Piano Varieties #3 Recorded 1916 - 1931 363Cmp3

Roy Bargy was born in Newaygo, Michigan in 1894. At 25, he worked with Charley Straight producing piano rolls for the Imperial Piano Roll company.He was the director/pianist of the Benson Orchestra of Chicago from April 1921 to September 1922. I have selected a few tracks where Roy took larger solos, followed by Don Bestor. Roy played on Whiteman's Columbia recording of Gershwin's concerto in F, in 1928. I have included it on the tenth volume of Paul Whiteman CD020J. He also did a wonderful record - the "Gold Digger's Song" and "Pettin' In The Park" with a duet by Peggy Healey, and Al Dary. Don Bestor had an orchestra in the early thirties, but the recordings don't have much in the way of piano solos. William Eckstein was born in Montreal on December 6, 1888. By the age of six, he had shown such talent that lessons were in order from a coach at McGill University, and was awarded a scholarship at the school by the age of twelve. To earn a living for his family, who were not affluent, he decided to forgo a classical career, as playing pop music in vaudeville was more financially rewarding. He was to get gigs at the Canadian National Exhibition, in Toronto, the Karn Hall in Montreal, and he played for President Rooseveldt at the White House, all before he was twenty. A European tour followed, where he received further education in Germany and Sweden. Known as "The Boy Paderewski"and "Mr. Fingers," the silent movie houses were a reliable employer for the young musician. Willie was among the first Canadians to perform on live radio and to record ragtime music. At 24,he was demonstrating pianos for J. W. Shaw, a Montreal manufacturer and retailer. He starred as the Strand Theatre's pianist, where he became known as "Mr. Fingers". The theatre advertised him as"The World's Foremost Motion Picture Interpreter,and his playing proved to eclipse the public's reception of the films. Soon Willie branched into writing, partnering with Harry Thomas for "Delirious Rag" and "Perpetual Rag." Harry recorded piano rolls of these in 1916. Unlike jazz, ragtime was all notated with no improvising. While Eckstein was barred from military duty due to his being under five feet tall, he contributed by writing some patriotic songs such as"Goodbye Soldier Boy," and "You Are My All In All" in 1917. "Goodbye Sunshine, Hello Moon"was featured in the 1919 Ziegfeld Follies.In 1923, he waxed the first recording of Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag," I have a separate anthology of Victor Arden and Phil Ohman, piano duetists but their 1926 treatment of Zez Confrey's "Dizzy fingers" merits a special inclusion here because of it's harmonically interesting chordal voicing during the number. Reginald King was a British musician with a focus on salon music, but this rare Filmophone flexi disc has a more interesting piano segment. ~ Mickey Clark

Benson Orchestra Of Chicago with Piano Solo Selections

Roy Bargy April 1921 - September 1922

1. BIMINI BAY Roy Bargy VIC 18824 09/28/21 25700 KAHN-EGAN-WHITING 2:45
2. TUCK ME TO SLEEP IN MY OLD 'TUCKY HOME VIC 18820 09/30/21 25707 LEWIS-YOUNG-MEYER 3:14
3. ANGEL CHILD VIC 18870 02/01/22 25988 PRICE-SILVER-DAVIS 3:06
4. MY MAMMY KNOWS VIC 18870 02/01/22 25989 DE COSTA-JEROME 3:03
5. NO NO NORA VIC 19121 07/20/23 28406 FIORITO-ERDMAN 3:13

6. WOLVERINE BLUES Don Bestor VIC 19140 09/10/23 28459 SPIKES-SPIKES-MORTON 3:14
7. MEAN,MEAN MAMMA VIC 19138 08/21/23 28436 YOUNG-SQUIRES 3:01
8. FORGET-ME-NOT VIC 19312 04/01/24 29820 CONRAD-HANBURY-GILLEN 2:45
9. BECAUSE OF YOU(THE WORLD IS MINE) VIC 19693 05/21/25 32712 HIRSCH-FIORITO 3:10
10. WHOLE WORLD IS DREAMING OF LOVE VIC 19693 05/22/25 32711 KAHN-BESTOR-STRAIGHT 2:42 Felix Arndt
11. NOLA - Take 2 VIC 18056 03/30/16 17399 ARNDT 2:51
12. NOLA - Take 3 VIC 18056 03/30/16 17399 ARNDT 2:53
13. OPERATIC NIGHTMARE VIC 18056 05/09/16 17400 ARNDT 3:14
14. MARIONETTE VIC 18284 02/19/17 19200 ARNDT 2:41
15. VALSE BLEUE VIC 18284 03/26/17 19290 MARGIS 3:37
16. HOLLAND MOON WILLIE ECKSTEIN TRIO APX 585 01/01/23 0 HANDYSIDE 3:28
17. LEST YOU FORGET WILLIE ECKSTEIN TRIO APX 585 01/01/23 0 ECKSTEIN-HOWARD 3:30
18. MUSIC MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND WILLIE ECKSTEIN & THE MELODY KINGS APX 586 01/01/23 0 MUNRO-ECKSTEIN-HOWARD 2:37
19. KITTEN ON THE KEYS WILLIE ECKSTEIN APX 605 01/01/21 101 ZEZ CONFREY 3:17
20. A MUSICAL MASSACRE WILLIE ECKSTEIN APX 605 01/01/21 102 ECKSTEIN-CHOPIN 2:43
21. LOVE SENDS A LITTLE GIFT OF ROSES WILLIE ECKSTEIN APX 620 01/04/23 485 OPENSHAW 3:26
22. MELLOW MOON WILLIE ECKSTEIN APX 620 05/01/23 501 HALL 3:09
23. I'M IN THE MARKET FOR YOU WILLIE ECKSTEIN VIC 216552 03/01/30 0 MCCARTHY-HANLEY HIGH SOCIETY BLUES 3:00
24. MY BABY JUST CARES FOR ME WILLIE ECKSTEIN VIC 216557 09/01/30 0 DONALDSON-KAHN 2:22
25. DIZZY FINGERS - VICTOR ARDEN-PHOL OHMAN BR 3305 09/01/26 E20315/7 CONFREY 2:52
26. RIVER STAY 'WAY FROM MY DOOR REGINALD KING FLM 327 1931 WOODS 3:14
    

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