The Santa Barbara cylinder website has been busy lately, and from that I have been too. I was told of this late at night a few days ago over Email by Ryan Wishner. I was planning to go on to bed, and just checked my Inbox to find that Email about the Santa Barbara website, so then I was up for another hour listening to what was new.
They put up some interesting things, by the usual brown wax suspects, such as these artists:
J. J. Fisher
George J. Gaskin
Len Spencer
There were even more cylinders! Those are only a few of the artists whose records were put up. To begin with the showcasing, I would like to begin with a few by J. W. Myers. Several of his cylinders were put up, and they are all interesting ones.
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15570/cusb-cyl15570d.mp3(this one is played way too slow, but it's a classic 90's song, recorded in 1898)
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15498/cusb-cyl15498d.mp3
(This one was recorded in 1899, also with Hylands on piano just like the last one)
They are both good collaborations between Myers and Hylands, as Myers had a musical affair with Hylands, and he wanted Hylands on all the records he could. He would probably drag Hylands in from an important job just for his accompaniment.
This next one is by Len Spencer and Fred Hylands, which when I saw that it was up, I got all excited. Spencer and Hylands cylinders are always fun. Here you go with Len Spencer and Fred Hylands' "Only a Little Yaller Coon" from 1898:
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15435/cusb-cyl15435d.mp3
Hmm... what an interesting cylinder, how Spencer sings it slow... It's just barely Rag-Time, even with Hylands on piano. One thing that really sets this one apart from other brown wax cylinders is how prominent the bass notes are behind Spencer, and how well they register on the cylinder. There's a single low D flat that sticks out like a needle at 0:29, how weird is that? The bass notes are prominent throughout if you're really listening though.
These nest few are by Vess Ossman with Banta, and also Hylands on two of them.
This first one is Ossman's own "A Bunch of Rags", but it's the Edison version! With Frank Banta on piano! I have only heard the Columbia and Victor of this, which is with Hylands, so hearing Banta's accompaniment is very interesting.
Here you go from 1898:
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15566/cusb-cyl15566d.mp3
How different! Ossman starts in F, rather than when with Hylands starting off in G. Just for a comparison,here is Ossman and Hylands' version on a Columbia(it's the first tune on the video!)
This next one is an extraordinary piece of early Rag-Time with Hylands by Ossman:
(really take a listen! It's a quiet but really fascinating cylinder!)
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15464/cusb-cyl15464d.mp3
Oh my god! What a great piece! I love that section in F Minor where Ossman does that funny thing on his bass string, and if you can hear it, Hylands is doing it too. Hylands is great on this one, even if he blends very well, even for being with Ossman, because he didn't always blend that easily. I have the feeling that this piece of music was one of those early 1890's banjo tunes written around 1892, that Ossman and other famous banjoists later made Ragged, as that's what it is here.
This next one is a very interesting Spanish-themed waltz from 1897. Ossman didn't play too many tunes of this kind, but it's interesting to find one, and so early on anyhow! I'm not sure if the pianist is Banta or George Schweinfest, as it has the old announcement "..of New York City." so that would indicate an early or mid-1897 date to it. Here you go:
here you gohttp://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15530/cusb-cyl15530d.mp3
This next one is a fun one by Will F. Denny, and Frank P. Banta. This is a typical comic song of Denny's on an Edison cylinder. Here you go with Denny's riot of a comic song "Can't Stop!" from 1898-99:
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15549/cusb-cyl15549d.mp3
"Can't Stop-Can't stop-Can't stop!!"
Oh my god I love it. Banta's comically rushed rhythm makes it even better.
This next one is by George Schweinfest and Fred Hylands in 1898. Now this one is actually Rag-Time, as it's "At a Georgia Campmeeting", but the cylinder is played a little too fast:
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15445/cusb-cyl15445d.mp3
If only it was played just a little bit slower! What I can hear from Hylands is wonderful...
These next two are by the Greater New York Quartette, one with the later personnel, and one with the original personnel. Here is the first one(featuring Hylands playing all pretty!)
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15567/cusb-cyl15567d.mp3
Very good harmonization, and a very pleasant record overall.
Now for the original personnel, with Len Spencer and Mr. Depew in late-1897:
(the sound file is long because they had to restart the cylinder, to try to disregard that if you can...)
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15519/cusb-cyl15519d.mp3
Hm. Very odd. This is such a weird record, the harmonization is really off(damn Len Spencer and Roger Harding!), and the key changes halhfway through the cylinder, maybe from just the record machine speed? The only problem with the original personnel of this quartette is that Len Spencer could not balance, nor could he blend. This fact is very clear on this cylinder, and Spencer and Harding sound painfully sharp and flat of each other. All I really have to say about that is that someone is really wasted(Ehm! probably Spencer). Arrgh! Spencer is just painfully out of tune with them...
Sometimes it's a complete mystery as to why some records were actually issued, and this is one of them for sure.
Now these last ones are all by the Columbia orchestra, all from around 1897-98.
Here you go:
this is a very early one for them, from around the time Hylands just started working there(which was about August-September 1897) http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15515/cusb-cyl15515d.mp3
This next one is pretty messy, but it's a fun one all the same, with Hylands leading the tempo, and Len Spencer doing the dance calls:http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15506/cusb-cyl15506d.mp3
The cool thing about this one is that after Spencer does his whole spiel before the last strain, you can hear Hylands start them off, then comes the trombonist, then the whole band once again! That's unusual!
I'm anxious for more cylinders up! And what's here isn't even everything.
There were even more cylinders! Those are only a few of the artists whose records were put up. To begin with the showcasing, I would like to begin with a few by J. W. Myers. Several of his cylinders were put up, and they are all interesting ones.
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15570/cusb-cyl15570d.mp3(this one is played way too slow, but it's a classic 90's song, recorded in 1898)
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15498/cusb-cyl15498d.mp3
(This one was recorded in 1899, also with Hylands on piano just like the last one)
They are both good collaborations between Myers and Hylands, as Myers had a musical affair with Hylands, and he wanted Hylands on all the records he could. He would probably drag Hylands in from an important job just for his accompaniment.
This next one is by Len Spencer and Fred Hylands, which when I saw that it was up, I got all excited. Spencer and Hylands cylinders are always fun. Here you go with Len Spencer and Fred Hylands' "Only a Little Yaller Coon" from 1898:
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15435/cusb-cyl15435d.mp3
Hmm... what an interesting cylinder, how Spencer sings it slow... It's just barely Rag-Time, even with Hylands on piano. One thing that really sets this one apart from other brown wax cylinders is how prominent the bass notes are behind Spencer, and how well they register on the cylinder. There's a single low D flat that sticks out like a needle at 0:29, how weird is that? The bass notes are prominent throughout if you're really listening though.
These nest few are by Vess Ossman with Banta, and also Hylands on two of them.
This first one is Ossman's own "A Bunch of Rags", but it's the Edison version! With Frank Banta on piano! I have only heard the Columbia and Victor of this, which is with Hylands, so hearing Banta's accompaniment is very interesting.
Here you go from 1898:
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15566/cusb-cyl15566d.mp3
How different! Ossman starts in F, rather than when with Hylands starting off in G. Just for a comparison,here is Ossman and Hylands' version on a Columbia(it's the first tune on the video!)
This next one is an extraordinary piece of early Rag-Time with Hylands by Ossman:
(really take a listen! It's a quiet but really fascinating cylinder!)
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15464/cusb-cyl15464d.mp3
Oh my god! What a great piece! I love that section in F Minor where Ossman does that funny thing on his bass string, and if you can hear it, Hylands is doing it too. Hylands is great on this one, even if he blends very well, even for being with Ossman, because he didn't always blend that easily. I have the feeling that this piece of music was one of those early 1890's banjo tunes written around 1892, that Ossman and other famous banjoists later made Ragged, as that's what it is here.
This next one is a very interesting Spanish-themed waltz from 1897. Ossman didn't play too many tunes of this kind, but it's interesting to find one, and so early on anyhow! I'm not sure if the pianist is Banta or George Schweinfest, as it has the old announcement "..of New York City." so that would indicate an early or mid-1897 date to it. Here you go:
here you gohttp://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15530/cusb-cyl15530d.mp3
This next one is a fun one by Will F. Denny, and Frank P. Banta. This is a typical comic song of Denny's on an Edison cylinder. Here you go with Denny's riot of a comic song "Can't Stop!" from 1898-99:
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15549/cusb-cyl15549d.mp3
"Can't Stop-Can't stop-Can't stop!!"
Oh my god I love it. Banta's comically rushed rhythm makes it even better.
This next one is by George Schweinfest and Fred Hylands in 1898. Now this one is actually Rag-Time, as it's "At a Georgia Campmeeting", but the cylinder is played a little too fast:
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15445/cusb-cyl15445d.mp3
If only it was played just a little bit slower! What I can hear from Hylands is wonderful...
These next two are by the Greater New York Quartette, one with the later personnel, and one with the original personnel. Here is the first one(featuring Hylands playing all pretty!)
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15567/cusb-cyl15567d.mp3
Very good harmonization, and a very pleasant record overall.
Now for the original personnel, with Len Spencer and Mr. Depew in late-1897:
(the sound file is long because they had to restart the cylinder, to try to disregard that if you can...)
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15519/cusb-cyl15519d.mp3
Hm. Very odd. This is such a weird record, the harmonization is really off(damn Len Spencer and Roger Harding!), and the key changes halhfway through the cylinder, maybe from just the record machine speed? The only problem with the original personnel of this quartette is that Len Spencer could not balance, nor could he blend. This fact is very clear on this cylinder, and Spencer and Harding sound painfully sharp and flat of each other. All I really have to say about that is that someone is really wasted(Ehm! probably Spencer). Arrgh! Spencer is just painfully out of tune with them...
Sometimes it's a complete mystery as to why some records were actually issued, and this is one of them for sure.
Now these last ones are all by the Columbia orchestra, all from around 1897-98.
Here you go:
this is a very early one for them, from around the time Hylands just started working there(which was about August-September 1897) http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15515/cusb-cyl15515d.mp3
This next one is pretty messy, but it's a fun one all the same, with Hylands leading the tempo, and Len Spencer doing the dance calls:http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/15000/15506/cusb-cyl15506d.mp3
The cool thing about this one is that after Spencer does his whole spiel before the last strain, you can hear Hylands start them off, then comes the trombonist, then the whole band once again! That's unusual!
I'm anxious for more cylinders up! And what's here isn't even everything.
I hope you enjoyed this!
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