Hylands' Rag-Time analyzed

We all know the wonderful Fred Hylands. 

And we should all have heard his Rag-Time piano accompaniments on records at some point, oftentimes without even knowing it. He was some Rag-timer, and he had quite the colorful background for a Ragtime pianist. His diverse background made for a great style when Rag-Tine came along around 1896. Since he was right in the middle of the new emerging "Rag Time" in 1896, he was just bound to let the addictive style grow on him, and stay embedded in his playing. He let the ways of Ben Harney and Mike Bernard slyly get into his playing, even though he was the type who would take from them and only say that it was all his. Yes, he was very egocentric as a pianist, as clearly can be heard on the many records that he was on, and you can kinda see it in his eyes(in the few pictures left of him). But, as I have said before, his narcissism came from when he was a praised child prodigy in the mid-west, it just stuck with him. 
With all of this, his Rag-Time was slightly similar to that of Charles Hunter's:

 if some of you don't really know him very well, here's a great article on him by the wonderful Bill Edwards:
http://www.ragpiano.com/comps/chunter.shtml
(many thanks to Mr. Edwards for his great articles!)

So Hylands' Rag-Time was strong, flashy, sounded broken at times, sometimes dramatic, and something easily heard on the old brown wax cylinders. It was very amazing that the record friends of his could ever balance his piano playing with the voices of the singers, especially with that of Arthur Collins and Len Spencer(as they could be hard ones to accompany). So, in order to actually show off Hylands' playing, I must showcase some of his greatest and clearest Rag-Time accompaniments. 
Here is one that most old record collectors have heard, and some might even have in their collections:
https://ia600407.us.archive.org/17/items/ArthurCollins_part1/ArthurCollins-BillBaileyWontYouPleaseComeHomeCoonSong.mp3
I know a few record collectors who have this record in their collection. 
This record is a perfect example of Hylands' creativity and attention-begging piano style in general and in Rag-Time. He was always begging for attention on the records, the way that he did this was lagging occasionally behind the singer, playing quick arpeggios and chromatic things, and doing so much as to smash his elbow on the piano. All for the sake of attention to the piano player. 
Here's a late one from c.late-1904 to early 1905. It's a surprisingly late record with Hylands still on the piano for some reason. Anyway it's Pete LaMaire in Columbia no. 3300 singing a fun yodeling number, with Hylands killing the Ragtime at the end, and throughout the record:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6TvJab02mY
This one may be almost too late for it to be Hylands, but since the boys at Columbia loved him so much, they still called him in a few times after he supposedly was kicked out(or he may have told them he was done with them... who knows!). All of the flashy little things he does are present and the Rag-Time at the end is very distinct, distinct to Hylands' style.

Now to go back a few years, this next one is an earlier Hylands example with his musical brother Len Spencer in c.1897 or 1898:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAkRfg1fV-A
This one is especially fun because Spencer seems quite intoxicated here(so does Hylands!) so his time is all over the place, and Hylands can somehow keep up with him very well. Hylands also get's a little solo when Spencer goes off and taps whatever it is in shaky time with his drumsticks. 
Here's one from Hylands' mid-term at Columbia from 1901 with Arthur Collins on a 7-inch disc:
https://ia600407.us.archive.org/17/items/ArthurCollins_part1/ArthurCollins-EveryDarkyHadaRaglanOnCoonSong.mp3
Very clear and attention-grabbing accompaniment Hylands! His tempo choice however is the best part of this record, as it's perfect for any Rag. That's one of the great things about Hylands, even when he was a little drunk, and making mistakes in his right hand, he could still power on in the left hand, sustaining the rhythm. It's really something that Hylands and Collins could ever balance their ego's to make records...
The next one is an old song from the mid or late-1890's recorded here in c.1903-04 by Joe Belmont the whistler(and surprisingly good singer too!) with Hylands doing his usual spiel on the piano:
https://ia902606.us.archive.org/35/items/DatWhistlingYallerDinahByJoeBelmont/DatWhistlingYallerDinah_64kb.mp
This one is a good one, because Hylands had played this on Columbia cylinders years before he recorded this with Belmont, so he had some time to experiment with improvisations, like he always did. That little melody at the chorus is really fun and somewhat recognizable to some Ragtimers, even if they've never really heard the song before. 

This next one is another late one for Hylands, but fascinating 7-inch Oxford record with a young Billy Murray from c.late-1904 to early 1905, this one is particularly interesting because many blues patterns can be heard, as well as the usual showy improvising of Hylands:
(skip to 1:30 for the record to begin!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKZyCjLmBSs
Now, the blues references are not hard to hear at all in the one. It's a very progressive thing, and scandalous for even a Rag-Time pianist in this time!

These next three are pure Rag-Time numbers with Bob Roberts, all from 1904(these are for you John Reed-Torres!) 
Here's "By the Sycamore Tree"(some of you may know it!):
https://ia802704.us.archive.org/35/items/BobRoberts/BobRoberts-BytheSycamoreTree.mp3
(loud walking bassline!)
Here's "By the Watermelon Vine":
https://ia802704.us.archive.org/35/items/BobRoberts/BobRoberts-BytheWatermelonVineCoonSong.mp3
(that odd melody with the descending octaves! So weird!)
and here's the last one, "the Ghost that Never Walked" this one is a PERFECT example of Hylands being all dramatic and ostentatious with the piano, he does SO much to catch attention!:
https://ia802704.us.archive.org/35/items/BobRoberts/BobRoberts-TheGhostthatNeverWalked.mp3
(Rag-Time at the end!)

Now for the final one, this is of course the ultimate Hylands Rag-time cylinder I have found with George W. Johnson, Columbia's only black recording artist.
Here it is, from 1898:
https://ia802606.us.archive.org/24/items/nobodyKnowsTheUploadIveSeen/01TheLaughingSong.mp3

It's Hylands playing Rag-Time at his best, not too drunk, and not too messy. Playing a little like Charles Hunter at the end (before he got his first tune published mind you).It's one that makes the listener tap their foot to what he's playing. 

I hope you enjoyed this!