A Mystery piano solo

This afternoon I went digging on the Santa Barbara website for new things I had not heard. While on this dig, I came across a piano solo. 

On Santa Barbara's site, there are quite a few piano solos buried on there. Without doubt these records are interesting, but none so far have been perfect contenders for being possible test recordings for pianist auditions. 

This one particular piano solo is pretty boring, and is something that I would usually skip over if I saw it on a list of records. 

The title is boring, but the circumstances of the record are too interesting to pass.

So here's the thing...It's a brown wax era Columbia piano solo, with no performer mentioned or a record number. All of these strange circumstances correctly align with the possibility of a Columbia piano solo. Even by the time that this record was made (1900-1903), Columbia was still making records to fill specific orders Of course by 1902 much of that portion of the recording business had passed, but a piano solo recording even as late as this wouldn't be surprising.  At this time Edison issued the brown wax version of "Violets" by Banta, and around the same time Victor issued Banta's "Hello my Baby" piano solo, and Christopher Booth's "Creole Belles". I have still heard neither of those solos, but as usual I am still on the lookout, as are many other record scholars. 

So here's the record that's the subject of this post:

http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr+1=1020&num=1&start=1&query=cylinder14515

To think that we may have a Hylands piano solo on our hands! 

This solo is really astounding, despite the deceptive title, and unusual extraction. So, unfortunately there aren't too many telling characteristics in the playing that point to a particular pianist, but there are a few things that lean toward Hylands.

Hylands, c.1912.

Much of this solo is a harp imitation. Yes, a harp imitation. In reality, a harp imitation isn't too different from a banjo imitation. In certain aspects, the strings are plucked in a similar way on both instruments. And very often Hylands' solos on records have string-like effects to them, which stems from his background as a violinist. 

Secondly, the rhythm at the waltz section is exaggerated very nicely, similarly to how Hylands played accompaniment to sweet songs such as this one. Also later in the accompaniment there are walking bass octaves, of course not in the way that Hylands used them in rag-time, which are significant to note. 

Also, take note of the announcer. That voice is unlike any that was recorded for Columbia. It's so distinct, and has a very particular twang to it that most voices on early records don't typically have. 

The dialect sounds very mid-western, as the way that announcer says "piano", is very telling. With all these things lining up, I had to listen to a few records from around the same time as this piano solo, just to get an idea of a year, and to see if the pianist is similar. 

To begin with the comparison, one record struck me as having a similar sound, this Arthur Collins Columbia: https://ia800209.us.archive.org/16/items/ArthurCollins_part1/ArthurCollins-MoonMoonCoonSong.mp3

It sounds very similar, and the characteristics are all there. 

Well, it doesn't help that they're both in the same key. 

On this Collins record, the pianist(likely the same one on the solo) plays a banjo imitation rather than a harp imitation. With that, we know that Hylands was known for playing accurate banjo imitations, as this was stated in a 1909 newspaper article. While 1909 would be a bit late for banjo imitations, he was still playing them that late, and rather well as reporters commented. 

Well then, One thing is for sure, that pianist isn't Banta, Issler, or Booth. The pianist easily could be any of these pianists:

Fred Hylands, Charles Prince, Fred Hager, Justin Ring, or even someone as out of the circle as Burt Green. 

But since this was likely a late made-to-order Columbia, it's more likely a solely Columbia employed pianist. 

And I know what some of you may be thinking...This could very well be a fake! It could have been made long after the brown wax era, but this is one time where I assure you that pianist knew how to make records. The playing is very balanced, and styled very specifically to the ability of the phonograph, with no speeding up of the song, and a preference for the higher treble. This record was clearly made by a pianist who had skill in the record business, and the balancing would indicate a professionally made recording, not a strange out-of-whack home recording. There are lots of crappy home recordings of piano solo's on Santa Barbara's website, here's one just to contrast the professionally made Columbia solo:

http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr+1=1020&num=1&start=1&query=cylinder13082

Quite different, and not in a good way. 

There's also this one, that's much better recorded and a more pleasant listen as well:

http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr+1=1020&num=1&start=1&query=cylinder10638

This record is more like what those Issler/Schweinfest solos probably sounded like. Those solos were made in 1889, and we all continue to await the day when one of them is finally found. It may never happen...

Anyway, in no way am I definitively saying who the pianist is on that mystery cylinder, I just did this post to share it with everyone, and provide some insight as to who it may be, and why it's worth looking into for Rag-Time pianists and recording scholars alike. Once I gather more information on the record I will write some more on it in a succeeding post. 

That's all I got to-night folks! This record was really peeving me today so I just had to write a little post on it. 

Hope you enjoyed this!

Fishing for Syncopation

One thing that has always been a source of interest for me has been finding traces of syncopation on records from before 1897. With a lot of new transfers being put up on Santa Barbara's website, there have been more examples of these records. Traces of syncopation are quite common as it turns out, more so than would be immediately expected with recordings of this age. Since I started to become interested in this music and these records, hearing Rag-Time on them became an overwhelming fascination for me. We can all dig through as much of the band and orchestra rag-time as we want, but to really grasp some of the clearest examples of authentic, rather eccentric, rag-time digging in the most unexpected places yield the best material. 

(the North American of "The Bell Buoy" by J. W. Myers, c.1893, from UC Santa Barbara)

Fishing is the right word it seems for this search for syncopation. This is because it's a hit or miss situation, though it's bound to happen sometimes. Recently, I went back and listened to many of the earliest records from North American and Edison, out of caution for the newly revealed fact that Frank P. Banta worked for North American starting in 1892. With that in place, I have been able to recognize similar characteristics to late 1890's Banta on some of these early records. Of course I'm going out and saying that he's on all those North American records from 1892-1894, but he's likely on many of them now that we know. Much of the syncopated style that's present on some of those North American records is now likely to be Banta, rather than the well-assumed to be Issler. Of course this period of time is very hard to tell, since it's just after the point where the very detailed Edison-North American ledgers drop off. But no matter, we still have our ears to listen! 
Now the most recent record that I found on my fishing trip for syncopation is one of the most outstanding examples I've ever heard.  Here's the link to the record:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjch0xipuDs

So the first thing to note here, is how the piano player starts playing in the middle of the announcement. When I first heard this record I assumed that was a keen indication of Banta, since the time frame for the record would indicate a very green Banta in terms of recording experience. That made set the year to 1892 at first, according to Banta's first year in recording. But after taking a few listens and being consulted by an expert in brown wax, 1893 seems more likely as the year. 
The second thing to note before I dig into the piano accompaniment is the singer. Of course it's very hard to tell who that singer is, as it's no one who was a regular in the studio around that time, though this singer is likely someone who wasn't a studio regular. The singer at points of the song actually rushes the rhythm just enough to make it almost swing. Yes, I mean it by using that. One example is at 1:28-1:29. Another good example is at 1:50-1:52. The last example is at 2:42-2:45. This may seem too slight to pick out but it's definitely noticeable, and significant enough to note. This sort of swing is pretty much exactly what Charles Asbury did on his records naturally. Just to hear the comparison, here's a great example by Asbury from 1895:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16UwDuQli9LJ36hsiyAV5yTXXUF4js5IT/view?usp=sharing

All-right, now for the real reason I am still getting over my astonishment of this record, the piano accompaniment. Other than the weirdness at the very beginning in the announcement and the completely broken intro, the accompaniment is particularly interesting. There are plenty of very audible mistakes, which is fine, but part of the reason I think the pianist is a very young and green Banta. It's very nice to be able to hear all the low notes in the accompaniment, which adds a level of charm that is hard to describe. The first solo the pianist plays isn't too special, rather typical of accompaniment of that time, but the second solo is where it's at. 
That solo at 2:00 is absolutely shocking to hear. And here's why...
It may not be very syncopated, but it emulates those primitive march-rag-negro dances of the early and mid 1890's, with the first part of the solo sounding like a late-1890's rag pattern(even though it's technically looser a variation on the accompaniment done throughout the record). But what exactly does it sound like? Well I'll tell you, this is what:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_dI6BZt06U
It absolutely astounded me to hear such similarity, despite there being little syncopation, it's a much whiter take on the style that Scott Joplin and other early black rag pianists would have been playing as early as 1893(as according to Will Marion Cook!). The basic structure of the solo is similar to the infectious themes of Joplin's earliest rag compilations. 

And keep in mind that this record is from around 1893!
So with all that being said, I do not want you to think that I am certain the pianist is Banta, but one thing is for sure, that pianist is way too sloppy and eccentric to be Edward Issler. The pianist is very similar to Banta, as the style on this record is likely how a young and still musically forming Banta likely sounded. By 1897-1898, even as early as 1896 we can hear Banta having the same basic style as this 1893 record, but more refined and less sporadic. 

This record led me to thinking of and going back to listening to those records I have known for having syncopation on them. Another example(in fact one of the most overt ones I've heard), is Spencer's 1893-94 or so record of "Mamie Come Kiss your Honey Boy". 

(Spencer c.1888). 
This Spencer record has been a source of reference for me when looking for authentic syncopation on records before 1897. here's a link to the record just for reference:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By7WuiOUrg7YSVN3QVBpZU4yUFRTLWVRYnZJZEdnanQtdW9B/view?usp=sharing
The smoothness of Spencer's syncopation is really something. All the syncopation on this record is solely done by Spencer, not the pianist. Though when fishing for syncopation on these records the vocalist is just as important as the accompaniment. What's particularly noteworthy about Spencer's singing on this is that he throws in two different kinds of syncopation, unlike using a single type and sprinkling it in one or maybe measures. We get the typical schottische syncopation at the beginning of each verse, but then we get little bits of the same swing that's all over Asbury's record throughout to make things interesting. 

The Spencer example has that more typical syncopation that's all over Schottisches of the 1850's-1890's, and in case you're unsure what exactly this rhythm is, you can hear it played several times on this 1894 Issler record:
 http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr+1=1020&num=1&start=1&query=cylinder17058
While that type of rhythm was common, the typical cake-walk syncopation we know of wasn't either!
On this 1894-ish Issler record the overt cake-walk syncopation is played by the entire orchestra, which is nice to hear it emphasized so clearly:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M77MA15X0lC02G4Qhy-PhYWtQ1_ZGz3K/view?usp=sharing
On the above Issler record, we can hear both types, but the cake-walk syncopation adds a level of interest to keep me listening, and of course I still haven't heard an Issler's orchestra record I don't like...
With Issler we already know that he was fully capable of playing smooth syncopation as early as 1889, so to hear him play both types so early with his orchestra, and likely as accompaniment, doesn't come as a surprise. But of course every example is one to note, add to the pile to use for proof later. 
Someone like Banta I would already assume to be playing syncopation of all types as early as 1893, because of his spotty musical upbringing, as well as his busy times working with Ossman. Banta was part of the generation that really boosted rag-time into white society, so I wouldn't put it past him to be playing such rhythms so early. 

When doing this fishing, sometimes things are a miss, records you would assume to be very interesting and have a fair amount if syncopation don't end up living to the expectations. Anything by George W. Johnson is a perfect example of this. Not every version of his four songs is as promising as his late-1890's Columbia's with Fred Hylands. His 1894-ish version of "The Laughing Song" that Santa Barbara put up recently is a great example of this. 
Here's that record:
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr+1=1020&num=1&start=1&query=cylinder17216
(it's rather messy, beware!)
This record should have bits of syncopation on it, but it's got the closest thing to it. Despite the absence of overt syncopation, the accompaniment is still very interesting, and rather eccentric. This record, just by the circumstances is likely another early Banta record. Though I would not really say the accompaniment is perfectly like Banta's style, the year in conjunction with the song's arranger(Banta!) would lead me to think it's him on piano, but do not quote me on that. 

When we get to 1896-97, the kind of syncopation that we hear in accompaniments is much different. This is when we get to the more familiar "rag" style. But as I've done previous posts on before, 1897 is still one of the most difficult years for pianist identification. The more 1897 Columbia's I hear, the more I lean to a single pianist style. I still am set on the assumption that Fred Hylands started working at Columbia by mid-1897 at the least, but I'm still trying to figure out where that cutoff would be exactly. Those "new York city" Columbia's are the most frustrating for me in terms of piano accompaniment. That time of mid-1897 at Columbia was when they had a few staff changes, pianists included. With those records that Ossman made for Columbia in 1897, I would place the pianist as being Banta, as they were still performing together onstage around that time, though for someone like Billy Golden, that's a different story. 
This leads me to get back to my nemesis record, Golden's 1897 Columbia of "Uncle Jefferson". 
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr+1=1020&num=1&start=1&query=cylinder11728
I still consider this record one of the earliest examples of serious rag-time piano accompaniment. 
For early 1897 it's rather raggy and eccentric. I am still bent on who that pianist is. Many of the characteristics sound like early Hylands, but still sound a little bit like Issler(or maybe George Schweinfest!). Now here's one thing for sure, the pianist on that "uncle Jefferson" is the same on this 1897 Columbia:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IqZr-mbGekuZjOWUTOvjf5q9kRcD4vc7/view?usp=sharing
Exactly the same kind of mid-bar syncopation is present here as the "Uncle Jefferson". 
The "uncle Jefferson" is certainly more sporadic and eccentric, but the eccentricity is similar in different parts of the accompaniment. After listening to lots of Banta recently, it occurred to me that I may have been blinded by my assumption of Banta only working for Edison. I know it's not the same song, but it's the other George W. Johnson hit--"The Laughing Coon"; this record I listened to recently and pulled apart again proved something with this conundrum. That pianist on the 1897 "Uncle Jefferson" may be Banta! I was so set in the idea that Banta didn't cross over that I was missing key characteristics that were evident of Banta. This record here has a lot of the same characteristics as the 1897 Columbia of "the Laughing Song" in the previous link:
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr+1=1020&num=1&start=1&query=cylinder15526
The main similarity here is in the smooth quick passages he plays at the end of every solo. 
So again, don't quote me on this, but Banta was likely one of the sub pianists they had at Columbia in that awkward period in 1897 before Hylands came along. Without Banta however, we wouldn't get some of the best early example of overt rag-time on records, such as his 1897 take of "Turkey in the Straw" with Billy Golden:
https://archive.org/details/TurkeybyGoldenwBanta1897
It's because of Banta that we get such oddly authentic examples of early syncopation on records, including his earliest recordings from 1892-1895. 
After 1897, we get all the good stuff. That's the cutoff for the more varied styles of rag-time showing up in piano accompaniments on records. Banta holds forth with the strange mix of itinerant and classically trained, whilst all the same we get Hylands and his dense, eccentric Ohio river valley/Chicago style that is like no other. 
Unfortunately Hylands' recording legacy has been neglected for over 100 years. Even in the era he lived his studio work was very rarely spoken of. It almost seems like those years he spent in the studio were like a dream. It was spoken of so highly when it happened and was re-imagined, but it vanished from all existence with the person who dreamt it. But I don't need to ramble down this path again...I've spoken plenty about the tragedy of the tragedian of Fred Hylands. 










Anyway...
This afternoon I listened to quite a few of those beloved Climax records, and noticed something. The pianist on those Climax records was always really nice and played dense accompaniments. For a long while I have assumed that to be Hylands, since it's so dense, complicated, and very rhythmic. Well, I listened to two versions of "a Rag-Time Skedaddle" recorded around the same time for Columbia, and Zon-O-phone, and noticed that they are the same pianist. 
Yes, Zon-O-Phone AND Columbia--same pianist. 
Here's the Columbia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFRtiG6LyvY
And here's the Zon-O-Phone: 
https://soundcloud.com/jack-stanley-881056448/ragtime-skedaddle-frank-mazzlotta-1902?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=facebook
The pianist pretty much is playing exactly the same accompaniment. 
Okay, so I do not know who this pianist would be. But considering that it's Zon-O-phone and Columbia we're dealing with here, I would lean toard Fred Hager more than say Justin Ring. 

The reason I lean more toward Hager is because he had come kind of connections at Columbia as early as 1901, playing violin for them and all. 

With Justin Ring I wouldn't know. 

To further this unusual connection between Columbia-Climax-Zonophone, I listened to even more Climax records and Zon-O-Phone's back to back and noticed the same exact piano style on both. 

I listened to this one here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvNiWY1Cj3c

back to back with a 1901 Zon-O-phone of John Terrell singing "Whistling Rufus", and they had the same rough an dense characteristics that give the Climax in the link above its charm. The most interesting thing is of course the whistling chorus at the end, with all sorts of interesting dense chords and bass note rhythm. 

A good comparison is another John Terrell record from around the same time as the Climax above:

https://ia800609.us.archive.org/34/items/CollectedWorksOfJohnTerrell/TaintAGoinToWeepNoMore1902_64kb.mp3

The overall touch and characteristics are the same. Also, if you've heard many Zon-O-Phone's from around this time you'll recognize that dense piano accompaniment that always has chords that have lots of notes. Luckily the quality of those records caught all those essential notes. 

So, it seems that now when we come across a Columbia in a period of time where we know Hylands wasn't in New York, we can assume that pianist to be one of those strange Zon-O-Phone pianists. Now here's the thing about that pianists' style, it sounds a lot like Hylands' style, but it's most certainly not. Justin Ring wasn't extracted from a mid-western background, so I wouldn't expect him to sound similar to Hylands, however, Hager would. Hager had basically the same upbringing as Hylands, with his father even having the same occupation as Hylands(locomotive engineer), and starting to play music around the same time. Also, Hager was from far enough west to have a style similar to Hylands, when thinking in terms of regional piano(rag) styles. Hager was from rural Pennsylvania, which technically should yield a similar style to the neighboring state(Ohio), which is where Hylands' style was developed. 

Even the slightest characteristics like how (the pianist) plays the melody on this  Climax record at 1:00 in is significant:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEUAdT9lzIM

It's slightly exaggerated and almost syncopated. That's very much like the Indiana/Ohio river valley style of Hylands, but that pianist for Climax is definitely not Hylands. 

I should quit it here, I've written much more than I thought on these matters for this post. 

Hope you enjoyed this! 

Ever Illusive Issler and the Hager mystery solved

Even with all the progress we've made on finding the definitive lifespan of Edward Issler, his life still remains an illusive mystery. 

(a sketch I did of young Issler, let's say c.1878.)

The thing about Issler is that we had nothing to start with. No scholars had done any work to dig up anything on him other than his recordings. Of course his recordings are where we start with him, but that's not where any word of him ends. Clearly we're missing out on a very interesting and troubled man. After doing some deep digging on Ancestry for him, I dug up information that leads me to revise what I had previously written regarding him. It seems that I had the approximate year of his death quite off. He did indeed die much later than his fellow studio pianists(Banta and Hylands), but not as late as I had previously assumed. Now much of the sources I flipped through on ancestry presented conflicting information, which frustrated me, but definitely changed what I had previously recorded on Issler. Most sources on there stated that Issler was gone by 1930 at the latest. Some of the sources stated 1925, and 1922, but of course I am not sure which to trust more. So with this in mind, I would place the date of his death to be c.1925. 

Sigh...

This isn't where I wanted to be with Issler. Since I have such a high amount of respect for Issler, I really want to be almost certain of his lifespan, and to know at least the basics of his lifestory. We can be sure he was born in 1855 now, as that's what every single source lists, and would indicate. But other than that things are mysterious, while also tantalizing all the same. The earliest he can be seen is in the 1860 census(whew that's early!), and even though he's young, there's some curious information to be pulled from it. 

The main thing here is that his father had a curious occupation. His father, Jacob, sold beer. Well there ya go. Of course that leads me down all sorts of paths in theoretical reasoning. With the beer history in mind, I would assume that Edward took up drinking at some point; I mean, being a music teacher is never easy...Issler was a music teacher by the 1870's and 1880's, probably having to do a lot of yelling at students and throwing of a baton or pocketwatch. Considering how gifted Issler was, one could wonder where he would have gotten that talent, growing up with a father who constantly reeked of beer and other alcohols. But of course since his father was likely associated with Bavarian beer halls connected with his occupation, young Ed likely heard the traditional sounds of German brass bands at those beer halls, and from who knows where else. 
With all this in mind, we can apply this to his time recording. He recorded for only 10 years, but he made so many records that his mark is significant. 
When digging through all the sources regarding him on ancestry, it can seem somewhat evident that he lived a hard life. Of course he couldn't escape the tragedy of the studio pianist curse, this being all the tragedy that comes with being on so many records but being heard a century later despite the suffering. Around the middle of the 1900's, Ed's first wife Hannah died, and that must have broken him, though he did remarry in 1905 or so. In the 1910 census Issler is living with his daughter Helen and his new, much younger, wife Jennie. Helen lived with Ed and Jennie until she was beyond middle age, and remained single that entire time as well, which is always a curious thing to note, particularly with women. Issler was working throughout the 1900s, 1910's, and into the early 20's. But of course when getting that far, that's where we get to the conflicting information...
After Issler died in the 20's, it seems that the depression didn't fare well for Jennie and Helen, as by 1940 they weren't living too well and as the record seems in the 1940 census, they appeared to be rather desperate. Both women were unable to work, as they were beyond middle age, and probably living off of what old Ed left them. 
That story is rather sad, the fact that Issler was so brilliant and we can all hear him on so many iconic early records, but he likely didn't live too well. 
Well, now that we know all that, we can at least paint a similar picture to the tragedy of Fred Hylands. Though with Issler, we see a much more responsible and well-respected musician, as opposed to the young and wild Hylands. Being a strong musician's advocate couldn't have been easy, particularly since issler was running the musician's union in an area where a whole lot of busy musicians were living in the 1900's(Newark, NJ.). I get the vibes that Issler was a neglected soul, in keeping with the unfortunate tradition that studio pianists followed(and only the pianists, not the other musicians). We ought to keep this tragedy in mind when listening to Issler's records, as with Frank P. Banta, it brings a sense of a deeper connection to the accompaniment and his entire body of work in the studio. 
Here are a few to get started with:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-wI7RWfcb8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K76m_AoEu9o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm_Qsn852PA

http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr+1=1020&num=1&start=1&query=cylinder17058






All-right, it seems I've figured out the mystery of James Hager! 

There's those two lovely Hager's!
It appears I've gotten everything straightened out with old James Alexander Hager. In 1900, James(at 18 years old) was not listed as working quite yet, though it's very likely that brother Fred was getting him up to speed for playing in his orchestra at that point in time. In 1902 he got married to a 19 year old girl named Isabella Veronica, just as soon as they got married it seems, they had a child who died very young, though after then they had a son named Melvin(named after Fred and James' father), and two daughters, Veronica and Evelyn. From what I could find, James was working pretty much up to the 1940's, which is great to see. He was working as a theater musician until the 1940 census came around and he was working as a musician's agent. It's also curious to note that his son Melvin was working different jobs each decade the census came around. He remained single into the 1940's(he was born in 1906), and worked in different stores as a clerk/salesman. And while digging around for definitive information on him, I found that his death date was March 5, 1947. 
Yes!
It's so nice to have exact dates...After dealing with all that Issler stuff...
Okay, so here's James Hager's dates:
(February 3, 1882-March 5, 1947)
He didn't live nearly as long as his brother Fred, but that's all-right, because he's on countless records we all listen to on Zon-O-Phone and similar labels. Just like brother Fred, we can hear him just as often. Also while digging I found his World War II draft card(yes he was young enough to be drafted twice!). Of course out of the same curiosity of his WWI draft card I just had to see the physical description just to be assured I have been picturing him correctly.

Yep, that's pretty much the same as his WWI card. 
Now that all the Hager stuff has been solved and worked out, I can finally use all this to find some of their family out there, and do some more writing on them. Awhile back I did a post on siblings and families in the early recording business, but never would I have guessed that the Hager brothers would be a perfect example of this sort of thing. Very soon I must get to work on a post detailing the interwoven careers of Fred and James Hager, and detail the interesting musical life of Justin Ring. 
I want to do a post solely on Hager and Justin Ring, but I don't have enough to write about for Ring just yet. Before I write about Ring, I need to find a way to know if he was a studio pianist or not. Once that is known, that would clear up a lot of confusion many of us collectors have been having with those early piano accompaniment Zon-O-Phone's. We know Hager(Fred) was a Zon-O-Phone pianist, and I'm pretty sure he was that really weird and funky one that always played very precise syncopation and constantly flicked his wrist playing all those rollicking octaves. 
A great example of this style can be heard on this link here:
https://soundcloud.com/jack-stanley-881056448/ragtime-skedaddle-frank-mazzlotta-1902?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=facebook
I hope that link works! It's an outstanding Zono!

Anyhow, that's all I got for now. After I do a little more digging on Justin Ring I'll do a detailed post on Hager and Ring, since they worked together for almost 50 years in music and the amount of parallels between them is rather shocking. 

Hope you enjoyed this!