"Aggravatin' Papa"

music by J. Russel Robinson
words by Roy Turk

1922

Since I was on a J. Russel Robinson kick, I might as well put up this video I recorded a while ago at home. I'm just improvising on "Aggravatin' Papa", one of those bluesy "red hot mama" type tunes that were popular in the early 1920's and which genius pianists such as Robinson, Clarence Johnson, Pete Wendling, etc. were fond of dressing up in new clothes! This video is kind of a homage to those hot piano stylists.

here's the sheet music:

http://digital.library.msstate.edu/collections/item_viewe...

In fact there are seemingly only a handful of people in the world today (that I know of) who play piano like this:

Nathan Bello

Robbie Rhodes

Benjamin Intartaglia

Bob Pinsker

If YOU know of anybody else who plays piano like this, please LET ME KNOW! I would like to meet them! (or at least hear their recordings)

In fact, outside of the piano rolls, which get recut, and recut again, and appreciated by roll-collectors (but rarely collected on a decent recording or transcribed into sheet music), these great performances are mostly unappreciated.

My rendition here is not based on any one particular version, although I guess it comes closest to Robinson's own roll (QRS 2106, which is 8-to-the bar).

http://www.trachtman.org/rollscans/midifiles/PDfiles/2005...'Papa(1922)_eRollMIDI.mid

Here's Clarence Johnson's version, for contrast:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G0GlkfTAxc

And two other versions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8csOfaea8U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fofv2BqtuYM

other versions available on RedHotJazz:

http://www.redhotjazz.com/bands.html

http://www.redhotjazz.com/musicians.html

Anyway, enjoy my early attempts at hot-piano stylings!

The hand motion at the end meant I was very unsatisfied with my playing at the time, but after repeated listenings, I have decided it is good enough for now!

If you like this stuff perhaps you will like some of Robinson's other rolls. You can hear clips of them here:

http://www.sierramusicrolls.com/robinson.html

recut rolls available here:

http://www.bluesrolls.com/Blues_K-Z.html#anchor46183

http://home.earthlink.net/~rollertunes/id34.htm

and a playlist of J. Russel Robinson videos, including a clip with some brief film footage of him playing:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=00B4F470D4AF0F9E

recorded at home, April 23, 2009 (less info)