Lee S. Bach--Or, Music for the Birds

So, your job is to figure out which Bach Invention I based my Birdcall Invention around. I didn't literally use any of that piece's themes--it was more a matter of copying the general shape and scheme. And only some of it, to boot. My Invention takes off from the original just enough that it may not instantly evoke it--however, those familiar with Bach should be able to spot the source without too much work.

Clues: The number of voices (2 vs. 3--you decide), the meter, the length of the subject and answer, and the riff sequence that sort of follows the harmonic scheme of the original. Better, I guess, to listen to the riffs themselves, since I strayed, chord-wise.

This took about three hours of trial and error. Hope you enjoy! Oh, and if the file comes up as Beitrage, please ignore--for some unknown reason, my software insists that my piece is some avant garde-work by someone else. I relabeled it, but don't know if the info completely took. I think so, but I'm not positive.

Birdcall Invention (Lee Hartsfeld), Composed on Noteworthy software, April 21. (And you... was there!)

Lee S. Bach, at your service!


















Leehan Sebastian Bach, 18th-century German composer from Toledo, Ohio....

Lee

Wake-up sounds for Thursday!

It's still Wednesday, actually--but not for long. And Lady Domi needs some wake-up music. Hope these haven't arrived too late. All four selections are from 78s I've been working on. It's hard to get used to that huge recording horn, though--singing into it is such a weird experience. And I'm nearly deaf from standing in front of the piano.

No, actually, I've been sound-restoring 78s, not making them (Fooled you, didn't I?). Lots of clicks, pops, and BOOMS to splice out, but I made it through in one piece--in distinct contrast to the sliced-and-diced files. You'll hear a few bumps and pops here and there, but they are but a faint remnant of the noises I rid the world of.

Wait a minute--there are five selections. The four, plus a file I didn't put up last time. That leftover file is called Prince of Wails, and it's the best version thereof I've ever heard. From a 1924 78 that someone wore to the core from repeated plays, but I got a nice lo-to-medium-fi file, regardless:

Prince of Wails (Elmer Schoebel), Ralph Williams and His Rainbo Orchestra, 1924. From Victor 78.

May the next copy I find be in M- condition. What a great dance side.

This next 78, by the great Earl Fuller Orchestra, plays much better than it looks. Which is good, because it looks like hell. Yet, in spite of some surface noise, the music rings through bright and clear. Interestingly, this is more jazzy than some of the Earl Fuller sides labeled as jazz:

Down Home Rag (Wilbur Sweatman), Earl Fuller's Rector Novelty Orchestra, 1918. From Columbia 78.

Here's the flip, which the label lists as I Ain't Got Nobody Much. I don't know what's up with the Much in the title--as far as I know this is I Ain't Got Nobody by Roger Graham and Spencer Williams. (No, wait--my source lists an additional composer.) Oh, heck. Don't ask me. It's terrific; that's all that matters....

I Ain't Got Nobody Much (Graham-Williams), Earl Fuller's Rector Novelty Orchestra, 1917. From Columbia 78.

A quick Google check suggests that I Ain't Got Nobody and I Ain't Got Nobody Much are/is the same tune. Well, I'm glad I solved that little mystery. I'm glad we didn't have to wait until the cows came home....

Wait Till the Cows Come Home, Harold Veo's Orchestra, 1917. From Victor 78.

A very nice record, and nice to have, as Harold Veo didn't make too many sides. He did a couple of 1917 sides that are very jazzy in their own way--to my ears, they sound like The Original Dixieland Jazz Band played at 45 RPM. I'll have to post those sometime.

Lastly, here's the Van Eps Trio with a cool performance of Lee S. Roberts Ching Chong, which we heard not too long ago by Prince's Dance Orchestra. Be happy you don't have to endure the pops and booms (like your poor sound restorationist):

Ching Chong (One-Step) (Lee S. Roberts), Van Eps Trio, 1917. From Victor 78.

Brian Rust tells us that the Van Eps Trio consisted of: Fred Van Eps (banjo), Nathan Glantz (alto sax), and Frank Banta (piano). A very entertaining team.


Lee

Your blogger, age 18

From 1975, the year I graduated from H.S.:















What's astonishing is how closely this resembles my present-day self. Save for a few details. (Sound of tin cans crashing.)

Yes, I used to have hair. And a thin face....

The tie I was wearing must have been tied by my Dad, as I never learned to tie a tie until Navy Boot Camp. Or else it was a clip-on. I don't remember. Such details are often lost with Time. And/or Newsweek.

Lee

Wake up to Ted Weems, Jack Pleis, Jo Stafford and Frankie Laine, and The Central American Marimba Band of Guatemala!

I'll bet this is the first time you've ever woken up to the sounds of Ted Weems, Jack Pleis, Jo Stafford and Frankie Laine, and The Central American Marimba Band of Guatemala. (That statement would probably remain true even if I added an "/or" to "and.") This is an historical first, folks! And you... was there!!

And it's past my bedtime, so I'd better get this show on the road. Jesus, what have I gotten myself into?

Excuse me while I panic. (Aiiiiiieeeee!!) O.K., I feel better now. On to the wake-up music for this morning. We'll start with Jo Stafford and Frankie Laine's superb cover version of Red Saunders' R&B hit, Hambone:

Hambone (R. Saunders), Jo Stafford and Frankie Laine with Paul Weston and His Orchestra, 1952. From a Columbia 78 in mediocre shape.

I have the Red Saunders original, but not in ready-to-post form. I need to get that one up.

And here's one of the coolest Twenties dance sides ever--Ted Weems' crack performance of Rube Bloom and Harry Woods' The Man from the South (With a Big Cigar in His Mouth). The 78 is in not-so-good shape, so the EQ curve I used was a bit flat (to keep the hiss at bay). But it still sounds good, and it's a must-hear side. So, let's hear:

The Man from the South (With a Big Cigar in His Mouth) (Rube Bloom-Harry Woods), Ted Weems and His Orchestra, vocal by Arthur Jarrett and Chorus, 1929. From worn 78.

As you might guess, the flip is excellent, too:

Harmonica Harry (Phil Baxter), Vocal by Parker Gibbs, 1929. From the same well-played 78.

I was going to post this next one at Vintage Lounge, but it's such an ideal wake-up number, I changed my mind. The flip, however, is scheduled for VL. Anyway, this is dedicated to Lady Domi (who, I'm sure, is no pagan! The title refers to one born in the U.S., I'm guessing).

Actually, I'm not 100 percent sure what the title means. But it's a great number, regardless:

Pagan in Paris (Gene Paul), Jack Pleis and His Orchestra, 1953. From Decca 78.

Pagan in Paris. Hm. Whatever. If that is meant as a cut on the French, my humble apologies. I'm sure Lady Domi will let me know! But I'm thinking it refers to an American in Paris (not the famous piece).

And here are two incredibly fun sides by the ever-popular Central American Marimba Band of Guatemala. I ripped these files from two 1917 78s in near-perfect shape--only a minor needle dig caused any noise issues, and I edited those sounds with ease. Near-ease, anyway.

The second number is very ragtimey. I love them both:

Captain Betty (One-Step), Central American Marimba Band of Guatemala, 1917. From Victor 78.

Besame (One-Step), Central American Marimba Band of Guatemala, 1917. From same near-perfect Victor 78.

(Workplace dialogue):

So, what are you listening to?

The Central American Marimba Band of Guatemala.

The... what?

Before that, I was listening to Jack Pleis' Orchestra playing Pagan in Paris.

Ohhhhh-kay.

Want to hear The Man from the South (With a Big Cigar in His Mouth)?

You're making all of this up, right?

By the way, since my April Box.net bandwidth has been holding up just fine, the up-for-one-week rule isn't in effect right now. I came up with that rule at a time when bandwidth was expiring fast, but download rates have slowed down a lot. I can think of three reasons: Boxnet's up-and-downness, the fact that I deleted a bunch of long-time-running files, and... um....

O.K., two reasons. I forgot the third. Anyway, I will keep things up as long as I can, so long as download rate doesn't exceed what I'm allowed. This is the goal.

In other news, "Bush Stands Fast!" has taken the top spot in the Hall of Frequent Headlines, replacing "Violence in the Middle East!"

Lee

Dead rabbit in the living room

When it's in the form of, say, deer munching on grass in the back yard, nature can be beautiful. Or birds flocking to the birdfeeder on a snowy day. But when it's in the form of rabbit portions on the living room carpet, nature can be not so beautiful. Yucky, even. I guess the partially-consumed bunny in question was the cats' Easter gift for us. Actually, Mario (one of our cream-colored Toms) seemed to regard it as his gift. Like, are we not feeding him enough? Or what?

You'll have to take my word for this, since I didn't think photos were appropriate. We encountered the crime scene upon our return home late this afternoon--my first words: "Is that a rabbit?" Yup. A poor bunny minding his own business, unaware that he or she was entering a yard filled with scores of potential predators (though we believe only two carried out the killing--Mario and Whitey).

As far as I know, cats have no sense of irony, so we can assume Easter had nothing to do with their choice of what to drag in.

Meanwhile, the Box.net files that weren't working are now working. The usual now-they-work, now-they-don't routine. Box.net is doing its best to drive me insane, but good luck. They can try (hee, hee!), but they'll never (ho, ho!) succeed (ha, haaaa!). I'm (Buwa-ha-haaaa!) unbreakable in that regard.

So, please give a listen to He Lives, Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, and my very own Easter Chimes, on which I show off my ability to smoothly connect voices in four-part harmony. Because of occasional instances of two voices in unison, you'll hear some two- or three-part chords, but don't be alarmed. It's not your player. Or your ears.

"Wow! Listen to those smoothly-connected voices in four-part harmony!" raves the New Internet Music Review.

I've been reading, and loving, Thomas Tapper's First Year Harmony of 1938. It's beautifully written and laid out. The exciting chapters include "Melodic Intervals," "Harmonic Intervals," "Bases with Step-Wise Progression," "The Progression V-VI in Minor," and "Irregular Resolutions of the Seventh of the Dominant Seventh." A lot of it I already know; a lot of it I don't. Or don't know formally enough.

I recommend First Year Harmony. You won't be able to put it down.

In other news, a First-Amendment-scholar columnist in our paper yesterday insists that viewers' rights are being affected by recent FCC rulings on indecency. Huh?? Sure, the right of a TV network to show teen orgies might be affected, but I'm not a TV network, dude. Nor do I have any shows on ABC, CBS, Fox, cable, etc. So, how are my F.A. rights being limited here? Even if CBS can't swear, I can. I just said "Fuck" five times in a row. And the FCC ain't coming.

(Listening for sirens.) Nope. Ain't comin'.

Anyway, this is where the left becomes as power-protecting as the right. How dare anyone suggest, in neo-con fashion, that laws which affect the powerful affect me, as a rule? Whether such assertions come from the left or right doesn't matter--it's the same ridiculous trickle-down fallacy. The shills screaming bloody murder over the recent FCC fines strike me as no different than those who assert that progressive taxation is unfair or who advocate Ohio-style corporate welfare. People are struggling to get by these days--yet, somehow, the bitching doesn't reach a loud dynamic until some rich person or entity has to follow a rule or two. Eternity will unfold unencumbered even if the networks aren't allowed to show tits. Life will go on. People will still cuss. And women will still have bosoms.

As far as I'm concerned, the FCC can fine away. Those losing sleep over the issue have my permission to get a life. Sure, the FCC could be more consistent in its judgments, and I'll concede that no one died from the sight of whatshername's nipple, but I still don't care. Fine away, FCC. If only to anger the shills further.

I was going to post a selection or two, but....

Right. Box.net is down. How did you guess????













Don't let looks fool you--this is Whitey, our unrepentant killer of birds and rabbits.


Lee

"Easter Chimes," re-uploaded

Thanks to Box.net, none of the three Easter files I uploaded last night can be gotten to. I'll repost one of them now--my very own Easter Chimes.

http://www.box.net/public/mtnya5c6t2 Easter Chimes (Hartsfeld), Lee Hartsfeld, 2006.

Thanks, Box.net, for your usual utter incompetence. Why let the holiday get in the way of fifth-rate service?

Maybe I can get the other two uploaded sometime later.

(Counting to ten. One... two... three.....)



Lee, counting to ten

More Easter sounds

Easter Parade (Irving Berlin), Rosemary Clooney with The Mellowmen and Buddy Cole, 1955.

Funny Little Bunnies ("From Walt Disney's Motion Picture Funny Little Bunnies"), Sung by "The Cricketts," featuring "Hoppy" the Bunny. With the Peter Pan Orchestra, directed by Syl Stewart. From 7" 78 on Peter Pan label (duh).

Silly Easter Bonnet, sung by Linda Barrie. With the Peter Pan Orchestra, directed by Vicky Kasen. From same single.

Funny Little Bunnies was a 1934 Disney short, by the way. Check out this page. Here's a photo that I swiped from disney.go.com:










I hope we're all having a Hoppy Easter!


Lee

Easter greeting from Google!

http://www.google.com/

Happy Easter from Charles Wesley!

We begin with Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, whose words numerous sources credit to Charles Wesley--except for my 1955 edition of the Presbyterian hymnbook, which gives him credit for one verse only. Oh, well. Great hymn, whoever wrote the words:

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today (Wesley; Tune: Lyra Davidica, 1708), The Amen Choir with The London National Philharmonic Orchestra, 1984.

This next one was written by me. I came up with the thing a while back, but I've recently been studying harmony and voice-leading like crazy, so I revised it quite a bit--it needed it. With the top part moving around like crazy, a four-part setting was a little tricky to manage, but I like what I came up with--smooth, with no awkward progressions my ear can detect. And I like the cathedral acoustics MAGIX gave to the patch:

Easter Chimes (Lee Hartsfeld, 2006), Lee Hartsfeld, who entered the notes on NoteWorthy Composer® software.

And here are the Ralph Carmichael Singers with the terrific Alfred Ackley Easter song of 1934, He Lives:

He Lives (Alfred Ackley), Ralph Carmichael Choir, 1965. From the Word LP An Old Fashioned Sunday Evening.

Sonny Til and The Orioles close the concert with the corny (but, dang it, touching) Robe of Calvary, which was also recorded by George Beverly Shea, Eddy Arnold, and Jill Corey. Works for me:

Robe of Calvary (Kathleen Twomey-Fred White-Robert St. Claire--Elaine Rivers), Sonny Til and The Orioles, 1954.