"All of the hand played rolls were recorded in the studio in Chicago under the direction of Lee S. Roberts and Max Kortlander. Max was the real work horse. Rarely did any of the recording artists visit DeKalb, so we didn't know them personally. However, we all greatly admired and appreciated their talent and skill. Some rolls were recorded under a nom de plume, such as Scott and Watters who were really Roberts and Kortlander. Poetic license, I guess!
According to page 719 of Q. David Bowers' "Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments":
[regarding the Capitol roll and record company]: "...Their performances were first done on a recording piano. The arrangements then were edited extensively before they were issued on music rolls. The resulting rolls usually were about 50% performer and 50% editor so far as musical stylistic traits were concerned, but this editing was in excellent musical taste."
When the A-rolls are converted to 88-note rolls (which has been done many times for these rare arrangements) you can set the tempo on your foot-pumped piano as slow or fast as you darn well please!
Just checked--curiously, "Shorty George Blues" is selection #2 on the roll. It is entirely possible it was copied from another roll at the "wrong" tempo.
Wow! Fantastic! Really Wonderful! George W. Thomas recorded the piece in 1923 as an accompaniment to Tiny Franklin's vocal. It was a boogie woogie. Part of the above melody reminds me of Hersal Thomas' 'The Fives'... coincidence!?
FANTASTIC blues roll! I'd bet dollars to donuts this is a CAPITOL blues roll, not a "Clark" roll. A search of the Billings Rollography, for example, doesn't even turn up "Shorty George Blues" as having been made on a QRS word roll! (QRS supplied Clark). In fact, this tune IS on Capitol A-roll #2077, tune 6. I would also bet that this is Clarence Johnson (1900-1933) playing here. He was a terrific pianist and his virtuosity within the "straight-8ths" blues style was unsurpassed.
The box reads: Clark Orchestra Rolls Capitol A 1958 ALL BLUES PROGRAM
This roll and the Ed Gaida recut roll on my other posting are mostly blues. This roll, however, is solidly blues. I'll try to record and post another entry today.
See, I think the confusion here is that certain roll recutters today have adopted the old Clark (Don Rand, I believe) and Capitol (Paul Gottschalk, I think) names, and then proceeded to reissue rolls from both the old Clark and Columbia/Capitol companies on their own label! This can be quite confusing. The old Clark company mostly made rolls either using QRS 88-note masters or their own originals made by people like P.M. Keast. The old Columbia/Capitol company used their own 88-note masters.
Yes, this is a Wurlitzer CX-B sold by Hathaway and Bowers to Al Torf of the House of Props in Hollywood. It also appeared in Stir Crazy, though in neither case was the music from the actual instrument used. (in "Stir Crazy", the instrument doesn't even pretend to play, it is mainly used for a silent visual).
This particular CX-B is now fully restored in a well-known Southern California collection. I heard it at the AMICA convention and it sounds great!
From time to time they were. There was a large instrument in the film with Jack Webb--Pete Kelly's Blues. Once in a while during silent films, particularly Laurel and Hardy various types of player pianos were used--sometimes real and sometimes props.
Perhaps these instruments "were too common" during their heyday?
It's interesting, I hear how these machines were very popular in the 10's-30's, but I've only seen maybe 2 old films that have one in them. I'm surprised that these weren't used as props that often in silent and early talkie films.
Compare this to Kansas City Man Blues and you ll agree that is the same pianist all along = Clarence Johnson
05Toamasina1938 1 year ago
now, regarding QRS and Clark rolls:
"All of the hand played rolls were recorded in the studio in Chicago under the direction of Lee S. Roberts and Max Kortlander. Max was the real work horse. Rarely did any of the recording artists visit DeKalb, so we didn't know them personally. However, we all greatly admired and appreciated their talent and skill. Some rolls were recorded under a nom de plume, such as Scott and Watters who were really Roberts and Kortlander. Poetic license, I guess!
KawhackitaRag 2 years ago
What a knowledge !!!
Thanks for all this !
Bumblebee38 2 years ago
According to the recollections (pgs. 721-722 in same book) of P.M. Keast, who worked at both the Clark and Capitol roll companies:
"Capitol Roll and Record Co. at Chicago, Illinois, 1924-1930:
Roy V. Rodocker (arranger, piano rolls, Automatic/coin piano rolls, organ rolls, head of department);
P.M. Keast (arranger, P.R., A);
H. Gullman (arranger P.R. and A., died in 1925);
plus one more person whose name I don't recall, who did a little bit of everything."
KawhackitaRag 2 years ago
According to page 719 of Q. David Bowers' "Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments":
[regarding the Capitol roll and record company]: "...Their performances were first done on a recording piano. The arrangements then were edited extensively before they were issued on music rolls. The resulting rolls usually were about 50% performer and 50% editor so far as musical stylistic traits were concerned, but this editing was in excellent musical taste."
KawhackitaRag 2 years ago
Hi Man ....You really are an encyclopedia
Bumblebee38 2 years ago
When the A-rolls are converted to 88-note rolls (which has been done many times for these rare arrangements) you can set the tempo on your foot-pumped piano as slow or fast as you darn well please!
KawhackitaRag 2 years ago
Thanks for this interesting information!
Bumblebee38 2 years ago
Just checked--curiously, "Shorty George Blues" is selection #2 on the roll. It is entirely possible it was copied from another roll at the "wrong" tempo.
Yaledmot 2 years ago
That s interesting ! Thanks
Bumblebee38 2 years ago
>But we can hear who the better player was...
It is still a machine faking a human...But it is one heck of a fun machine!
Yaledmot 3 years ago
Wow! Fantastic! Really Wonderful! George W. Thomas recorded the piece in 1923 as an accompaniment to Tiny Franklin's vocal. It was a boogie woogie. Part of the above melody reminds me of Hersal Thomas' 'The Fives'... coincidence!?
But we can hear who the better player was...
Brutus2 3 years ago
FANTASTIC blues roll! I'd bet dollars to donuts this is a CAPITOL blues roll, not a "Clark" roll. A search of the Billings Rollography, for example, doesn't even turn up "Shorty George Blues" as having been made on a QRS word roll! (QRS supplied Clark). In fact, this tune IS on Capitol A-roll #2077, tune 6. I would also bet that this is Clarence Johnson (1900-1933) playing here. He was a terrific pianist and his virtuosity within the "straight-8ths" blues style was unsurpassed.
KawhackitaRag 3 years ago
The box reads: Clark Orchestra Rolls Capitol A 1958 ALL BLUES PROGRAM
This roll and the Ed Gaida recut roll on my other posting are mostly blues. This roll, however, is solidly blues. I'll try to record and post another entry today.
Yaledmot 3 years ago
See, I think the confusion here is that certain roll recutters today have adopted the old Clark (Don Rand, I believe) and Capitol (Paul Gottschalk, I think) names, and then proceeded to reissue rolls from both the old Clark and Columbia/Capitol companies on their own label! This can be quite confusing. The old Clark company mostly made rolls either using QRS 88-note masters or their own originals made by people like P.M. Keast. The old Columbia/Capitol company used their own 88-note masters.
KawhackitaRag 3 years ago
@Yaledmot
probably a recut made by Don Rand using the Clark logo = Very stupid and confusing
05Toamasina1938 1 year ago
I just realized another more recent film that had a large instrument--a Wurlitzer I think--was one of the Naked Gun films.
Yaledmot 3 years ago
Yes, this is a Wurlitzer CX-B sold by Hathaway and Bowers to Al Torf of the House of Props in Hollywood. It also appeared in Stir Crazy, though in neither case was the music from the actual instrument used. (in "Stir Crazy", the instrument doesn't even pretend to play, it is mainly used for a silent visual).
This particular CX-B is now fully restored in a well-known Southern California collection. I heard it at the AMICA convention and it sounds great!
KawhackitaRag 3 years ago
From time to time they were. There was a large instrument in the film with Jack Webb--Pete Kelly's Blues. Once in a while during silent films, particularly Laurel and Hardy various types of player pianos were used--sometimes real and sometimes props.
Perhaps these instruments "were too common" during their heyday?
Yaledmot 3 years ago
The instrument in Pete Kelly's Blues is a Seeburg G orchestrion. They also released a record of this instrument about the same time as the movie.
KawhackitaRag 3 years ago
I know one was the main prop in the Laurel and Hardy film "The Music Box". I whish I knew what make.
1947Desoto 3 years ago
It's interesting, I hear how these machines were very popular in the 10's-30's, but I've only seen maybe 2 old films that have one in them. I'm surprised that these weren't used as props that often in silent and early talkie films.
1947Desoto 3 years ago