Mechanical Piano

[Yaledmot]

Very good roll. Got to find this one.

Thanks Andrew for the ID of this roll.

tld

[KawhackitaRag]

The pianist who plays this tune here is Clarence Johnson (1900-1933), a sadly neglected blues pianist from the '20s who only left behind a few piano accompaniments to blues singers on 78, but luckily made over 200 piano rolls, this tune being one of them. This roll was originally issued as Capitol 88-note roll #1364, for home player pianos. In my opinion, this is the HOTTEST piano roll ever made and a fantastic performance. Major kudos for taking this video.

[KawhackitaRag]

oops, I'm sorry, I mean this particular tune... (the 1-tune, 88-note version being the hottest). I keep forgetting that the version in the video is a 10-tune roll. I've heard three or four of the other tunes on this roll, and they're also really good blues performances, by various pianists.

[KawhackitaRag]

This roll, as with nearly all Capitol coin piano rolls, features the playing of several different pianists, since each tune arrangement was usually taken from a previously issued 88-note home player piano roll (made by Columbia or Capitol).

[KawhackitaRag]

This is tune #10 on this Capitol A-roll, roll number A-1972 if I remember correctly, and from circa 1925. The tune is "The Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me", words and music by Swanstone, McCarron, and Morgan, 1919.