Edward Issler and other things

Well, yesterday was the birthdate of this chap:

Len Spencer(maybe from c.1900? I don't actually know, but it's not from 1896-1898)

I did not do a post specifically on Spencer because I speak of him so much on this blog, I think just playing a bunch of his records yesterday will do. 

I have been thinking a little of Edward Issler this afternoon:

Yes indeed, that somewhat mysterious pianist who dominated the piano accompaniment on most records made from 1890 to 1896. Many record collectors wonder what his real role was in the recording industry, with the assumption that he did more than just play the piano. Many sources and experts have often said that Issler was also a recording engineer in the studios at Edison, North American, and Columbia. What specifically did he do? Piano balancing? What? It's hard to know, but we do know that he was a master at getting a piano correctly balanced, as just take a listen to some of his parlor orchestra's records!

their version of "Dancing on the Housetops" from c.1896

"March of the Marines"(very quiet cylinder though...) recorded in c.1894

"Thoughts of Home Polka"(amazing sound quality! even if it's also quiet), recorded in c.1895

Those somewhat few cylinders by Issler's orchestra that exist now are among the best sounding cylinders from the 1890's. They sounded great when they were new, and they still sound just as full and clear as they once did. Most are not as loud as they once were, but every note is still there. Even the deep bass notes on the piano are still very clear. From how great they sounded, Issler must have had some special skills with recording and balancing. Even when Issler was behind a singer, he still came through beautifully on all of those records(yes, I know that this was before the era of duplication, so most of these Issler cylinders are original masters), more so than Hylands did, most of the time anyhow. Now whatever it was that he did, he did a better job than the recording engineers that were there regularly, well, with the piano specifically. Everything else must have been done by the studio workers. 

That picture that I use often on this blog:

Yes, that one. 

This picture actually is a little more interesting than one would think. Why so? Well that pianist is actually not George Schweinfest, not Fred Hylands, and not Fred Gaisberg. Who is it then? Well, it would have to be Edward Issler. Here's my theory as to why I think it's Issler. First of all, see that faint beard? Yep, that pretty much give it away. Secondly, the shape of the one ear that's visible is the same as the one you can see in that picture of him I put toward the beginning of this post. Also, the physique matches none of the other pianists I listed. just to give you an idea if ever having to identify a pianist in an early studio picture, here's a little guide:

Ed Issler: About 5 and a half feet tall, with a full beard, long note that flares out a little at the bottom, ears that were slightly pointed at the ends, a slight build and no glasses(just like the picture above pretty much)

Fred Gaisberg: five foot 3, dark eyes, dark hair, a moustache slightly curled, kind of small hands, and a bent but long nose. 

George Schweinfest: Short in height, broad shoulders, almost flat forehead, long nose, large shapely ears, small blue or green eyes(more likely to be blue though), a wide moustache that was well-curled upward at the ends, did wear glasses regularly, but you won't always find him in a picture wearing them. 

Fred Hylands: Very tall(when I say that, I mean at least 6 foot 3), with copper or blondish hair, light-coloured but somewhat thick eyebrows, intense, wide and expressive eyes(that were almost certainly steel blue), a very long bent nose, ears that looked each a little different, sometimes wore gold reading glasses very long legs, long hands, rounded forehead, slicked back hair, you get the rest, I think I've explained this before. 

I wish there was know more about Issler, as we don't even know what happened to him after he ended recording in 1900. That's why every source you will find that has any information about Issler, you will see his dates as 1855-?, and that's all. It makes sense, as not much was known about him when he was popular anyway. He certainly was a fascinating character, that more needs to be known about for sure. 

I find it hard to stay on a single subject this evening, so I feel that this would be a good point to share some of these theories I have about these great recording stars. Not all of them are ones that I would openly share, just to be kind and moderate, but there are some I can share openly here. Here are some:

-Many friends of mine in the record collecting community have come to the notion that Len Spencer was certainly one who had his share of wild parties and late nights. As he not only looked as so, several little things in The Phonoscope and from other friends of his, he was a drinker, and did certainly love the frivolous side of being a "Rag-Time" singer. I do not want to get further into this subject writing here, sorry. That's all I will say, allow your imaginations to wander from here. 

-I have a notion that Frank P. Banta was a much more complicated character than he was said to be. It is certainly true that Banta was a "workaholic" type, who couldn't stay away from the studio, and getting his own music and arrangements written. It is uncertain what sort of troubles Banta had, but they probably weren't too bad, as his family did live in a very nice part of New York City and had house servants, sounds great! But Banta didn't take advantage of this life though, he still lived like a working class employee by working more than he actually had to in the studio, and coming home to write out more arrangements. It's hard to know, as it was hard for him, living with asthma, and having a very intense job. It's hard to know what was behind that very kind and soulful man. 

- I know that I speak of Fred Hylands very much here, but I have the notion that the might have been somewhat bi-polar. Why? Well there must have been a side to him that was never spoken of, as all of those recording stars that were interviewed later never mentioned him(or very rarely did), so there must have been a reason why. What was it? I don't really know, and no one I have asked about it does either. They always praised him for his ability to fill a room with his presence, and his non-pareiled charm. Being a genius type, he was certainly slightly unstable mentally, so he must have been a great manipulator(with people that is). By this, I mean that he could control what people thought of things easily, and that he also could keep someone convinced with anything he believed in. He was hypnotizing if you will. Kind of bizarre to think of it that way, but the analogy works if you think about it. That's what some geniuses can do. 

-I wonder about how Ossman treated the stage partners he had. Such as this one here:

We know that Ossman was a narcissist, and that he had a terribly short temper. How did he treat his stage partners? Other than Frank P. Banta, and Tommy Glynn, Ossman hadn't really very many other people share the stage with him

 (and no, I am not forgetting George and Audley Dudley!), which in itself sounds about right, considering who he was. Ossman did have to be just an accompanist sometimes, like when he worked with Len Spencer, or Arthur Collins. He was probably very unjust with stage partners, probably doing underhanded deals with the stage managers(one of whom was probably Fred Hylands in 1897!) to make sure that he get paid more money than his partner, regardless of their role with him. He must not have ever told the people he played with about these, and if they found out, that's probably why they split with him. In fact, that's part of the reason that Ossman split with the Dudley brothers in 1908, as George Dudley's wife recalled that it was Vess' sly financial injustices that caused them to finally severe their relationship with him at last. This must have also been part of why Banta kindly told him to not have tours with the two of them after 1897. Hylands wouldn't have taken any of that crap! So who knows what he did with him...

I hope you enjoyed this! 

Character Studies--Vess L. Ossman(1868-1923)

"I am the banjo king! Ruby Brooks could get hanged and I wouldn't give a rap!"

is what Vess Ossman thought of his banjo competitor Ruby Brooks. 

Ossman was truly one of the more complicated personalities of the early recording business, with not only a convoluted studio presence, but also a tangled personal life. He made hundreds of records, with thousands of takes before the end of the 'round era in 1898, and worked for every active record company in his day, from 1893 to 1917. His skill on the banjo kept him employed everywhere, both in the studios, and on all the stages and vaudeville houses. 

Vess was a complicated man. He had a personal life that no one at the studios but Fred Hylands  and Frank Banta knew about(as the pianists always heard everyone's stories). He had a very productive relationship with his wife Eunice, who sometimes came in to Columbia to see and hear him make a few of those thousands of records. She and him were madly in love, and clearly by how they acted toward each other, this was certainly true. Those few staff members who were actually invited to his home were sure to remember his family life, and also his home.  He had eight children in all with his wife, but many of them died young or were miscarriages. This fact got some of the staff members curious, and therefore, some rumours were spread. Before he was a recording fiend, he was winning all the banjo competitions, and out getting into odd trouble. In 1890, he disappeared with a 15-year-old girl(who would later be his wife), and returned to the stage scene in mid-1891 with his pregnant wife, who miscarried a month or so later. That was always mysterious to the staff members, especially Frank Banta, as Banta had started working with Ossman not too long after all of this happened. In 1893, he teamed with Frank Banta, who was an up-and-coming young pianist and bandleader, who found Ossman to be a pretty reasonable match with his piano style. Ossman and Banta were an act by 1894, with Banta as his official accompanist. This is where Banta first gets his job at Edison. Ossman was rather tall, unexpectedly so in some ways, as he had very long hands, long slim legs, and a face that was a true mixture of German and Irish. He had all the prettiest aspects of both nationalities, with that very photogenic face of his, he must have loved getting his picture taken. Being Ossman's accompanist was a real pain, as he was always very specific of what the pianist should play, and how they ought to play it, without playing too much. This was easy for Banta, but when Ossman began working with Hylands, there was certainly some conflict. Ossman and Hylands made for an unexpectedly great duo, even if Hylands was always calling for attention behind the star of the performance, no matter who it was at front. Ossman and Hylands' egos must have just fused together perfectly. When Ossman walked into any studio, he was in charge, no matter what the accompanist would say. Ossman owned the room, even if the engineers would have to move things around like they always did, he would still speak out against them often.  He would take the most specific and longest time to get his banjo tuned up, he wanted everything to be perfect always, and it started with him getting tuned up. If a string would break, all hell would break loose. It was bad luck among the singers and accompanists to be in the room with Ossman when he broke a string. It didn't help that it was either very warm or cold in the North Eastern seasons, as well as it being humid. He would explode when he broke a string, or someone wasn't cooperative with him, and it was not a pretty sight to see from a distance. He was rough, and how he would eat up anyone he was yelling at. His temper was terrible, he really let the Irish temper of his out, and all the staff members knew of this very well. Sometimes they would want to laugh, but couldn't, because he would blacken their eyes for sure, and maybe crack some bones if he had the nerve. Ossman hated people who bossed him around, which were very few people not surprisingly. He worked with the Dudley brothers from 1904 to 1907, and that was an interesting experience for both Vess, and also the Dudley's. Ossman had never worked in a group of musicians before, and having to share the profits and fame with two other people was hard for him. He did not like having to share his success with the Dudley's, even if he enjoyed them as people. Ossman working as an accompanist was never a good idea, as he was always the star, just like Fred Hylands' logic. After the Dudley brothers split with Vess in 1907, he took a bit of a dive in popularity, and he decreased. His popularity decreased significant amounts each year after 1908, even though he was still continuing to get engagements everywhere. By 1912, it was really Fred Van Eps who had taken Vess' place in the recording business, which angered Vess greatly, as for years he had built a a hatred for Van Eps, but it was inevitable that Van Eps would eventually take his spot. Van Eps was really in many ways a better banjoist, but the king of them all was Fred Bacon, the man who had been on the scene all along, but hid in the shadows for years from all the nasty competition. Ossman went on tours after 1916, after he formed his own band, and was getting engagements. He was not to be found in New York after 1917, as the record companies dropped him in that year. He was still getting "gigs" out in the mid-west, as that was where he died, and where his son, Vess Jr., died as well. He was on tour when he suffered a heart attack in early December of 1923, he was later brought to St. Louis, where his son was living at the time. Even if "the Banjo King" wasn't the kindest individual, he was still great at what he did, and was called that for a reason. 

For some interesting sounds, here are a few of Vess' records.

Here is his wonderfully done version of "Whistling Rufus" with Fred Hylands, from December of 1899:https://ia802303.us.archive.org/10/items/VessLOssman/VessLOssman-WhistlingRufus.mp3
Here is his fantastic"Sounds from Africa" from 1898, with Fred Hylands:http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr+1=1020&num=1&start=1&query=cylinder15464
Here is his "Salome Intermezzo" with Fred Hylands, from 1901:
https://ia802303.us.archive.org/10/items/VessLOssman/VessLOssman-OrientalIntermezzoSalome.mp3
(Listen closely to the piano at around 1:50 in that minor part! SO HOT! Those fifths are really audible!)
This next one is one of many Victors where Ossman announced himself as "The Banjo King", here is his and Fred Hylands' version of Leslie Stuart's "Tell Me Pretty Maiden", from 1901:
http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/100002190/Pre-matrix_B-3049-Tell_me_pretty_maiden

And to close off here is Ossman and Len Spencer's wonderful take of "Hot Time in the Old Town" from late 1897:
https://ia902606.us.archive.org/1/items/LenSpencerVessOssman/LenSpencerVessOssman-AHotTimeintheOldTown.mp3
Ossman was begging for attention behind Spencer always.

I hope you enjoyed this! Getting ready for the West Coast Ragtime festival has really been consuming my time lately!