Classic-Banjo
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Mr. Jollyboy
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jody Stecher
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The smallest boy looks like he is noticing that Mister Jollyboy isn't entrapped in a suit and tie as he himself is.
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Permalink Reply by Russ Chandler
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Wow!!
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Permalink Reply by Joel Hooks
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Perspective, where you might see entrapment, the boy might feel like the suit and tie are the latest and up to date fashion.
Jody Stecher said:The smallest boy looks like he is noticing that Mister Jollyboy isn't entrapped in a suit and tie as he himself is.
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Perspective (and humor) is my point. The artist and seller of the toy obviously wish to convey that the boy and his family are well-dressed and fashionably up-to-date. But the reality of the time for many was ill-fitting hand-me-downs. And later times. And now as well.
I have never met a boy who was happy in a suit, even one that fit. Kids want to play and move about. One must not damage the expensive clothing and this inhibits physical activity. Meanwhile here is Mister Jollyboy uninhibited.
Joel Hooks said:Perspective, where you might see entrapment, the boy might feel like the suit and tie are the latest and up to date fashion.
Jody Stecher said:The smallest boy looks like he is noticing that Mister Jollyboy isn't entrapped in a suit and tie as he himself is.
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It is one my my favorite pieces, by one of my favorite composers, so I had to have the toy that inspired it (not that I paid very much for it).
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Permalink Reply by Richard William Ineson
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Grimshaw was primarily an mandonlist, so what did he know about banjo ;-)
Joel Hooks said:It is one my my favorite pieces, by one of my favorite composers, so I had to have the toy that inspired it (not that I paid very much for it).
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Did he write a method for mandolin?
Richard William Ineson said:Grimshaw was primarily an mandonlist, so what did he know about banjo ;-)
Joel Hooks said:It is one my my favorite pieces, by one of my favorite composers, so I had to have the toy that inspired it (not that I paid very much for it).
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Richard is poking fun on a comment I made earlier.
Grimshaw started playing mandolin, transitioned to banjo and piano a little after. One account of his playing in the BMG, I think by R. Tarrant Bailey but I could be misremembering, was that Grimshaw lacked the power to be a concert banjoist. This could be why most of his recordings are plectrum. I don’t know.
Other accounts in the later BMGs claim that he considered his main instrument the mandolin.
Obviously he was a monster composer for banjo, which was the joke I was making earlier, which Richard then posted here. I also have a hard time believing the account of him lacking power for concert work.
Austin said:Did he write a method for mandolin?
Richard William Ineson said:Grimshaw was primarily an mandonlist, so what did he know about banjo ;-)
Joel Hooks said:It is one my my favorite pieces, by one of my favorite composers, so I had to have the toy that inspired it (not that I paid very much for it).
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The jig doll is still being used. I have played fiddle and melodeon for a few in England. This is a good example from Canada, I think
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tuehmcNGp-k
and the real thing
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And here is a jolly picture of a Pierrot manipulating one, in November, 1910.
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These jig dolls were (and still are) very popular in the UK, and because of their popularity and continued production are not uncommon and can be bought (even the old ones) quite cheaply. Looking at the illustration on box, and the clothing of the people, this particular jig doll would seem to have been on sale in the period 1930-50 Poor old Grimshaw, (b.1880 d.1943) despite being a prolific composer of music for the fretted instruments, the editor of the B.M.G. magazine from 1911 -1933 (source: Bill Brewer, "The Banjo in Britain" B.M.G. magazine, April 1955. Please note that this reference has been certified by my legal representatives, Messrs. Gready, Slippeshode, Bonidle and Usselesse) and, together with his wife, Florence, a performer on the music halls, possibly because of his north of England origins (he was born in Accrington, Lancashire in 1880) does not seem to have been admitted to the BBC - Bath Banjo Circle. For those not acquainted with the social 'norms' of the UK, people born in the south of the UK generally consider themselves, without foundation, to be superior to those born in the north of the UK, in all respects. Northerners, as they are known, though usually having an equal command of the English language, have a different accent This accent is best demonstrated by using a phrase written in English and then translating into spoken ‘upper/middle class or southern English’ this line spoken by Ms. Celia Johnson (famous English actress b. 1908 d. 1982) in the much acclaimed film, ‘Brief Encounter’(1945) is a good example, “A man came in from the platform, the brim of his hat was turned down” becomes, “A MEN came in from the PLETFORM, the brim of his HET was turned down”, and people from the north of the UK can thus be easily identified, and ridiculed when they visit the south of England). Grimshaw did not seem to fit in with what I term the 'Bath Banjo Circle', (they referred to him as 'Aunt Emily'),which centred around the Baileys (father Richard Bailey (he later adopted, probably as a bit of CV enhancement the 'Tarrant' as a middle name), mother Mary Frances Bailey, who did not adopt the 'Tarrant' middle name and the famous (William or Bill) Tarrant Bailey Jnr. the Baileys’ daughter, Mary ‘Mouse’ Bailey, Joe Morley, (who, if he had not played the banjo so well would not have not even been acknowledged by the Baileys) Sid Turner (A barber/hairdresser by trade, his premises were in Cheltenham (and remarkably were still in use as a barber’s shop when I last looked about three years ago) Cheltenham was and is regarded as being a ‘posh’ town so this fact, together with Sid being quite a decent banjoist and a member of the C.E. Pierrots at one time probably gave him entrée to the BBC (Bath Banjo Circle) then there was J.P. Cunningham, his aunt, Sarah Watling took lessons from Bailey Snr. on the balalaika and Cunninghame was in the Royal Flying Corps so his credentials seem pretty sound, Clifford Essex needs no explanation although we can surmise that he didn’t advertise the fact that his father was a fellmonger in Wrexham. (Source: much, if not all of this information was garnered in my many conversations with Bill Ball (who was not a member of the BBC) of which, I made notes on the day or the day after the conversation, and personal correspondence between myself and Bill Ball which commenced c1981 and continued until his death)
Joel Hooks said:
Richard is poking fun on a comment I made earlier.
Grimshaw started playing mandolin, transitioned to banjo and piano a little after. One account of his playing in the BMG, I think by R. Tarrant Bailey but I could be misremembering, was that Grimshaw lacked the power to be a concert banjoist. This could be why most of his recordings are plectrum. I don’t know.
Other accounts in the later BMGs claim that he considered his main instrument the mandolin.
Obviously he was a monster composer for banjo, which was the joke I was making earlier, which Richard then posted here. I also have a hard time believing the account of him lacking power for concert work.
Austin said:Did he write a method for mandolin?
Richard William Ineson said:Grimshaw was primarily an mandonlist, so what did he know about banjo ;-)
Joel Hooks said:It is one my my favorite pieces, by one of my favorite composers, so I had to have the toy that inspired it (not that I paid very much for it).
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My 8 and 10 year old granddaughters, who are far more tech savvy than me, watched the video this morning and for a minute, had the same look on their faces as the children on the toy box. It was lovely to see, but then the pull of their iPhones brought them back to their world.
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