Brown wax piano Rag-Time Analyzed

Freddy Hylands

Frank P. Banta

These two piano boys were the first Rag-Time pianists ever heard on records. It's certainly debatable which one of them was heard first playing these hot syncopated melodies, but which accompaniments were more "Ragged" could certainly be ascertained differently by differing listeners. 

Banta was already a popular accompanist in the phonograph business when Rag-Time became a craze in full form(in 1897 that is), so he was expected somewhat to be able to play this new style of music. He learned the skill enough to play it commonly behind the singers and instrumentalists. Little did Banta know that by the end of 1897, Columbia was starting to have ragged and rough recording sessions with their newest piano man Fred Hylands. By early 1898, Columbia's greatest hick performers(Billy Golden and Fred Hylands that is!) could be heard together having their go at the roughest of the bunch that all the singers blasted into the horns, such as Golden and Hylands' "Yaller Gal" from 1898(played far too fast though...), and also Golden and Hylands' "Roll on De Ground" also from 1898.  These two are examples of the lowest of the low class of the music on cylinders in the 1890's, the Ragged music was catchy and contagious, but still was not entirely accepted by all in 1898. However, the fact that Hylands could play very pretty and classy music, and also the seemingly class-less "Coon Songs", earned him fame and praise by all the record buyers and the exhibition goers. 

He didn't only do the exhibitions, he also did promotional shows for the Columbia staff showing off their talent and endorsing their records. The main difference between Hylands and Banta is that Hylands practically had the means for rough and Ragged music in his blood, as he came from Indiana, traveled around the states surrounding it as a youth playing everywhere, and from this hearing the widest variety of pianists possible. Banta did indeed have just as much natural talent as Hylands had, but Banta had it in a different way. Banta began playing piano as a child working in a piano factory, doing whatever he could to get some money from there, which more importantly included him tuning up many of the pianos. He did do his job at tuning them, but sometimes he would sneak in some time to play them as best he could. He caught on to the instrument quick, and was anxious for more. At last this came to his parents they and got him lessons. He was a wonder by age 20, having his own traveling band, and accompanying some popular singers. By 1893, pricky Vess Ossman came his way, and took him by the collar to drag him around on tours and performances. He and Ossman remained together for about five more years, with Ossman leaving Banta cruelly in the dust around 1898 for Fred Hylands. It was not the kindest thing Ossman did, but you can't entirely blame him, he'd been with Banta five years, and found a new love for a different pianist, who just happened to be in the same business. Even with Ossman's blow to Banta in 1898, he still was the pianist at Edison, and traded places with Hylands at Berliner. He can be heard here on Golden's version of "Turkey in the Straw' from 1898. That is the Edison version, which is of veritable contrast to his Columbia with Fred Hylands from the same year. Even if Ossman had turned away from Banta in 1898, Banta still had to work with him the few times that he came back to Edison's studio to makes a few records, like Ossman's Edison cylinder of "A Bunch of Rags", from 1898. That's Banta behind him alright, as it certainly contrasts with his Columbia version with Hylands from the same year(the first thing that comes up on the video). 

Banta was much more modest and silent, as he knew that if he complained to the management too much, they wouldn't listen, as nothing could be done to change anything. Hylands didn't seem to understand this, as you can see from this infamous quote:

He didn't really consider the fact that Vic Emerson(their manager) probably thought of his comments as a joke, and let them pass right over him. Banta knew very well that he needed to just get work done, not complain, and do what he was told. Hylands had not lived with such a mentality before he got into the recording business, he oftentimes wanted to have certain things done his way, and felt the amount of work they were giving him was far too much for him, even though with his endurance levels, he could have done more. I do have to remember that Hylands was not very good a preserving his energy for a multitude of takes, as this section proves this:

He later recorded this with Myers. I still have yet to hear the result, and I know it exists.

Banta did have opportunities to play Rag-Time behind the singers, but under Walter Miller's managing, this was not his favourite thing. Banta really didn't get nearly the same amount of opportunities to play Rag-Time on the brown wax cylinders as much as Hylands did. One good thing about Vic Emerson is that he was the same age as most of the artists he had employed at Columbia, Walter Miller wasn't. I'm not really sure how old Miller was, but he must have been born in the generation before the oldest artists on the usual Edison staff(which was before 1860). Emerson could at least enjoy and accept the rowdy new music that vaudeville had to offer. Banta only really got to play the Rag-Time regularly behind the singers later, on the early gold moulded Edison records, and on the Victors that he was on with Dan Quinn and Silas Leachman. 

Both of these piano fiends must have been entertaining to watch when they played, so that was one thing that the singers must have had to get used to, was not looking back at them when they sang. Hylands more particularly, as I think that Banta would look very focused and deep in the music. Hylands was not only and interesting character to look at, he must have been a fascinating one to see at the piano. 

Try to picture Hylands, that redheaded fat man, showing all sorts of expressions and brightness in his blue-green eyes. And with every powerful strike at the keys, more orange-red hairs weep downward. His smiles are sweet and comical, but reveal broken up and spoiling teeth. 

 Banta must have been just as interesting, but Hylands was a real riot! All his Rag-Time says for it. just like this one:

https://ia802606.us.archive.org/24/items/nobodyKnowsTheUploadIveSeen/01TheLaughingSong.mp3

The cylinder above, to me, is always the perfect example of hot Rag-Time on brown wax cylinder when looking up this subject, and there's nothing wrong with what Hylands plays either. His tempo is perfect, and he plays some things that sounds very folksy and almost Boogie-Woogie like in the left hand.

I hope you enjoyed this!