Western Electric A-Roll Piano, (#3)

The Original Nickelodeon. See #1 in this series for complete information on this Piano and its History. Tunes are "Kansas City Kitty" and "Black Bottom Stomp", Arranged and Played by the late John Farrell.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Atlas Piano Roll

[TheTrueGameguru]

Awesome. I just love the distinct sound that these iconic pianos produce.

[max9046]

Thanks.  This one was in a Bar and then a private home all it's life, so it still has a very good soundboard. The Strings and Pins are original.

[AAErikCO]

I think I am in love with your nickelodeon... Can one love an inatimate object, I say ,"YES!" Top notch restoration as well. Not sure we realized how much we'd miss John Ferrell when he passed; as evident here his arranging abilities and musicianship were often a cut above, and I don't see (rather "hear") any new stuff that's this toe-tappin' good!

Thank you so much for posting these videos!

Erik

[max9046]

Credit should go to Bob Billings for convincing John to write these arrangements in Midi format.

[pianolasociety]

pure magic!

[max9046]

I agree! Both the music and the virtuosity are wonderful.

[KawhackitaRag]

Please add

Fred Seibert

and

Atlas music roll

to the tags for this video so other people can find it. Thanks!

By the way, I'm almost positive that "Black Bottom Stomp" was 100% arranged by Mr. Farrell and not an adaptation.

[KawhackitaRag]

OK, I just confirmed that "Kansas City Kitty" was indeed adapted by John from an Atlas 88-note roll (#3734) made in 1929 by Fred Seibert. I would almost be willing to bet that Mr. Seibert was actually "Finisher" Johnson, since I've heard a couple of those rolls and they're in EXACTLY the same style.

The Annabelle Taylor rolls are different, leading me to believe she was a real person (and a musical genius). Other Atlas artists like Joseph Fecher and Mabel Cowan were definitely real.

[Yaledmot]

Pianist Dave Bourne commented the same thing to me several months ago.

[KawhackitaRag]

This particular tune, according to a friend of mine, was not actually arranged by Mr. Farrell himself but was actually adapted by him from an 88-note roll, apparently on the Atlas label.

My friend couldn't remember who played the original Atlas roll, but some Atlas artists include "Finisher" Johnson, Annabelle Taylor, Mabel Cowan, Joseph Fecher and Walter Tierney.

We (roll historians) currently know nothing about them because we're all too lazy to go do the research right now!

[KawhackitaRag]

Different makes of coin piano have different mandolin effects with different sounds. Coinola and Nelson-Wiggen mandolin effects, for example, have completely different sounds than the more typical Seeburg/Western Electric one we hear in this video.

Certain regular upright pianos and player pianos made for home use in the 'teens and 'twenties occasionally were built with a mandolin effect. My Strabe player piano has one which can be used via a push-button (roll) or middle pedal (hand-playing).

[KawhackitaRag]

That would be the "mandolin attachment" which turns on and off periodically on cue from the roll, to impart a different kind of tone quality to the piano.

This is a very characteristic feature of American coin operated pianos and orchestrions and is one of the influences on the "honky-tonk piano" school of ragtime piano playing that emerged in the 1950's.

[FreeTheJambon]

Sometimes it's soo bright that it just sounds like a harpsichord