Pianophilia

fhimpsl wrote: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!

Dear Frank,
this "You've Been A Good Old Car, But You Done Broke Down" piano roll is great!!! Thanks so much for posting it!!!
Speaking of piano rolls, I've just posted my transcription of the "Invitation Rag" piano roll played by Copeland on the Piano Roll Transcriptions section.
Thanks so much again for the piano roll scan!!!
These scores you're posting are great!!
Among my favorites there are the Johnny Johnson pieces! Then it's great that you've also posted, among the other interesting pieces, the "Morocco Blues" by Joe Jordan.
I attach here the unpublished manuscript instrumental version of "Morocco Blues", scored very well and quite close to how Joe Jordan recorded it during the "Golden Reunion In Ragtime" session, also featuring Bob Darch, Eubie Blake and Charley Thompson.
Before playing it, Joe Jordan admitted he never was a blues man...not in case this "Morocco Blues" is not really a blues...
By the way it was Clarence Williams, the publisher, to choose the title.
Then I also include another blues that is not a blues...the rare "Blue Goose Blues", that is simply a rag, but a very good one!
Enjoy the music
Luigi

Dear Luigi,

Fantastic job on the transcription!! Glad you enjoyed the tunes which I posted. I have at least another 2 Johnny Johnson novelty rags, and will post them soon. They are photocopies and I have them in a different area of the house than the originals (which are easier to get to)...so everything up to this point has been from originals. Many gaps to fill in later! Also thanks for the "Blue Goose Blues"...this is a rag which I have never heard of before. I remember the name Charles Olson; didn't he do a novelty piece called "Crossword Puzzle" or something like that? Maybe he was related to the other ragtimer Elmer Olson..."Town Talk," "Funny Tune," "Syncopated Echoes," "Shock Rag," etc. An amazing rarity. Glad also that you liked the sheet of "Morocco Blues." Yes I've heard the Golden Reunion LP, and certainly Joe Jordan was all about ragtime, not the blues!

All Best,

Frank

...a few more loose syncopated odds and ends...

Here is a comparison between the published sheet music of a novelty rag and the composer's own performance on piano roll....not too many examples where this is possible.

Thanks for the interesting files!

Hi Walter,

You're very much welcome, as always!

The following pieces by pianist Malcolm "Johnny" Johnson are posted in honor of Luigi Ranalli in appreciation of his wonderful piano roll transcription of Les Copeland's "Invitation Rag." Luigi...these are the only remaining novelty piano solos by Johnson of which I'm aware. Old xerox copies, but still thankfully very much readable. Enjoy!

Frank

We've already posted most if not everything by Lothar Perl, who composed novelty piano solos in the "Syncopated Impressions" manner created by Billy Mayerl. But Perl only scratches the surface in this vast field. One of the more prolific and talented German novelty composers was Eric Plessow. Recently his name came up in conjunction with the Lothar Perl postings, when Luigi Ranalli posted a Plessow piece entitled "Red Devil."

I will scan the Plessow compositions of which I'm aware. You'll find that these are all very fully written out and thickly textured. Here to start is a folio containing 5 pieces by Plessow. Enjoy!

Frank