School of Syncopation - Jazz, Stride, Novelties & the Like

[fhimpsl]

Perl, Lothar - Opera Scene - unpublished ms..pdf

Perl, Lothar - Salesman - unpublished ms..pdf

Perl, Lothar - Three Men And A Girl - unpublished ms..pdf

[fhimpsl]

Perl, Lothar - Train - unpublished ms..pdf

Perl, Lothar - Two Letters - unpublished ms..pdf

Perl, Lothar - Untitled Blues - unpublished ms..pdf

[gigiranalli]

On the J.Russel Robinson Eagle records, I spolke with Dave Jasen about these years ago and he told me that the recordings were never made. They were advertised in a record collector's periodical of the day (maybe "The Record Review?") and listed along with their serial numbers. I believe that advertisement is Dave's information source about the Eagle records. Unfortunately, it seems that these are phantoms and just don't exist....I don't know any collector who has one (including Dave). It's a real shame that this session never came off. Rudi Blesh would have known the whole story, but unfortunately we can't ask him now

Dear Frank,
thank you so much for the very precious information about Robinson!!!
Even if the recordings weren't actually issued by Eagle records, do you know which are the other titles Robinson recorded other than "That Eccentric Rag", "The Minstrel Man" and "Easy Winners"? It's known that Blesh had him record eight rags in total.
Although these were never found, I have a hope they still exist somewhere....
It's very fascinating that Robinson later recorded his own "Ringtail Blues" and that Cook transcribed and cut it on piano roll! Do you remember if Robinson used fast bass runs in that recording? I have a suspect it was typical of his style (that bass heardable in some of the Dixie Stars recording, in the brief piano solo in the "March Of Time" film of the youtube link and also in several of his published rags).
Actually I'd be especially curious to hear him play his old rags...oh, yes I knew that the "Sapho Rag", "Minstrel Man" and "Eccentric" piano rolls were actually played by Cook. They don't even sound like Robinson style...

Max Kortlander also played some nice piano on the acetates

I didn't know about the Kortlander acetates either...did he play his own compositions? Speaking of Bill Burkhardt, whom I have to try to contact at this point, there's a fascinating interview he and Bill Blodgett made with Max Korltander's brother Herman and that was transcribed on the AMICA website.
Here's the link: http://www.amica.org/Live/Organization/ ... Herman.htm

the JRR recordings with Al Bernard on Brunswick are fantastic. He plays incredible ragtime piano accompaniment to Bernard on the title "My Poodle-Oodle Dog!

I also love those recordings and Robinson's piano
Frank, speaking of the Dixie Stars, have you heard their recording of "What Do I Care? What Do I Care? My Sweetie Turned Me Down"?
J. Russel Robinson's piano accompaniment and especially his fantastic ragtime piano solo in the middle of the recording are superb!!
I post the recording here and I hope everybody will listen to it! Then I also include my favorite of the Robinson ragtime piano solos, his enhanced version of "That Erratic Rag", entitled "Erratic".
Enjoy!
Luigi

Robinson, J. Russel - Erratic.pdf

Al Bernard & J Russel Robinson - My Sweetie Turned Me Down (1925).mp3

[fhimpsl]

This posting now concludes all the Lothar Perl manuscripts which were given to me by Perl's widow Gitta back around 1980. I hope everyone enjoys these. There are some hidden gems within the group.

All Best,

Frank

Perl, Lothar - Untitled Blues 2 (incomplete) - unpublished ms..pdf

Perl, Lothar - Untitled Composition - unpublished ms..pdf

Perl, Lothar - Untitled Composition ('right hand louder') - unpublished ms..pdf

[fhimpsl]

Dear Luigi,

I'm glad the JRR information was helpful! As far as the other (probably unissued) Eagle record titles, I don't remember what they were unfortunately. The only way I'd know to find out this information would be to locate the late 1940 issues of "The Record Review" and find the actual advertisement for the Eagle records. The only person I know to ask about that would be Mike Montgomery, who I think has all the 1940s 78rpm magazines. On JRR's acetate of "Ringtail Blues" I can't remember now if there are instances of his characteristic bass tricks, but it's possible there are. I know what bass patterns you're referring to here; kind of a rapid upward slur. These certainly are on many of the rolls and the Dixie Stars Brunswicks. On Max Kortlander, I remember that he played 2 of his songs on the acetates. They weren't familiar titles, but nice tunes nonetheless. It would have been better had he chosen to play something like "Hunting The Ball Rag" instead!! Mike Montgomery told me Kortlander wasn't keen to talk about his rags at all, and never played them. He took a lot of pride in the money-maker hits, which of course the biggest one was "Tell Me". Kortlander was very much a businessman, and viewed the old ragtime rolls as non-commercial. Finally on the Dixie Stars record...yes this playing on "My Sweetie Turned Me Down" is no doubt the finest of his playing I've ever heard. I only have a couple of the disks, and certainly don't have that one. Many thanks for posting...any of the Dixie Stars sides would be very much welcomed, because next to that 1952 acetate of "Ringtail Blues" they are probably the best playing we have from the man!

All Best,
Frank

[fhimpsl]

Alex Hill was another of the numerous highly talented jazz pianists who emerged from Chicago's South Side in the late 1920s, and ranks along with greats such as Jimmy Blythe, Clarence Johnson, Lloyd Smith and others. He arranged a few popular songs for piano solo prior to his untimely death (at the approximate age of 30 I believe), which are posted here.

Hill, Alex - Maniac's Ball (Transcription).pdf

Hill, Alex - Smoke Rings (Transcription).pdf

Hill, Alex - You Were Only Passing Time With Me - Pianophrase.pdf

[fhimpsl]

Hudson, Will - Jazznochracy.pdf

Hudson, Will - Yankee In Havana.pdf

Hudson, Will - Hobo On Park Avenue.pdf

[gigiranalli]

Dear Frank,
thank you so much for these great scores!!!
I especially loved the two Alex Hill arrangements of "Maniac's Ball" and "Smoke Rings", composed by Gene Gifford of the Casa Loma Orchestra!
Alex Hill is one of my very favorite pianists!!
I just add another Gifford composition, the famous "Casa Loma Stomp", again arranged by Alex Hill (the comparison of the three scores is interesting since the arranger style is clear in all the pieces).
I'm also attaching a wonderful piano solo recording of "Casa Loma Stomp" played by "Ragtime" Charlie Rasch, who recently passed away.
He was a great pianist and it's too bad I've not been able to contact him!
Then, speaking again of the "Dixie Stars" (Al Benrard, voice; J. Russel Robinson, piano and second voice), here are two nice recordings: one is their famous "Blue Eyed Sally", also featuring a great J. Russel Robinson piano solo near the end of the recording.
The other has no piano solo, but Robinson's accompaniment is great anyway and the piece very enjoyable: the title is "When Dixie Stars Are Playing Peek-A-Boo" and, together with Bernard and Robinson there's some good yodel singing by Frank Kamplain
Of "Blue Eyed Sally" I also include the sheet music.
I hope you enjoy the music
Luigi

Hill, Alex - Casa Loma Stomp.pdf

Charlie Rasch - Casa Loma Stomp (Gifford).mp3

Bernard, Al & Robinson, J. Russel - Blue Eyed Sally.pdf

Al Bernard & J Russel Robinson - Blue Eyed Sally.mp3

Al Bernard, Frank M. Kamplain & J. Russel Robinson - When Dixie Stars Are Playing Peek-A-Boo.mp3

[fhimpsl]

Dear Luigi,

Many thanks for the great Alex Hill "Casa Loma Stomp," and for the JRR Dixie Stars recordings! I was not aware that Charlie Rasch had passed away. That's very sad news because he was a fine person and of course a great musician. Your posting his recording is a fitting tribute to his memory. J.Russel Robinson's piano playing truly is superb on those Brunswick records! Here for fun this morning I'm posting a midi file of one of his piano rolls that I had scanned. The title is a great take-off on the famous Ben Harney song "You've Been A Good Old Wagon, But You Done Broke Down." Updating the title to the 1920s, this song is "You've Been A Good Old Car, But You Done Broke Down." Enjoy!

All Best,

Frank

Robinson, J.Rjussel - You've Been A Good Old Car - QRS Roll No. 1778.mid

[fhimpsl]

...continuing with some various musical odds and ends...

Henderson, Fletcher - Stampede - A Modern Piano Solo.pdf

Henderson, Fletcher - Harlem Madness.pdf

Henderson, Fletcher - Got The World In A Jug.pdf