Classic-Banjo

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Lonesome Mama Blues - Fred van eps

This is just one of my favorites of Fred Van Eps. Something about this song just speaks to me. Is there a score of his playing from this recording?

Comment by thereallyniceman on December 21, 2020 at 18:36: Sorry I don't have this... but would like a copy as it is a great tune.

Comment by Rob Murch on December 22, 2020 at 19:47: Following this thread. It's a cracker of a tune and the score needs to be available for us all! Thanks Byron for posting this,

Comment by Byron Thomas on April 1, 2022 at 14:01: So after a year and some months I've finally gotten closer to what was going on in this song. FVE had adapted it from a Blues standard of the same name written by Billie Brown in 1922 and recorded by Mamie Smith((41) Lonesome Mama Blues - YouTube) and also The Virginians ((41) The Virginians - Lonesome Mama Blues - YouTube) in the same year. I assume that Fred heard one of these and recorded his the next year. RagtimeDorianHenry has a piano playthrough of the Billie brown sheet music posted on his channel ((41) Lonesome Mama Blues by Billie Brown (1922, Blues piano) - YouTube) Now that I have seen the original, I'm even more impressed because Fred did a splendid job of making this arrangement his own. I'm going to eventually tackle this now that I have a road map.

Comment by Joel Hooks on April 1, 2022 at 14:21: The ABF might have his manuscript. No guarantees but it might be worth checking the library.

Comment by Joel Hooks on April 1, 2022 at 14:27: The story I have heard about many of his recordings (and have written before) was that he would show up to work at the studio and they would hand him the piano sheet music for what they wanted him to record. He would sit down with his accompanist (or group) and work up an arrangement, then record it.

Comment by Trapdoor2 on April 1, 2022 at 17:20: Still happening today. Studio musicians daily do things us mere mortals cannot conceive.

I remember seeing a short clip of a small orchestra recording for 1930s cartoons. Step 1, hand out the arrangement. Step two, jump in at full speed. Step three, tell the whole orchestra to transpose it up a step...relaunch at full speed. Step four, tell the X section to harmonize with the Y section...GO!

The crazy world of the studio musician...