Glenn Jenks
Birth nameGlenn Arnold Jenks
Born(1947-02-09)February 9, 1947
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJanuary 21, 2016(2016-01-21) (aged 68)[1]
Portland, Maine, U.S.
GenresRagtime
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
Instrument(s)Piano
Years active1975-2016
LabelsFretless, Stomp Off, Viridiana, Bonnie Brae[2]

Glenn Jenks (February 9, 1947 – January 21, 2016) was an American ragtime pianist,[3][4] composer and music historian.[5][6]

Career and life

Jenks was a "prolific ragtime composer, teacher and performer from Maine who fused traditional ragtime with classical music themes".[7] He attended the New England Conservatory[6] before going on to receive a degree in music from Earlham College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. Jenks toured with singer-songwriter Jud Strunk between 1975 and 1978.[8] He also performed with such acts as Manhattan Transfer, Dick Hyman, Gordon Bok, Doc Watson[9] and Andy Williams.[2] In 1978, Jenks began his solo performing career and in 1979 released his first album entitled Antidote on the Bonnie Banks record label.[6]

Throughout the 1980s, Jenks served as pianist for the New England Vaudeville Review, the New Vaudeville Revival,[10] and husband and wife dance duo Tony and Karen Montanaro.[2] Jenks was an original founding member of numerous ragtime festivals and between 1989 and 2000 he produced the Harvest Ragtime Revue in Camden, Maine.[11][10][6] Jenks was a noted ornithologist and botany specialist on roses who conducted tours of gardens throughout the Camden area.[12] He founded the annual Rose Day celebration at the Merryspring Nature Center.[13]

“As a performer, Jenks was known for his energetic playing, focusing mostly on traditional ragtime idioms. As a composer, he wrote wonderfully sensitive rags, sticking close to the traditional ragtime form, but blending in sophisticated contemporary harmonies. He wrote over 30 piano rags, a string quartet, a ragtime piano concerto and many non-ragtime compositions as well.”

— Corte Swearingen[6]

Jenks was commissioned by Down East Singers to compose Heaven and Earth are Full of Thy Glory for their concert tour of Russia.[14] His String Quartet in Ragtime has been recorded and performed by several string quartets including the Laurentian Quartet,[15][16] Vancadium Quartet and the Halcyon Quartet.[12]

Jenks died on January 21, 2016, in Portland, Maine.[1]

Legacy

In 2019, the Glenn Jenks Ragtime Revue premiered at the Camden Opera House in Camden, Maine.[11] The Revue revived a tradition that Jenks started 30 years prior which brought nationally-known artists together in "song, dance, humor and ragtime."[11][17] The Revue has presented awards to various ragtime performers including Sue Keller, Edward A. Berlin and Max Morath.[11][18] It also sponsors the "Glenn Jenks Future in Music Prize" in association with the Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School in Rockport, Maine.[19][5]

In 2020, a collection of Jenk’s complete rags for piano was released.[20][21]

Discography

YearAlbum TitlePerformersRecord LabelCatalog Number
1979AntidoteGlenn JenksBonnie Banks RecordsBB 101
1981Background MusicGlenn Jenks, VariousPhilo RecordsFR-157
1983The Ragtime ProjectGlenn JenksBonnie Banks RecordsBB 103[22]
1985The Ragtime Project - Volume TwoGlenn JenksBonnie Banks RecordsBB 104[23]
1988Ragtime AlchemyGlenn JenksStomp OffSOS1179
1991American BeautiesGlenn JenksBonnie Banks ProductionBB 106CD[24]
1994Easy WinnersGlenn JenksBonnie Banks ProductionBB 108CD[25]
1995Ragtime BigtimeGlenn Jenks, Dan GrinsteadStomp Off RecordsStomp Off CD 1292
1999Invitation to the DanzaGlenn JenksViridiana ProductionsVRD 2011
1999Ragtime SweetsGlenn Jenks, Susan BoyceSmart Set SoundSSS-002
2007Spider In the TubGlenn JenksBonnie Banks ProductionBB 109CD

Music publications

  • Jenks, Glenn (1993). A Garden of Ragtime, Squanlake Music. 68 pages.[26]
  • Jenks, Glenn (2020). The Complete Ragtime Works For Piano by Glenn Jenks. 265 pages.[27]

References

  1. 1 2 "Glenn Arnold Jenks 1947-2016". Legacy.com. Boston Globe. January 21, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "The West Coast Ragtime Festival Presents Glenn Jenks". Westcoastragtime.com. October 3, 2003. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  3. ↑ Marco, Guy (June 1, 1998). Scott Joplin. United States: Routledge. p. 430. ISBN 978-0824083991.
  4. ↑ Binkowski, Carol (January 10, 2014). Joseph Lamb: A Passion for Ragtime. United States: MacFarland Publishers. p. 210. ISBN 9780786490790.
  5. 1 2 Melton, Larry (September 29, 2022). "Glenn Jenks Ragtime Revue Scheduled for Oct. 23". Syncopatedtimes.com. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Swearingen, Corte (January 1, 2022). "American Piano Music: Glenn jenks". Americanpianomusic.com. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  7. ↑ Tjaden, Ted (January 1, 2021). "The Interplay Between Classical Music, Ragtime, and Jazz". Ragtimepiano.ca. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  8. ↑ Shaw, Lew (March 1, 2016). "Ragtimer Glenn Jenks has died". Syncopatedtimes.com. The Syncopated Time. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  9. ↑ Mezjuev, Oleg. "Glenn Jenks". Ragtime.nu. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Rooks, Jennifer (October 20, 2022). "An Exploration of Ragtime, including Maine Musician Glenn Jenks". Mainepublic.org. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Mustapich, Susan (August 22, 2019). "Ragtime Revue revives the music of Glenn Jenks". Knoxvillagesoup.com. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  12. 1 2 Robinson, Aaron (October 13, 2022). "Glenn Jenks Ragtime Revue Oct. 23". Boothbayregister.com. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  13. ↑ Herald, Camden (June 17, 2022). "Merryspring Nature Center announces annual Rose Day celebration". Knoxvillagesoup.com. Courier Gazette. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  14. ↑ Antolini, Anthony (December 5, 2016). "Down East Singers Present "Jenks and Jazz"". Choralnet.org. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  15. ↑ Sherman, Robert (May 5, 1996). "MUSIC;Works by Women Gain New Attention". New York Times. USA. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  16. ↑ Thompson, Gwen. "A Maine You Can Hear". Portland Magazine. Portland, Maine. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  17. ↑ Mustapich, Susan (October 4, 2019). "Ragtime greats remember Jenks with revue revival". Knox.villagesoup.com. courier-gazettee. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  18. ↑ Gabler, Jay (December 26, 2022). "'Mr. Ragtime' Max Morath, public TV pioneer, is happily living his coda in Duluth". Duluthnewstribune.com. Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  19. ↑ Berlin, Ed (July 30, 2020). "Glenn Jenks - The Complete Ragtime Works for Piano". Syncopatedtimes.com. The Syncopated Time. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  20. ↑ Berlin, Ed (July 30, 2020). "Glenn Jenks • The Complete Ragtime Works for Piano". Syncopatedtimes.com. The Syncopated Time. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  21. ↑ Melton, Larry (September 29, 2022). "Glenn Jenks Ragtime Revue Scheduled for Oct. 23". Syncopatedtimes.com. The Syncopated Time. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Tracks on The Ragtime Project - Glenn Jenks (1983)". Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  23. ↑ "Glenn Jenks - The Ragtime Project - Volume Two". Discogs.com. 21 June 1985. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  24. ↑ "Glenn Jenks' CD releases". Ragtime.nu. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  25. ↑ "Glenn Jenks • Easy Winners". The Syncopated Times. 26 June 1994. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  26. ↑ Mezjeuv, Oleg (January 1, 1996). "Glenn Jenks' Music books". Ragtime.nu. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  27. ↑ Berlin, Ed (July 30, 2020). "Glenn Jenks - The Complete Ragtime Works for Piano". Syncopatedtimes.com. Retrieved January 1, 2023.


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