PEMBERVILLE – Ragtime Rick and the Chefs of Dixieland will perform a Live In The House Concert
Series"
Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Pemberville Opera House.
Ragtime Rick Grafing has been a fixture in the city of Toledo for years playing that unique brand of
Dixieland on piano. Along with his wife Betsy on banjo, his son John on trumpet and several other
instrumentalists, he formed the Chefs Of Dixieland.
Dixieland draws on the earliest styles of jazz including the strains of brass band marches, French
quadrilles, ragtime, and the blues with collective, polyphonic improvisation.
Grafing became a ragtime piano player through years of entertaining crowds.
He first became known as Ragtime Rick at Shakey’s Pizza Parlor in Toledo, playing piano at night and
studying restaurant management by day.
In 1979 he returned to Toledo from from a stint in Indiana and married Banjo Betsy. Two years later they
opened their own club Ragtime Rick’s First Draught.
When the restaurant closed after 22 years, Rick resumed performing at other venues.
His son John, who was studying trumpet at The University of Toledo, suggested that they form a hot jazz
band. Aprons and restaurant apparel from the former Ragtime Rick’s were soon transformed into band
uniforms, and the Chefs of Dixieland were born.
Ben Herrick, who sometimes worked at the club while earning his degree in music at UT, quickly
volunteered for the trombone chair and Jan Mudica, soprano sax, Gene Giesige, string bass, and Wes
Linenkugel, drums – all regulars players from the First Draught – completed the line-up. When Gene
Giesige, the band’s bass player died in April, 2014, Linenkugel switched to string bass and Buddy Lopez
replaced him on drums.
Tickets are $10 at Beeker’s General Store, at the door or by calling 419-287-4848.
