(Front row L to R) Quentin Sharpenstein,
Tom Jolly
(Back row L to R) John Gutermuth, Roy McCarty
It’s doubtful that you can go to a baseball game
at any other professional park in the country and find
a band playing there. Few if any baseball parks use
more than a single organist. Yet, take in a Louisville
Redbirds game at Cardinal Stadium and you’ll find
the Redbird Ragtymes, the Dixieland band that’s
at every home game.
But why here in Louisville and how’d they get
started? Well, it seems that things just “evolved.”
When the Redbirds opened their first season here in
1982 the P.A. system and scoreboard weren’t completed.
A. Ray Smith wanted music for the games, so since he
couldn’t use the organ without the P.A. system
he hired “The Rascals of Ragtyme” to play
the Wednesday. Friday and Saturday home games for a
couple of weeks. The Rascals first played at the old
Wooden Nickel in 1966 and had been around ever since.
The fans liked the band so much that A. Ray not only
kept them on, he started using them at every home game.
He took out several seats and built a bandstand up behind
home plate. In that first season the band’s name
was changed to the present day “Redbird Ragtymes”
so as to be more closely linked with the baseball team.
There were some other changed that first year too.
At the end of the season the five-member band gave little
party for the people who had played at the baseball
games. Thirty musicians showed up!
Today there is more consistency in the group. The regulars,
Jack Freckman (banjo) Bill Fuchs (trombone), Dick Martin
(trumpet), Eddie Abraham (drums) and bandleader Quentin
Sharpenstein (tuba are there for nearly every game.
The band tries to add a few extra things to their performance
from time to time. They have used an electric siren,
worn a “solo hat", complete with flashing
lights, recruited people from the stands to sing “Take
me out to the ballgame” in the seventh inning or
wave an American flag on the fourth of July, blown various
railroad, bird, and slide whistles, and occasionally
have been joined by A. Ray Smith on the harmonica.
While the band tries to ad to the atmosphere of the
game, they generally refrain from getting mixed up in
the actual game itself. There have been moments, however,
like the July evening in 1983 when the band, following
a series of questionable calls, played “Three Blind
Mice.” Quentin Sharpenstein was called down to
the dugout where an angry umpire held up the game for
several minutes in order to tell the bandleader in no
uncertain terms that that particular song shall not
be played again. One regular fan enjoyed the activities
so much that he bought the band hats to commemorate
the event.
Away from the ball park, the group can be found playing
almost anywhere from the Musicfest, to public parks,
to various political functions, to the opening of The
Kentucky Show, and using either the “Redbird”
or the “Rascals” name. Sometimes the band
will play a job and not know which name they’re
using.
The events may change, the band’s name may change,
the people probably will change, but the music will
remain the same…except for “Three Blind Mice”
that is…
Partial Song List
A Kiss To Build A Dream On
Alexander’s Ragtime Band
Ain’t Misbehavin
Anything Goes
Back Home In Indiana
Basin Street Blues
Big Butter And Egg Amn
Bill Bailey
Bourbon Street Parade
Bye Bye Blackbird
Cabaret
Charlie My Boy
Darktown Strutters Ball
Do You Know What It Means To Miss N. O.
Doctor Jazz Georgia Bobo
Happy Days Are Here Again
Hello Dolly
Is It True What They Say About Dixie
Ja Do
Just A Closer Walk
Louisiana
Ma He’s Making Eyes At Me
Mack The Knife
Mame
Muscat Ramble
Nagasaki
Oh By Jingle
Puttin On The Ritz
Rose Room
Rosetta
Royal Garden Blue
Saint Louis Blues
Saints Go Marching In
Saint James Infirmary
Sheik Of Arab
Shine
South
Sugar Struttin With Some Barbecue
There’s A Rainbow Round My Shoulder
Washington & Lee Swing
When You’re Smiling
World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
Plus Many More……
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