Down Where The Sun Goes Down - Fox Trot - Played by theater organist Irma Glen

This roll is one of a select few Irma Glen rolls that she made roughly from 1927-1928 according to Mike Montgomery's Supertone/Capitol rollographies. Irma Glen was also a very talented Theater Organist, and she was inducted into the American Theater Organ Society's Hall of Fame in 1985. Unfortunately very little is known about her, except we can say for sure she was also a very talented pianist!

One article tells of her - Klos, Lloyd, The Story of Irma Glen, Theatre Organ, August, 1971, pp. 8-10.. I have yet to find this article from "Theater Organ" magazine (or Journal?).

Hope you all enjoy.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Down
• Where
• The
• Sun
• Goes
• Fox
• Trot
• Supertone
• Irma
• Glen
• Jazz
• Ragtime
• Blues
• Novelty
• Capitol
• Nickelodeon
• Player
• Piano
• Roll
• Mechanical

[KawhackitaRag]

Hey Erik I've got a couple old back-issues of the ATOE magazine with photos of Pearl White (who also played theatre organ and made rolls for the same company). Some nice remarks too, though no in-depth article about her in the few issues that I have (I got them at an estate sale in LA along with my Aeolian push-up). If you're interested, I could scan these in for you.

[AAErikCO]

@KawhackitaRag

I'd love that! I've got a friend who'd be happy to have some more pictures of Pearl White, myself as well. I've only got 2? of her rolls, but both are some of the hottest playing I've heard on Supertone/Capitol. I believe you have my email so whenever you get a chance that'd be great.

[Yaledmot]

That jazzy little riffs at 1:05, 2:06, 2:18 are a trademark of her's. It is a shame there do not seem to be any recordings of her playing theatre organ around Chicago. She HAD to have been good to survive there. She could sure play hell out of the piano!

[AAErikCO]

@Yaledmot

Maybe some private recordings in a few old collectors basements?, but if anything commercially recorded surfaced, you'd have a very valuable and rare recording. Could she have served as a staff organist, or have been used in film soundtracks?

[Yaledmot]

I think the tempo is fine. Any faster and her details would get lost. I have the Lloyd Klos piece from1971 in Theatre Organ Journal. I need to dig it out and have a reread. Ms. Glen passed away here in CA 20ish years ago.

[AAErikCO]

@Yaledmot

Awesome that you have that. Is there a way you could scan or send me a pdf of the article? I'm very curious as to what information they presented about her. So little is known so the fact that this was a 3 page article is interesting.

Do you know if she ever allowed interviews or had any done about her (video or audio)?

Glad you liked the roll.

Musically,

Erik

[Yaledmot]

@AAErikCO Theatre organist Wlt Strony probably knows as much about Ms. White as anyone.

[KawhackitaRag]

There is one Irma Glen roll I have been looking for for ages now. That is "Lila". If you have a copy or know someone who does, I will buy four recuts from you, no joke. One is for me, the other three are to give to musician friends with player pianos who love this song.

[KawhackitaRag]

If you do a search on Youtube you can find an example of Ms. Glen doing her mystic ministry schtick complete with organ music in the background. unfortunately, it is audio only, no video, just still pics. Kind of strange, but nice, though! title of video is "Junk Thief TV - Episode 20 - Irma Glen - Sex Balm"

[Yaledmot]

I need to get a new scanner. In her latter years she became a Religous Science minister (not Christian Science) and mostly quit playing organ. The few recordings she did on an electronic organ were aimed at mystical music. She still would regularly get together with other theatre organists, Milton Charles for one, at a private home in Ojai, CA where they would all play the heck out of the organ there.

My recollection is the Lloyd Klos article did not make much of her piano roll recordings.