The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi All,
After returning from france I have been going through past posts on both MMD and The Forum and in one or the other there appeared some information about recordings of Eubie Blake and a comment that there may have been a piano roll by him. I can not find the source now but wanted to add that Eubie made at least two recordings for the Artrio-Angelus reproducing piano as I have two in my collection. The recordings I have are:

Artrio-Angelus roll number 8036 Ziegfeld Follies of 1919, Stamper, p/b Blake
1. Shimmie Town, 2. A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody, 3. Sweet Sixteen, 4. Syncopated Cocktail, 5. Mandy, 6. Tulip Time

Artrio-Angelus roll number 8048 Schubert Gaieties of 1919, Schwartz, p/b Blake
1. I've Made Up My Mind To Mind A Maid Made Up Like You, 2. Cherry Blossom Lane, 3. Beale Street Blues, 4. I'll Be Your Baby Vampire, 5. My Beautiful Tiger Girl,
6. repeat of song no. 1

These rolls were recut in 1964 for Edward Hayden by I think Malone. I purchased them from Hayden and at a 1975 concert had Eubie sign them for me and my wife.
I heard Eubie play live on several occasions an can attest to the fact that the reproducing piano sounds like the artist playing.
I will post a similar note on MMD and hopefully expand the knowledge of the persons interested in this topic through one of these two groups.

That is wonderful that you were able to see him perform!

I can remember him playing on some television show and him saying that his mother scolded him for play such music. I just searched youtube and found it...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaM5eYTAdVg

Years ago I was having a conversation about old music with a lady and she related a story that she had heard him practicing here in Tucson. She has visiting a local resort and heard piano music. She did not wish to interrupt and stayed on the sidelines and listened for a while. It was magic, she said. This too, was in the 70s.

James.

Those rolls were reproduced on one of the old Biograph LP's & the notes surmise that Blake probably sight read from sheet music for them

Hi All,
The two times I saw him play in Baltimore he played with out a printed score. At the Peabody Institute he said when he was a young man he would have been arrested if he had been in the neighborhood of Peabody.
Allen

He also made a couple of LP albums which from what I recall were said to have been made in his home when he was around 90.. He had two of the original singers from his broadway shows also do their original selections.. I think I still have one of them, I will have to dig it out, it was quite good. I think he most likely made rolls for QRS as well, that is probably where I first heard of him. I also have the Edison disc that comes up now and then of highlights from " Shuffle Along". I am lousy at recalling details I need to dig those out.

Larry

larryh wrote:He also made a couple of LP albums which from what I recall were said to have been made in his home when he was around 90.. He had two of the original singers from his broadway shows also do their original selections.. I think I still have one of them, I will have to dig it out, it was quite good. I think he most likely made rolls for QRS as well, that is probably where I first heard of him. I also have the Edison disc that comes up now and then of highlights from " Shuffle Along". I am lousy at recalling details I need to dig those out.

Larry

He made rolls for the QRS Celebrity Series in the 1970's. I believe he made some others for themearlier, but he was not one of their regular artists.

There was a Columbia LP called "The Eighty-Six Years Of Eubie Blake".And the Shuffle Along medley DD is by the Broadway Dance Orchestra.edisonplayer

Along with the previously mentioned Artrio-Angelus rolls Eubie Blake made piano rolls for Aeolian on their Duo Art reproducing piano roll label and for their Melodee 88 note label. The Duo Art roll is Negro Spirituals. I have at least 2 of his Melodee rolls, Arkansas Blues and Home Again Blues.

He also made rolls for Ampico and Rythmodik. One of his Ampico rolls is the Charleston Rag and it is a great one. If there is interest when we are back home from vacation I can list other rolls and possibly other manufacturers.

Were they made for the Concert Roller Organ as well?

I got for my friend a Rhythmodik roll of Eubie playing "Save Your Money,John".I traded it for some records.He has a Duo-Art Steinway grand piano.I like to pick up interesting rolls for him.I don't have a player.edisonplayer PS:Eubie never made rolls for the Concert Roller organs