Pianophilia

Dear Luigi,

I'm so glad you enjoyed hearing the 1952 J.Russel Robinson and Max Kortlander acetates! I agree with you that both pianist's roll styles are audible in these recordings. It's amazing that a 30+ year gap lies in between the heyday of their piano roll careers and when this tape was made. Like Eubie Blake always said of his own playing, he never changed his style. So apparently the same case with JRR & MK.

Your mention of the "Weary Blues" by Artie Matthews brings back memories of a conversation I had once with my late, best friend, Mike Montgomery. Apparently the "Weary Blues" theme started out as one of those "floating folk strains" from New Orleans; where it was called "Shake It And Break It." Proof for this lies in the existence of a piano roll by this title played by composer Jack Palmer ("Everybody Loves My Baby"), under his real name of Deering H. Palmer. The roll was issued around 1918 as Imperial No. 512970. If you're not already familiar with this rare roll, I think you'll get a real kick out of hearing how Jack Palmer arranged the "Weary Blues/Shake It And Break It" strain.

This posting is for Mike Montgomery, one of the greatest people I ever had the privilege to know, and without any doubt the greatest expert on piano roll music, as well as most any topic related to jazz, blues or ragtime. Whatever little historical information I try to bring to these postings, is a debt owed to my late friend. Since we first met in the early 1970s he was my primary inspiration in collecting and researching this music we all love. Mike was the first to bring the hand-played rolls by legends as Scott Joplin, James P. Johnson, Eubie Blake, Thomas Waller and others to public attention with his series of LPs on the Biograph label. He leaves a void that can never be filled. Luigi..thanks for passing on the news to Pianophilia right after Mike passed away. I didn't have the words then; I'm not sure I do now either; except for the fact that the world has lost one of the special people who influence everything and everyone around them for the better.
All Best,

Frank

fhimpsl wrote:Dear Luigi,

I'm so glad you enjoyed hearing the 1952 J.Russel Robinson and Max Kortlander acetates! I agree with you that both pianist's roll styles are audible in these recordings. It's amazing that a 30+ year gap lies in between the heyday of their piano roll careers and when this tape was made. Like Eubie Blake always said of his own playing, he never changed his style. So apparently the same case with JRR & MK.

Your mention of the "Weary Blues" by Artie Matthews brings back memories of a conversation I had once with my late, best friend, Mike Montgomery. Apparently the "Weary Blues" theme started out as one of those "floating folk strains" from New Orleans; where it was called "Shake It And Break It." Proof for this lies in the existence of a piano roll by this title played by composer Jack Palmer ("Everybody Loves My Baby"), under his real name of Deering H. Palmer. The roll was issued around 1918 as Imperial No. 512970. If you're not already familiar with this rare roll, I think you'll get a real kick out of hearing how Jack Palmer arranged the "Weary Blues/Shake It And Break It" strain.

This posting is for Mike Montgomery, one of the greatest people I ever had the privilege to know, and without any doubt the greatest expert on piano roll music, as well as most any topic related to jazz, blues or ragtime. Whatever little historical information I try to bring to these postings, is a debt owed to my late friend. Since we first met in the early 1970s he was my primary inspiration in collecting and researching this music we all love. Mike was the first to bring the hand-played rolls by legends as Scott Joplin, James P. Johnson, Eubie Blake, Thomas Waller and others to public attention with his series of LPs on the Biograph label. He leaves a void that can never be filled. Luigi..thanks for passing on the news to Pianophilia right after Mike passed away. I didn't have the words then; I'm not sure I do now either; except for the fact that the world has lost one of the special people who influence everything and everyone around them for the better.
All Best,

Frank

Palmer, Derring H. - Shake It And Break It.mid

Dear Frank,
I'm so sorry about the passing away of Mike Montgomery!
Thanks so much for this wonderful piano roll of "Weary Blues" or "Shake It And Break It"! I've never heard that before and I must try to transcribe it (of course it will be eventually posted in here).
I didn't even know that Jack palmer's real name was Deering...and that's the first piano roll played by him I hear! Thanks so much for the precious document and information.
This version is more faithful to the scora thyan the one by LeProtti and I think it's a bit similar to the piano solo recording by Clarence Williams, which is also very good!
Speaking of "Shake It And Break It" yes, many jazz bands also recorded the Weary Blues under that alterate title, but do you remember that other piece with the same title, but composed by xylophonist "Signor Frisco" Lou Chiha.
Although I don't have the score of that number, another good one, there's an orchestration of it on internet, including a piano part (the first two pages of the orchestration) that is actually a true piano solo.
Here's the link to view and download it:
http://library.indstate.edu/about/units ... ake_it.pdf
Of "Signor Frisco" Lou Chiha I'd instead post another piece, another neat one!
The title is "The Peacock Strut" and Rob Crausaz kindly sent me this rare ragtime gem.
Chiha also recorded this piece in 1919 and the recording can be found on internet, at this link:
http://www.pas.org/Libraries/Gerhardt_A ... .sflb.ashx
Enjoy the music
Luigi

It's funny to see this name that sounds really Italian
SIgnor (=Mister) Lou Chiha (=Lucia???)

benjamin75 wrote:It's funny to see this name that sounds really Italian
SIgnor (=Mister) Lou Chiha (=Lucia???)

Benjamin, I think I should have noticed this for some reasons
But Lucia can't be a Mr. but rather a Miss or Mrs...
I think that Frisco, that stands for San Francisco, clearifies the real origin

Here are a number of instrumental numbers and songs by the great Armand J. Piron of New Orleans; a fairly prolific composer (biggest hit of course was "Sister Kate") and bandleader. His band featured one of the most talented yet virtually unknown pianists of the early 1920s, Steve J. Lewis, who is noted as co-writer on a number of Piron's compositions.

Eugene Platzman worked mostly as an arranger, but did contribute a number of original novelty piano solos...

...here are a number of jazz songs by the great pop composer Maceo Pinkard (most popular for his "Sweet Georgia Brown")

Dear Frank,
thanks so much for these great songs by Armand Piron, the great Steve Lewis (I also love this pianist!), Maceo Pinkard and Eugene Platzman.
I'd just add another song by Pinkard, "Livin' High" and then a special piano solo arrangement of "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like Sister Kate", the famous Piron song, as notated by Eugene Platzman.
Luigi