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

[fhimpsl]

Quite some time back a member requested a piece entitled "Stairways", a novelty published by Schirmer. I just happened to come across the score, which is actually more in a modern classical style (and quite difficult as well). Here it is...enjoy!

Simmons, Homer - Stairways - A Fox Trot.pdf

[tobyjj]

Frank,

You're indefatigable!
Thank you so much.

Here are a Lou Ricca & a Bert Stevens piece


tobyjj

Stevens, Bert - Woodland Symphony.pdf

Ricca, Lou - Heavenly Hideaway.pdf

Regards,
tobyjj

[tobyjj]

Hello All,

Here are two more Lou Ricca pieces -

If anyone has any by him not yet posted it would be nice to see them...

Ricca, Lou - Lullaby of The Rain.pdf

Ricca, Louis - Carnival In Cotton Town.pdf

Incidentally - looking at the download stats it is quite clear that "many tens of people" are downloading the posted material.
A lot of this stuff is quite rare and hard to come by. Personally, I recognise my lack of pianistic skills, such that (even if I knew how to), I wouldn't dare or presume to put up a You Tube or mp3 file /link of an attempted performance by me of some of the posted material. Some of you, however, (Philip - for example), are more than capable of spirited and talented renditions of this material.

I think it would be really interesting and instructive, (to me at least), if any of you think you've nailed, (or nearly nailed) a piece (or even a few bars!) that's been posted; if you could perhaps record it and upload the "performance" or give us all a download link with the file reference. If any of you have a regular YouTube channel (like Philip), it would be helpful if you could let us know when you've uploaded a new file from this forum to your channel.

It may be (and I apologise if that's the case), that there is already a forum here in Pianophilia for the above suggestion. I can't see an obvious forum for it , however - and it seems to be a good idea. I know that when Luigi posts an audio file or audio link I always find it helpful when trying to read the music.

Just an idea.

Regards,
tobyjj

[tobyjj]

Hi tobyjj,

I had nothing at all by Al Sherman, but one piece by Sammy Prager duly posted!

Prager, Sammy - Poinsettia.pdf

Thanks for posting Poinsettia, Frank - I remember and like this piece, though it was "Purple Pastel" that was at the forefront of my mind when I made the enquiry.

Re Al Sherman, - well I think I have a little more than nothing by him - but not much more!
Let me dig through my personal store of misfiled music and see what I can come up with.

Best Regards,
tobyjj

[tobyjj]

Hello All,

Still looking ...

An appeal to everyone, (if Frank doesn't have it!) -
Does anyone have:-

Any Donald Midgley - in particular his "Yellowstone suite" - I thought it had been posted on PP before but apparently not.
- Richard Leibert - Sailing Suite
- Margo Burke - Manhattan Potpourri
and / or
Milton Shrednik - Puppet Paggliacci

Here's some Eric Spear

Spear, Eric - Meet Mr. Callaghan.pdf

Regards,
tobyjj

[alfor]

Quite some time back a member requested a piece entitled "Stairways", a novelty published by Schirmer. I just happened to come across the score, which is actually more in a modern classical style (and quite difficult as well). Here it is...enjoy!

Simmons, Homer - Stairways - A Fox Trot.pdf

Great. Thank you! Just detected your posting (sorry, but I admittedly neglect this thread a bit).
I was the person who requested this piece, because it was reviewed very favourably in the directory of modern music by Kurt Hermann ("Die Klaviermusik der letzten Jahre", published in 1934).

[tobyjj]

Hello All,

One of the requests I made has borne fruit.

Here is Donald Midgley's Yellowstone Suite, which I am posting with full thanks and due credit to "liveforpiano", on his behalf.

Midgley D - Yellowstone Suite.pdf

Thanks
tobyjj

[tobyjj]

Hello All,

This is a general enquiry but the pointy end of it is aimed more specifically perhaps at Thalbergmad, PP's resident banjo guru.

I came across an obscure reference to a piece called "The Banjo" or "Banjo Dance" attributed to Felix Arndt. I have never come across this before nor heard of it as a composition by Arndt.

Does anyone know of any Felix Arndt pieces with "Banjo" in the title - or is it perhaps a reference to some other work, (e.g. Gottschalk) perhaps on piano roll, with Arndt as the pianist ?

Curious.

Regards,
tobyjj

[fhimpsl]

Hi tobyjj,

I know Felix Arndt's piece "The Banjo Dance" from a piano roll recording he made of it. Although it's been years since I've played the roll, I remember the main theme as being an early version of "Nola;" specifically taken from the trio section of that famous piece. Unfortunately I do not yet have this roll scanned into midi format, but I do plan to do that and will hopefully remember to post the resulting file! I've never seen sheet music for this piece, only the piano roll.

All Best,

Frank

[tobyjj]

Hi Frank,

Thanks for the info - why am I not surprised that you could answer this ?
For future reference it shall be understood that all my enquiries have at least one pointy end with your name on it !

On another note:- Frank are you familiar with a series of German publications called "Tonfilm, Theater, Tanz" from the late 1930's.
I have recently come by a selection of these - the music in them is mostly 'song' (for piano).
Would you be interested in any of these?

I attach a cover page of one at random as a sample

TTTp1.pdf

Regards,
tobyjj