[Dixielandjazz] Re: Rachmaninov Prelude [Russian Rag]

John Farrell stridepiano at tesco.net
Fri Aug 20 00:10:09 PDT 2004


Bill Haesler suggested (re Russian Rag) :

"What about it John Farrell. How about a midi version?"

I made a piano roll of this years ago before I got into computers - and I
ain't gonna do it all over again !!

By the way, the composer (Geo. L. Cobb) had so much success with Russian Rag
that in 1923 he was forced to write another version which he called The New
Russian Rag -  it was exactly the same tune as his previous effort but with
more pyrotechnics.

The best recording of it I ever heard was by Lou Busch (aka Joe Fingers
Carr) - by golly, he was one helluva fine piano player equally at home with
both the jazz and classical repertoire. For a while he was Allan Sherman's
musical director, arranger, composer and conductor (among other things he
arranged and conducted the musical  backing to Sherman's big hit Hello
Mudduh, Hello Fadduh).

He was also the pianist in a number of "name" bands including Leo Reisman,
Horace Heidt, Vincent Lopez, George Olsen and Hal Kemp. Quite an impressive
pedigree.

John Farrell
http://homepages.tesco.net/~stridepiano/midifiles.htm






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