I'll concur with Uncle Dave's recommendation that the Dick Hyman Joplin
disc on RCA is the one disc to have if you're having only one.  Don't
forget Max Morath in this repertoire; refined pianism is not his stock in
trade, but he probably understands the musical context of ragtime better
than anyone.

Anyone looking for a ghastly party record from the height of the
Sting-induced craze, see me for a dub of Ragtime Harpsichord from one
Hedi Salanki (it's not the instrument; I'm quite fond of Biggs's Jopin
on the pedal harpsichord).  See me also for esoterica like Red Camp's
"Hot Tempered Clavichord", recorded by Emory Cook; or "Slugger Ryan
Plays Ragtime" (Listers of sufficient age may remember Slugger, a toy
piano-banging, derby-hatted & sleeve-gartered marionette from Bil Baird's
troupe.)

I was disappointed in the new, Gramophone-touted ragtime piano disc from
Morten Gunnar Larsen on Decca.  He obviously has fearsome chops, but seems
to plow through the notes in an undifferentiated manner, regardless of the
character of the piece.

A real sleeper disc, which I can't tout highly enough, is David Buechner's
collection of 19 rags by Joseph F.  Lamb (the "white Joplin") on
Connoisseur Society (4216).  These are complex, classically-tinged piano
rags, beautifully played by Buechner.  As with almost everything from
Connoisseur, the piano sound is superb.

-- Art Scott
Livermore, Cal.