Presto

54
P RE S TC
May 24, 1924.
music of the latest danzones, tangos and machiches
was secured from Havana, Buenos Aires and Rio de
Janeiro, played by American bands and pressed in
disks. But when the records reached the Latin-
Record Making Developed Only When the American brother they were no longer popular—
Early Phonograph Owners Got Tired of
tangos and danzones are as the snowflake in the river,
a moment heard, then gone forever, just like our
the Tune of "Yankee Doodle."
jazz. And the Latin-American brother didn't recog-
The talking machine lagged nearly twenty-live nize his own music! For the score of a tango or
years after its invention before music in the home was machiche is something like shorthand. Where our
found to be its big commercial field, says Mapplebeck, jazz is written with full harmony and instrumenta-
writing in the Saturday Evening Post. We sold the tion, to be played alike by musicians all over the coun-
Latin American brother a phonograph. And then all try, Latin-American dance music is usually a simple
we had to sell him to play on it was Yankee Doodle. melody upon which the players embroider their own
When the phonograph was invented people thought variations and syncopations. These are instinctive,
that it would be used, among other things, to make born in them, different in each country. They
books for the blind, teach elocution, keep a family couldn't be written. If they were written, no
Brazilian orchestra could ever catch the strident
album of voices, make music boxes and speaking
swing of a Cuban danzon, nor any Cuban band put
dolls, and record telephone talks. The machine lagged
nearly twenty-five years before music in the home the happy little native lilt into a Brazilian machiche.
Our conscientious bands—and in those days it was
was found to be its big commercial field.
The first entertainment records were pretty limited chiefly the military band that made records for the
—I am speaking of twenty-five years ago. Recording phonograph companies—simply played every note
was crude. We had band music, but no ragtime, they saw. There weren't very many notes. Time
much less, jazz. The great opera singers, violinists was wrong, instrumentation wrong. How were they
to know that in Argentina the tango orchestra is made
and orchestral records were all in the future.
The export-producing director of a big phonograph up largely of accordions?
company was explaining a phase of that business al-
However, that did for a beginning. Latin-Ameri-
most unknown to the American phonograph fan—the cans were impressed by the intention if not the re-
making of records for people in other countries. sults, and they did get fair phonograph records of
"We sold Yankee Doodle as long as possible to the music like their national anthems. Quick to see what
folks in other countries," he said. He has circled the was lacking, the record directors took the second
globe several times with these recording expeditions, logical step—sent down for native orchestras, and
and has the music and entertainment of many nations had them make records in New York.
at his fingers' ends. "When they got tired and
Next came the recording expedition, the first one
wouldn't buy it any longer we turned our thoughts to being sent to Mexico, partly because that country was
making records of their own music, and in their own near at hand and also because the Mexicans were ex-
languages."
cellent customers. Several months and a good many
It looked simple enough at the outset. The sheet thousand dollars were spent in Mexico City making
records of bands, singers and actors in the capital, as
well as bringing in characteristic music from prov-
inces. But every one of these records was lost on the
way home. The manufacturers knew little of the
difficulties to be overcome, and the soft wax on which
(CAMBRIDGE)
records are taken melted in transit.
Then several Mexican artists were brought to New
York, singers and guitar players, who recorded seri-
ous compositions, comic songs and the music of the
peones, or country people. This gave a Mexican list
that was the most satisfactory up to that time, but it
did not begin to scratch the surface of Mexico's
musical resources. So a better-equipped recording ex-
pedition was sent to Mexico City, and worked nearly
a year. These records reached New York safely, and
were so eagerly bought by the Mexicans that one or
another of the phonograph companies now has a re-
cording expedition in Mexico most of the time,' as
they are sent out about every eighteen months. The
recording expedition is now so well equipped that
records are seldom lost.
HISTORY OF THE RECORD
STANDARD
Piano Actions
SJhe Standard Action company
Cambridgt, ^Massachusetts
Cincinnati Company Has Issued Its June Presenta-
tions in Player Roll Music.
The June Bulletin of the Vocalstyle Music Co.. Cin-
cinnati, contains the following list of music rolls:
The Clearing House Blues, blues; Does the Spear-
mint Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Over Night?,
fox trot; Faith of Our Fathers, hymn; From One Till
Two (I Always Dream of You), fox trot; Horsey!
Keep Your Tail Up (Keep the Sun Out of My Eyes),
fox trot; Hugo, fox trot; Jealous, fox trot; Land of
My Sunset Dreams, marimba waltz; London Bridge
Is Falling Down on the Isle of Childhood Dreams,
marimba waltz; When It's Love Time in Hawaii,
Hawaiian marimba waltz; Memory Lane, marimba
waltz; A Mother's Love Is the Best Love After All,
marimba waltz; My Sweetheart, fox trot; Since Ma
Is Playing Ma Jong, fox trot; Sweet and Pretty
Mamma, fox trot; Take a Little One Step ("From
Lollypop"), fox trot; There's Yes Yes in Your Eyes,
fox trot; What'll I Do?, waltz; You Left Me Out in
the Rain, fox trot.
CHANGE IN WAVE L E N G T H S .
It is likely that many of the present broadcast wave
lengths will be changed by the radio conference Sec-
retary Hoover plans to call shortly after congress fin-
ishes the present session. Building of more high
power class B stations during the last year has ex-
hausted the wave lengths from 303 to 546 meters as-
signed to class B stations. Wave lengths for class A
stations are fast nearing saturation.
IVORY PRICES SOAR.
According to latest advices from London, ivory
prices are very strong since the last quarterly sale
there. Since the close of the war prices have been
practically stationary, a condition partly caused by
the absence of demand from Germany and France.
But with the improved economic conditions there the
ivory prices are affected and an upward tendency is
now noticeable.
A Pneumatic Action bearing the name
STRAUCH BROS.
is your guide for unfailing quality.
The high quality which has characterized
the Strauch Bros. Piano Actions and Ham-
mers for almost sixty years, distinguishes
our latest product, the
A store building will be erected in Augene, Ore., by
Seth E. Laraway, music dealer.
C. G. CONN, Ltd., Elkhart, Ind.
C. D. GREENLEAF, Pre«.
J. E. BOYER, Sec'y
World's largest manufacturers of High Grade Band and Orchestra Instruments. Employs 1,000
expert workmen.
All of the most celebrated Artists use and endorse Conn Instruments.
Famous Bandmasters and Orchestra Directors highly endorse and recommend the use of the
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Conn Instruments are noted for their ease of playing, light and reliable valve or key action;
quick response, rich tonal quality, perfect intonation, tone carrying quality, artisticness of design,
beautiful finish and reliable construction.
Conn Instruments are sent to any point in the U. S. subject to ten days free trial. Branch store
or agencies will be found in all large cities. Write for catalogues, prices, etc.
C. G. CONN, Ltd.
NEW VOCALSTYLE ROLLS
ELKHART, IND.
DEPT. MS.
STRAUCH BROS.
PNEUMATIC ACTIONS
Simple in construction they are
dependable in every particular.
STRAUCH BROS., INC.
327 Walnut Ave.
COVERS
THAT
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STCEL SI L L TOF?
MOV I NG
GR7\ N D PIANOS
LINED A^D PADDED
Remember Bilger's System Moves Grands or Uprights
START RIGHT—ALWAYS RIGHT SffiSf
To make sure of the best—test it.
25 year* boiled down
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All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/