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

[Rob C.]

Dixon, Harold - Harlequins Grand March (1927).pdf

Hi Tobyjj,

Here's the last of the Harold Dixon scans. You wrote that this is the only one you own a copy of (which is why I saved it 'till last). Artistically, I thought it best not to cut off any of the left side of this cover so there's a little more trimmed off the right (ah, if only my scanner bed was just a tad wider so I could scan the whole cover!)

This is another nice piece (as you know) whose first theme is reminiscent of Nacio Herb Brown's "Doll Dance" but not so much so that it annoys me . Definitely worth preserving. Hope my scan is a little better than what you already have (if not, I hope many others who've never seen it enjoy it).

BTW, I copied the title as printed on the first page of music (the most authoritative source) where there's no apostrophe.

My very best,

Rob

[Rob C.]

Griselle, Thomas - Cubist (1918).pdf

Hi Everyone!

Here's a bonus... "Cubist" by Thomas Griselle, an extremely rare syncopated piece which I had a very difficult time obtaining a few years back. (No, I didn't cut the bottom of the last chord on the last page off--I assume it's just the lower note of an octave). I'm not sure if this has been posted on the web, but it's quite rare. Interesting piece too. I'll post a midi if you'd like (I do have one already made).

BTW, does anyone out there have "Boogie Woogie Piano Transcriptions (1943) by Mary Lou Williams. I'd love to see it posted here.

Thanks!

Rob

[tobyjj]

Hello All,
Rob - Thanks for posting this great Dixon set - these are not ridiculously difficult and a welcome addition to anyone's collection.

There is apparently another one called "Mammy Land" at the In Harmony online library - but despite being told about it's presence there I couldn't find it.

With regard to "my list" of difficult pieces - I need to give this some thought. Often it is just a few bars that stump me and which (when I play them) sound as if they do not really belong in the piece as a whole. I alsways assume when this happens that there must be some conventional notation shorthand which I am misreading or about which I'm simply ignorant. Of course there are some pieces that I do know exactly how they should sound, but which completely stump me anyway !!

Here are the Mary Lou Williams piano transcriptions:

Mary_Lou_Williams_-__Boogie_Woogie_Piano_Transcriptions.pdf

And here are 6 "originals"

6 Original Boogie Piano Solos - Mary Lou Williams.pdf

The Thomas Griselle is a good find. I have "2 American sketches" by him - but nothing else. (If you're interested). The 2 American sketches are courtesy of another member here on Pianophilia, though I haven't posted them up yet.

Regards,
tobyjj

[tobyjj]

Hello All,

Re Cubist ,<quote>I'll post a midi if you'd like (I do have one already made).

Yes, please.

Regards,
tobyjj

[Rob C.]

Dixon, Harold - Mammy Land (1921).pdf

Cubist (1918).MID

Hi Tobyjj,

Wow, that was quick work! Thanks so very much for not only posting exactly what I was looking for, but posting something even better, her original compositions!! I am thrilled.

I wonder if the INharmony website was malfunctioning the day you visited. I did find Mammy Land (I didn't even know it was there so I'm so glad you pointed it out) and also saw several songs by him just by searching for Harold Dixon. I'm posting their scan of the Dixon piece for you here (along with the Cubist midi, it's quite a nice piece--very unique and interesting). Let me know if you have any more trouble accessing INharmony.

When you find a passage of music unclear perhaps the error's in the music (not in you). Sometimes I find that errors aren't always so obvious (you know something sounds wrong but can't determine why), they're very subtle and I have to puzzle them out. You wouldn't think this would be so, but It definitely happens (and popular music like this often was not gone over with a fine tooth comb). As for those times you can't reproduce on the piano what you know the music should sound like, that would be a great time to have a midi so you could slow it down and hear the rhythm played perfectly at a very slow speed (the things you mentioned happen to all of us so you're in good company ).

A while back, Frank posted Modernesque by Walter Feldkamp. I have another piece by Feldkamp that my wife and I love called "What a Pity!" which I'll post shortly after I finish this message (it's scanned but not in a PDF file yet).

My very best,

Rob

[Rob C.]

Feldkamp, Walter - What a Pity! (1928).pdf

What A Pity! (1928).MID

Hi again Tobyjj (and everyone),

Here's What a Pity! along with a midi of it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do (it's not that difficult). Ironically, we discovered it in the same city that we found the 5 Dixon novelties (this time our lucky spot was a used book store).

(Oh, and Frank, hope you don't have this one.)

Enjoy!

Rob

[fhimpsl]

Dear Rob,

Many, many thanks for posting this wonderful Walter Feldkamp novelty "What A Pity!" I've never seen hide nor hare of this one, and must imagine that it is truly one of the novelty piano hen's teeth. And a great tune to boot!

Walter Feldkamp was a virtuoso pianist who recorded both records and piano rolls as piano duets with Alan Moran ("Moran and Feldkamp" is how the disks/rolls are inscribed). From what I've heard of his material, he was one of the greats in the novelty piano idiom. This creative piano solo certainly demonstrates his talent very well.

Thanks to you also for "Cubist". I used to own the original sheet music, which has a beautiful and somewhat odd art-deco "Cubist" theme cover. Unfortunately I traded it away years ago and am embarassed to say that I didn't save a photocopy. So this was a real treat for me to have the score again.

And tobyjj, many thanks for your continued support of this favorite thread and most especially for the two Mary Lou Williams folios which you posted. I didn't have either of them...just never came across them in my puttering travels over the years!

Thanks again & all best regards,

Frank

[tobyjj]

Hello All,

Great stuff Rob - Thanks for posting. I can't remember now whether when I looked at the In Harmony site I could find no reference to Mammy Land or whether the images were "unavailable". Malfunctions tend to be local (i.e. my computer, rather than well administered web-sites !)

Do you have any more hen's teeth ? Being tall, and with your elevated - (the top of cupboards and bookshelfs) - scanning abilities, you wouldn't, perchance, have spotted any of the Klickmann rarities abandoned on high furniture recently, would you?

Frank - as always its a pleasure to share when I can and to keep this genre alive and accessible to all. It's especially pleasing when I can contribute something that isn't already in your vast library or which hasn't passed through your fingers. [Re Fingers - glad to hear from other forii that yours are improving.]

Regards to all,
tobyjj

[ilu]

I am looking for piano scores by Robert Allen e.i. "Chances are "and by Francoise Sagan " A Certain Smile".

Thanks.

ILU.

[tobyjj]

Hello Ilu,

This may not be exactly what you want but it should help;

Mathis, Johnny & Fain, Sammy - A Certain Smile (1958).pdf

For "Chances Are" - I only have a mp3 file - but if you want to try transcribing it let me know and I will post.

Regards,
tobyjj