEAR! (StompOff CD1411) is available for purchase from Stomp Off Records and at selected music stores. Here's the cover:

The reviews (at least one) are in! Jack Rummel reviewed "It's A Bear!" on the Ragtimers.org website. For a copy of Rummel's positive review, click here!