River Raisin Ragtime Revue

06/18/2026

Join us for this free concert!

06/17/2026

James Weldon Johnson was born on this day in 1882. He was a noted poet, novelist, and lyricist and important figure of the Harlem Renaissance. He was also active in the civil rights movement and was a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 1902, he collaborated with his younger brother J. Rosamond Johnson and songwriter Robert Cole to publish "Under the Bamboo Tree." Here is our rendition featuring vocalist Daniel Washington.

Bass-baritone Daniel Washington sings "Under The Bamboo Tree," writ...

06/16/2026

Irving Berlin originally penned "God Bless America" in 1918, while he was serving in the Army during WWI. Shelved at the time, he would revisit the song when singer Kate Smith asked him for a new song for her radio show. Smith's rendition was an instant sensation and "God Bless America" has been regarded as an American classic ever since. Many Americans consider the song the unofficial national anthem of the United States. Join us for our free America250 celebration on Friday, July 3 in downtown Adrian and you'll hear us perform a brand new arrangement of this classic song. Our pianist and arranger Catherine McMichael has orchestrated a majestic version suitable for the historic moment.
Friday, July 3 8PM
First Presbyterian Church
156 E. Maumee, Adrian
Fireworks at Comstock Park following the show

06/15/2026

This hit recording rose to number one on the charts this week in 1909.

Edison 10134 - Ada Jones & Billy Murray - Shine On Harvest Moon 190...

06/15/2026

It's exciting to see how our National Endowment for the Arts Big Read project planning is already bringing our community together! So far, we have ten Lenawee County organizations and institutions that we plan to collaborate with to present meaningful programs over a several month period, from January through May of 2027. Pictured (left to right)) from a recent meeting are Laura Berdyck (Lenawee Historical Museum), Jennifer Wrzesinski (director, Adrian District Library), Mary Jane Dopp (Adrian Morning Rotary), Ben Negron (Executive Director, Hispanics of Lenawee Alliance), and William Pemberton (Executive Director, River Raisin Ragtime R***e). Stay tuned for great things!

06/12/2026

BIG NEWS! BIG READ!
We are excited and honored to announce that River Raisin Ragtime R***e has received a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest for being selected as a 2026-2027 NEA Big Read Community!
The goal of the NEA Big Read is to inspire meaningful conversations, celebrating local creativity, elevating a wide variety of voices and perspectives, and building stronger connections in each community. The 2026-2027 NEA Big Read is based on the theme of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Of fourteen NEA-approved book titles, R4 chose to feature Dr. Catherine Clinton's "Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom." R4 will use this title as a starting point for numerous presentations that explore Lenawee County's abolitionist history. Harriet Tubman's work will be compared and contrasted to that of Laura Smith Haviland, for whom our Haviland Hall is dedicated. Our project will also explore the concept of freedom at our nation's 250th anniversary in conversations that encourage all voices of our community to participate. Guest presenters will include Dr. Catherine Clinton, National Book Award-winning author Dr. Tiya Miles, Rev. Dr. Christopher Momany, and Harriet Tubman interpreter and historian Kathryn Harris. R4 is partnering with community organizations that include the Adrian District Library, Lenawee Historical Museum, Adrian Dominican Sisters, Lenawee NAACP, Hispanics of Lenawee Alliance, Adrian Morning Rotary, and others to maximize this opportunity. Our project will take place from January through May of 2027. Here's the announcement from the NEA. Look who is mentioned first on their homepage! WOW!

The National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Arts Midwest, is pleased to announce grants to 71 nonprofit organizations for NEA Big Read programming in 2026-2027.

06/11/2026

We'll present Ernest Hogan's landmark dance number, "La Pas Ma La," as part of our July 3 America250 concert in Adrian. Some historians consider this song to be the first published ragtime. Here's a little history of Ernest Hogan, an oft-forgotten name in American musical history.

A historical marker in Warren County, Kentucky, honors the life and...

06/10/2026

We'll present works by iconic composers and songwriters who shaped the future of American popular music at our America250 concert in Adrian!
Mark your calendars for this free performance followed by fireworks in Comstock Park!
Friday, July 3. 8PM
First Presbyterian Church
156 E. Maumee St. Adrian

06/09/2026

We'll be in Adrian soon to celebrate our country's 250th anniversary! We've got a great program showcasing iconic American music. Mark your calendars!

06/08/2026

What a blast! Miss Maybell, Charlie Judkins, and Michael Grant joined R4 for an afternoon of music and laughter at the Tecumseh Center for the Arts.