Music Box Rag
and Other Rags, Cakewalks & Marches from the Dawn of the 20th Century
The Heftone Banjo Orchestra
Brian Thomas Hefferan, Conductor and Principal Banjoist
The Music
This Compact Disc is available for sale at Elderly Instruments
and at the Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum Catalog.
- Peaceful Henry
- composed by E. H. Kelly in 1901. My version is based on a 1902 recording of Vess Ossman, who was was an oft-recorded 5-string banjo virtuoso.
(listen: ogg vorbis | mp3) - Guatemala - Panama March
- From a 1916 Hurtado Bros. Royal Marimba Band recording, which is the most beautiful record I think I've ever heard.
(listen: ogg vorbis | mp3) - Persian Lamb Rag
- by Percy Wenrich, who wrote many hit songs in his day. From a 1908 recording by Vess Ossman.
(listen: ogg vorbis | mp3) - Music Box Rag
- - from a wonderful 1914 recording of the Victor Military Band.
(listen: ogg vorbis | mp3) - Whistling Rufus
- Vess Ossman and other banjoists recorded this number many times. This version was inspired by an
Ossman recording of 1899.
(listen: ogg vorbis | mp3) - St. Louis Tickle
- Credited to Barney & Seymore. This lovely piece was a hit in 1904. Ossman recorded several good versions.
(listen: ogg vorbis | mp3) - Dill Pickles
- from a 1908 recording of the Zon-o-phone Orchestra. I've heard several other good versions from the period, all using pretty much the same arrangement, all snappy.
(listen: ogg vorbis | mp3) - Maple Leaf Rag
- Scott Joplin's celebrated piece was widely recorded. This version is inspired by recordings of the United States Marine Band (1907) and by Vess Ossman (1909).
(listen: ogg vorbis | mp3) - Down Home Rag
- by Wilber Sweatman. Jame Reese Europe's Society Orchestra, the house band for Vern and Irene Castle's Castle House in New York City, recorded a ferociously good version on a "long-playing" 12-inch 78rpm Victor record in 1914. It's a wild number for dancing.
(listen: ogg vorbis | mp3) - Eli Green's Cakewalk
- by Sadie Kominsky. A popular hit in 1897. This version is from a Cullens and Collins recording of 1898.
(listen: ogg vorbis | mp3) - Semper Fidelis
- A famous Sousa march. I remember when I was a child my mother would put on a record of Sousa marches when we had housework to do. It made the work fun. This one's for mom.
(listen: ogg vorbis | mp3) - Policy King
- From a 1919 recording of banjo ace Fred Van Eps, who recorded it with a full concert band.
(listen: ogg vorbis | mp3)
The music files on this page are
licensed under a Creative Commons ShareAlike Licensecopyright 2004 Brian Hefferan
brianhef@heftone.com
