Pianophilia

Here is a little ragtime treasure. A small folio of rags introduced in the late 'teens by the Earl Fuller Orchestra. This was in the earliest days of jazz (or "jass" back then). Practically every piece in this rather chunky little book is a great rag. A series of nine of the pieces were issued on 3 large QRS music rolls when the pieces were issued. The rolls were arranged from the orchestral scores of the pieces, and are nice listening so I'm posting midi files of those rolls here as well.

1. QRS Music Roll No. 33352 "Earl Fuller's Collection of Jazz Classics Vol. 1"
a. Jazitis
b. Jazanjaz
c. Jazology

2. QRS Music Roll No. 33353 "Earl Fuller's Collection of Jazz Classics Vol. 2"
a. Jazzorient
b. Jaba Jaba Jazz
c. Jazonata

3. QRS Music Roll No. 33354 "Earl Fuller's Collection of Jazz Classics Vol. 3"
a. Jazette
b. Jigger Jazz
c. Jazioso

Enjoy!

Frank

Dear Frank,
thanks SO MUCH for the Froeba folio and pieces, for the Alex Hill song, the fine pieces by Hudson and Hayton and, most of all, for these fantastic and very rare Earl Fuller Jazz folio and piano rolls!!!!
It's interesting that all the pieces, which are rags and one-step rags, feature the word "jazz" in all possible ways and I guess that must have been quite fashionable at that time
These are rare and fantastic pieces! THANKS!!!
The only Fuller piece I had was "Yah-de-dah", also recorded by his band: the sheet music is present on the Templeton Sheet Music Collection, but they're offline today, as it happens from time to time..
While listening to these great piano roll scans I noticed that one of the pieces, "Jigger Jazz" composed by Ernest Cutting, has a first strain that is quite in the style of contemporary Wilbur Sweatman...it's particularly similar with the first strain in "Down Home Rag".
Speaking of Sweatman, who's a favorite of mine and a great clarinetist, there are some of his pieces on internet, including "Down Home Rag" and the interesting "Old Folks Rag" (having something to do with the "12th Street Rag"...).
But no internet collection seem to include this fine Sweatman rag that I post here, the "Boogie Rag".
Again speaking of rags dealing with using the "jazz" word, here's a little rarity, whose score I found on an ebay auction: that included picture of the cover and the complete piece and the photos were quite readable.
So I downloaded the photo and sequenced a midi of this piece.
The piece is "The Mysterious Axman's Jazz" and it deals with a New Orleans murderer..anyway, if you are interested in the story, I also upload a recent article about this fact.
The music of this piece is very nice, but the arrangement is too weak for my taste.
Frank, I'm so glad you enjoyed "Soda Fountain Rag" played by Duke Ellington!
I'm posting a 1972 recording by Ellington of this piece, during a concert: like in the youtube video, he felt the piece was too hard and stopped playing after a few notes. Ellington was too modest and shy, while he always was a great pianist!
I'm also aware of the manuscript and I know it was published in one of the many books on Duke Ellington, but I don't have it.
Anyway there was a midi of Soda Fountain Rag on internet, slow and boring, but I imagine it was sequenced from the manuscript.
So I post it here and I also attach the sheet music I got by simply reading the midi file with my midi notation program.
So at last we have the score "Soda Fountain Rag" in some ways
Oh, I also include the 1929 recording of "Oklahoma Stomp" by Ellington and his Orchestra, since it introduces the "Soda Fountain Rag".
Luigi

Again speaking of "Soda Fountain Rag" and that great recording, under the title of "Swing Session", that the Duke made in 1937, a book entitled "Ellington, the early years" by Mark Tucker includes brief transcriptions of a few measures of the intro and the first three strains.
It's really a pity that Mark Tucker didn't transcribe the whole recording
Anyway here I attach all these transcribed snippets, that I put together.
In the same book there's the complete sheet music of Ellington's "Jig Walk - Charleston": I also attach it here and include a midi file I sequenced from the score.
If there's interest, I can also include a recording of the piano roll, but it's quite common. That piano roll was sometimes tought to have been played by Ellington himself, but later it's been confirmed that he didn't play it and it was just an orchestrated piano roll arranged from the published sheet music.
Enjoy
Luigi

Dear Luigi,

Thank you so much for all your research and the postings you've made. Needless to say, everything is absolutely wonderful and as always your attention to historical details is impeccable. Fantastic!

I think the "Mysterious Axman's Jazz" is a terrific little piece of ragtime! It must be incredibly rare. What a cover! I enjoyed hearing your midi transcription from the sheet music...really a good piece. And the historical article behind the "Axman" is fascinating reading!

Most of all, I'm so impressed by your historical review of the various recordings which exist of Duke Ellington playing his early "Soda Fountain Rag." You're right...the midi file from the web is terrible (who would post that?? ) But your transcription is as always perfect and gives a good basis to develop a performance of the tune. It is simply priceless to hear Duke Ellington try to manage his way through the tune when he was obviously on in years. This kind of reminds me of the "Little Jack's Rag" trio that Arthur Marshall managed to play! A little bit on the sad side...but of immense historical value. Also on the Duke - I have most all his records but never put 2 + 2 together to realize that "Oklahoma Stomp" contains the "Soda Fountain Rag" theme. Great tie-in.

All I can add further to the "Soda Fountain Rag" story is a recording made by a pianist named Brooks Kerr in the very early 70s. I heard the tune for the first time through a radio broadcast of this album. Kerr had apparently been introduced to Ellington, who approved of his piano playing and this album was the result. I'm posting this version of "Soda Fountain Rag" so as to compare them with all the versions you've already shared.

Well, back to the scanner to generate some more virtual syncopations. As always, all the best,

Frank

One last point on Ellington's "Soda Fountain Rag." i noted that it's in the key of D minor...which was apparently a popular key for early stride ragtime. One example is JPJ's "Steeplechase Rag" and another Lucky Robert's "Pork and Beans" (of course Lucky played it in C# minor!) Either of these pieces could have been inspiration for The Duke. I know he listened to piano rolls...the story about him learning JPJ's "Carolina Shout" by sitting in front of the player piano is famous. I think a lot of people worked out "Carolina Shout" that way over the years!


............and now some Sunday Syncopations.....

Band leader Claude Hopkins wrote a few novelty piano solos which were published in a folio by Joe Davis. Interesting tunes!

....a novelty piano solo and wonderful jazz song by one Mike Jackson...each published by Clarence Williams

....one especially for Luigi, since I know he's a big Cab Calloway fan!