We've all heard Dan W. Quinn before.
He's really a fun one to listen to if you've got the time to, because his records are all really fun and beg for more of them. Which is what he did. He made thousands of records. In this post to-day, I will focus on mostly his Victor records, which as you may know if you follow this blog, that I am still going through those Victors and analyzing the hell out of the piano playing. I'm still trying to figure out who the pianist could be on many of those famous Victors. I have several record collector friends who collect Quinn's monarch records like collecting everything that they can possibly get their hands on, so much as even alternate takes! Speaking of Victor piano players, I just had to draw out a cartoon satirizing how they would sometimes "fight" over the piano chair, Well, Banta, Hylands, and Booth that is:
(they should be identified with little name thingy's)
So anyhow, those three above were the three pianists behind Dan Quinn on all those great Victor's from 1900 to about 1904. It alternated between them, and after Banta died, it was mostly Hylands and Booth on piano.
Anyhow, listen to Dan Quinn's wonderful Victors! These records are always fun because of his not-the-best singing and of course that piano playing!
Here is a fun one in a very flat key from 1902:
Again, I am not sure who the pianist is on this one, but it's certainly Banta or Hylands. The piano is wonderful whichever one of them is playing it! If there are any ear players listening, try this one out, it's in G flat!
Quinn is known for all of his comic songs, but he also did all of those coon songs that us Rag-Timers all have a love for.
Here is that one of my collector friends has been begging for for years:
The piano on this one is superb! Again, it's either Banta or Hylands. But with Quinn, it's more likely leaning toward the Banta side of the accompaniment choices.
Here's a treat for the Rag-Timers and early Jazz fans:
Outstanding piano playing again!
Just for a comparison, and help from all of you on identifying the pianist, here are two different Columbia version with Hylands on piano, one by Arthur Collins and the other by Bob Roberts:
You tell me what you think. I'm pretty stumped on this one. But the Collins and Hylands version is the best possible one out there!(and I think it was the first one done if I remember correctly...)
Well, back to Quinn. This next one has often been one of the few records where pianist debates have ACTUALLY come about! I have heard collectors go at this one with all the theories possible! Most people I have talked to about this one say it's Banta. But this was before the whole "Fred Hylands" thing came into the picture. It was my dear friend Cliff Kennedy who spoke with me in detail about this one. Here you go:
It's pretty impressive Rag-Time! One could easily see why there was actually debate about this. Unfortunately, these pianist debates are VERY uncommon. I wish they were more common among record geeks. They are not only interesting to listen to, they are really a good way to get new theories started.
To compare this mysterious record, here is a Collins version of it on a Climax(Columbia) label from 1901:
(I know I have used this record before)
Just like the last one, tell me what you think about it.
They're both wonderful records, and have great Rag-Time behind them. But are they by different pianists? Who knows... I need your help geeks!
Back to Quinn, here is another Victor from 1902, that was recorded several times in that year and the year after it. Here is Quinn's monarch from 1902:
(I have the slight suspicion that this one is Hylands...)
Certain things he plays are very not like Banta, and they are too strong and powerful to be Banta(i.e. the VERY audible deep octaves!)
For comparison, here is an Edison cylinder with certainly Banta accompanying Collins and Natus:
(beware, it's a little blasting here and there)
for another comparison, here is Collins and Harlan with Hylands behind them in c.early 1903:
Hmm, sounds an awful lot like Quinn's Victor...
Hylands...
Since to-day is Billy Golden's birthday,
I should share a few records of his. So here you go, a Columbia with Hylands form 1898 and a Victor with Banta or Hylands from 1901:
Columbia from 1898:http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/8000/8436/cusb-cyl8436d.mp3
Victor from 1901: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000000019/Pre-matrix_B-68-Bye_bye_ma_honey
From countless times of playing along with that 1898 Columbia cylinder, I am now under full belief that the cylinder was played too fast. One, Hylands would not play that fast of Rag-Time, and two, I have heard an earlier record of the same song by Golden where the piano player is playing this a HALF STEP LOWER! And it sounds better played slower anyhow.
And for the final one, here's his famous specialty(that he's still known for to-day!) from 1898 with Hylands beating the crap out of the piano with his Rag-Time!
I hope you enjoyed this!
No comments:
Post a Comment