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

[Babaco]

No, I'm sorry. It doesn't quite match up to my ideals to take advantage of such a great housing of scores as this without bringing anything of my own. Though I admit that I didn't know when the music was taken down (most likely the day before I joined, my luck.), I should have thought the soonest plausible date and waited until I was sure it wasn't being put back up, or you were even still here, to ask for a replacement. I respect your reasons for removing your collection and certainly wouldn't want someone bothering me about something I had given freely.

As for my own worth, I wish I had something suitable, even token, to share, but don't. I just may find something in February, on our family trip to Pennsylvania, and if I do, I'll put it up here as quickly as possible; but given the general way sheet music is, those pieces we have stored there are likely very common. I'll check all of them on the off chance I have something there worth giving time of day. I have nothing here in Florida aside from a few second-hand songbooks and a couple IMSLP Bach pieces.

I still want to thank you for the bits of history you have posted in conjunction with Frank, which alone were worth searching the internet for a long while. I meant no offense by my question, and still give thanks that your collection was available at all, even if I didn't get access to it. The important thing, I suppose, is that those pieces remain alive.

Merry Christmas from across the Atlantic,
Curtis

[Tinou]

Hi everyone !

I agree with Fred: forums such as PP should be seen as sharing places, not as exchange markets for collectors. For trading, you can visit Pianofiles, quite a great website too, even if I find dishonest that some people there exchange transcriptions of still living people who sell them for a living. By the way, I got the attached file in exchange for one of my own transcriptions (of course I didn't tell anyone they could get it for free on PP ! )

I hope it is not already on PP.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays !

J. Lawrence Cook - St. Louis Blues Piano Breaks.pdf

[mballan]

Since Alec Templeton stuck the right note with many members [pun intended] on Alfor's Rarities thread.......here is his delightful Reverie.

Malcolm

Templeton - Reverie

Templeton A - Reverie.pdf

[WCosand]

Thank you Malc and Mr P. You had a busy day again.

[tobyjj]

Hello everyone,
I am curious about 2 composers / performers about whom I can get surprisingly little information and scores.

The first is Bert Whittam - All I have been able to find out about him is that he was a pianist and accordionist. Bert Whitham (or Whittam) played (and recorded) in Maurice Winnick's band in 1932-33, Sydney Kyte's band in 1935-36 and Jack Payne's band (1937-40) as well as making records with Howard Jacob's band in 1937. He also recorded with Billy Gerhardi and his Radio Band Direct From The Piccadilly Hotel. I picked up a passing reference to his involvement in this band as ... "notably his lightning-fingered pianist, Bert Whittam". Beyond that he appears very elusive, though I have tracked down 3 references to published piano pieces. They are: "Crown and Anchor", "Devil Among the tailors", and "Rippling Rhythm". I can not find these pieces, but would like to. I also suspect there must be more material by him or bearing his involvement. Can any member enlighten me and point me to a source for his scores - or if is permissable, even upload them.

The second person is Harry Engelmann. I have one of his piano pieces - "Hallowe'en Dance", but he appears to have written quite a few pieces with catchy titles, the scores of which I can not track down at all. Some of those titles are:- "Chase The Ace", "Cannon off the Cush' ", "Finger Prints", "Ivory Antics" and "Snakes & Ladders". I feel sure there are more. Maybe these pieces have fallen into obscurity because they were not very good or indifferent at best - but I would very much like to see for myself.

My scan (pdf) of "Hallowe'en Dance" claims a 1908 copyright of Joe Morris, Philn(?), Pa(?) - (The question marks here are my way of expressing that I can not clearly decipher the last two abbreviated words.) I am happy to upload this file to the forum, if there is any interest and I am told that no rules are being broken.

Looking forward to any insights from any members.

Regards, and Happy New Year
tobyjj

[fredbucket]

I am happy to upload this file to the forum, if there is any interest and I am told that no rules are being broken

There is and there aren't.

Regards
Fred

[tobyjj]

Good,
my first upload - let's see if this works ...

H.Engelmann - Halloween Dance - (1908).pdf

Mod edit: Thank you, it does. You'll also notice that I've made the upload inline - this makes it available to be searched. FB.

[fredbucket]

The second person is Harry Engelmann.

He is not to be confused with Hans Ulrich Engelmann, a German composer who was born in 1921, but appears to be the same person as a Hans Engelmann (1872-1914) who published a rather large number of salon type pieces typified by this - http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Search/Home ... ubmit=Find, and another informative note here http://ragpiano.com/comps/engelman.shtml which may tie in with Toby's description - the Halloween Dance is listed therein.

Regards
Fred

[tobyjj]

Hmm,
That was an interesting article from the ragpiano site - thanks Fred. Now, however, I'm more puzzled. It is possible that "Hallowe'en Dance" is not by Harry, but by Hans - two different people. Or maybe they both did one with the same title - not unheard of - but the same publication date makes that less likely, perhaps. Hallowe'en Dance is, a little "raggy", despite the article's claim that Hans resisted ragtime. Also, many of the listed compositions have titles that suggest they are of a 'novelty' type. For the other titles I put up, "Snakes & Ladders" etc, these were definitely listed as being by Harry Engelmann when I noted them and I can't spot any of them in the list of compositions attributed to Hans in the article.

I now have to amend my original post to say that I am curious and interested in Harry Engelmann AND ALSO Hans Engelmann, Heinrich Engel, Charles Lindsay and Pierre Renard - Does anyone have some of their pieces?

Regards,
tobyjj

[fhimpsl]

Tobyjj & All,

Harry Engelmann was a very talented English popular pianist and composer active during the 1920s - 1930s. He is very much of the "Mayerl School" in terms of his writing for the piano; i.e. novelty ragtime piano style. I do have his compositions, which are quite pianistic, well written-out and extremely catchy. I will see about scanning and posting these on PP in the next few days.

Frank Himpsl