The Mississippi Rag

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The Mississippi Rag is an internationally influential monthly newspaper about traditional jazz and ragtime music published by Leslie Johnson since 1973.

The Rag features stories about contemporary and legendary giants of traditional jazz and ragtime, plus stories on lesser-known but accomplished musicians. Contributors include George A. Borgman, Bob Byler, Derek Coller, Chip Deffaa, William Schafer, Butch Thompson, and Paige Van Vorst.

The Rag covers jazz history, new and current performers, and bands. The paper highlights these bands and performers in each issue, with information about where and when they're playing. The Rag also reviews recordings, books, videos, DVDs and CD-ROMs.

Dubbed the "bible" of the traditional jazz and ragtime world by its readers, The Mississippi Rag serves a worldwide readership. Its monthly tabloid reaches subscribers in all 50 of the United States and in 26 other countries. More than one-third of its readers are professional or amateur musicians, including some of the top musicians, writers, researchers and critics in the traditional jazz and ragtime world.

Nearly 100 fine writers and photographers regularly contribute stories and photos to The Rag, and at least six critically acclaimed books have resulted from articles first published in it. The Rag has published many rare photos from private collections, especially Duncan P. Schiedt's. Among the photographers featured are Charles Peterson, Nancy Miller Elliott, Ray Avery, William Gottlieb, and Ed Lawless.

In January 2007, The Rag ceased to be issued in print as it had for 33 years, and began to be released online.