Heard CUPID’S ARROW? Well, prepare to be amazed!

[thereallyniceman]

My friend Rainier Lanselle has sent me probably the rarest find that I have posted on this website.

 

All enthusiasts of Fred Van Eps will be aware that, in the early 1950s, he made a comeback recording, entitled “5 String Banjo”, of him playing with his son Robert Van Eps on piano accompaniment.  The record was released by “Van Eps Lab” Plainfield N. J..

Fred Van Eps in 1954 

 

What I didn’t know was that in the late 1950s, not long before his death, Fred recorded another, extremely limited edition, LP of twelve tracks. The tracks are of his favourite pieces and also of some previously unheard recordings. 

 

Rainier has kindly offered to share his copy of the album through this website, so Rainier, here is a very big “THANK YOU”, from me.  The whole album is truly amazing, and I have never heard Van Eps play better.  I shall be adding a new track every week  :-)

 

For those who said that the early recording equipment was responsible for the snappy and dramatic Classic Banjo tone.. Think again!  This is how Classic Banjo really sounds  … and I love it :-)

 

Be amazed, as I was.  Here is Fred Van Eps at nearly 80 years old:

CUPID’S ARROW played by Fred Van Eps (late 1950s)

[Jody Stecher]

Wowie Zowie. This is quite a find. Although his playing does sound in places as if his right hand fingers had gotten a bit stiff, his left hand had lost nothing. I actually gasped at one point . As an arranger he has made about a dozen changes to the original Paul Eno piece that are brilliant and unexpected. 

Does anyone know what gauge fishing line Van Eps used for string? And did he use line or leader?

[Richard William Ineson]

Not being a fisherman, what is the difference between line and leader? I have played van Eps's 'meal ticket' banjo quite a few times, and also, several of the banjos which he made, and played himself, as opposed to the commercially produced 'recording' banjos. His stringing except for the fourth string, was very light indeed, the third string is about the same gauge as a La Bella first string, it is like playing on cobwebs and together with the flush fret fingerboard is a very different playing experience. It would take some time for me to feel comfortable with such a set up, but it does enable you to play fast with little effort. The drawback to this kind of set up is that the banjo really only has one tone/sound, and that quite brittle, if you like that sound then that is the way to do it.

[Trapdoor2]

Yah, I helped Howard Weilmeunster source some nylon strings to replace those on his FVE banjo...that FVE had installed in '59. They were extremely thin, I believe the 1st and 5th were 0.017", the smallest dia. nylon string I could find.

I put a set on one of my banjos and just couldn't stand 'em. Like Richard said, like playing cobwebs...I kept pulling 'em out of the bridge notches.

[Jody Stecher]

Leader is hard for the fish to see. It is attached by a knot to the main line which is attached to reel and rod. Leader is said to lack the Coil Memory that the regular line has so it doesn't bunch up. 

Gauges in nylon do not match up with gauges in fluorocarbon. The latter is very stiff. So .017 fluorocarbon will feel stiffer than .022 nylon at the same gauge.  What were Van Eps strings made of? I don't know. Even if they were nylon, another factor to consider in their tension is that his banjos had a verrrry long scale. 

[Robert Dooley]

Can't find any arrangements of Cupid's Arrow.  Any suggestions. R. Dooley

[Trapdoor2]

I'd like to find a copy of the Victor disc he cut of 'Cupid's Arrow' on Feb 28, 1911. That would make a great comparison.

edit: serendipity strikes! I found a 2m Edison cylinder of "Cupid's Arrow" by FVE on ebay and it appears to be in excellent condition. I happen to have an early Edison machine that will play it perfectly...and I know somebody with a state-of-the-art recording setup for cylinders, I'll see him in March. If I can get a recording of it, I'll send it to Ian (that is, provided I win the auction).

[Jody Stecher]

Here ya go.

Robert Dooley said:

Can't find any arrangements of Cupid's Arrow.  Any suggestions. R. Dooley

[Jody Stecher]

Whoops, this was one in A notation. Do you prefer C notation?

[thereallyniceman]

I have added the Vess Ossman arrangement of Eno's  Cupid's Arrow to the MUSIC LIBRARY

[marc dalmasso]

fantastic : picture + recording

[Richard William Ineson]

The improvements/embellishments to the score, made by van Eps are a joy. I have never seen these written down so will someone do this little job and we can all have a go at playing them? I have never actually mastered the first movement of this tune, I always used to hide behind the 2nd banjo if I was called on to play it. I think that I got away with it, there are so many notes that there were still enough to satisfy most people. I think that this is where I first thought of a defence for a bit of 'fluffing' here and there,in this and other tunes, "I aim to get about six notes out of ten right, some people aren't as fussy as me."

[Joel Hooks]

AAoowwwaaa! We have to wait to hear more?

Will there be a complete version available eventually?