Comment by thereallyniceman on September 3, 2012 at 21:22

Oh my goodness! That was amazing. I really don't know how you get these complex pieces up to recording standard, but you do!!!  That is very, very impressive and thanks for posting it.

I can only hope that others appreciate the effort that has gone in to practising and performing that piece!

******

I am also amazed how anyone can play the banjo in a swarm of mosquitoes that bad too ;-)

Comment by Trapdoor2 on September 3, 2012 at 22:55

How very cool! Well done, Mike!

Ian, I suspect Mike is vacationing in Alaska. Skeeters get quite bad there in the summer months.

Mr. G.W. Johnson also recorded the very first "Laughing Record". Unfortunately for Mr. Johnson, Edison had yet to invent the mass-reproduction of cylinders from a master. Mr. Johnson recorded initally on a 1:1 basis. Eventually, Edison was able to gang them into about 1:8 (8 cylinders per single song). He was paid as piecework, a few cents per 2min song...and he often did 8hr days singing the same song all day (sing for 2min, take 10min break while they reset the machinery, sing again...lather, rinse and repeat for 8-10 hrs per day). The early Ossman cylinders were made the same way (prior to 1902 when Edison's company kindly invented the "Gold Moulded" master-recording process). All Hail the Master Cylinder! ;-)

Comment by Mike Moss on September 4, 2012 at 8:08

Cheers Ian and Marc -- actually those aren't flies, they're a horde of replicant nano-mocking birds from one of my experiments gone awry!

Ah, the days before the Master Cylinder... when recording artists actually had to work to earn a living! ;-)

Comment by Richard William Ineson on September 4, 2012 at 14:03

I thought that I would never hear this tune played on the banjo again, thanks for making an old man happy Mike.

Comment by Mike Moss on September 4, 2012 at 14:37

Thank you Richard, I'm glad you enjoyed it and I'm glad I have your approval! I based my performance on the Charles Mansell recording, though I did speed up some parts a little to make the allegro movement more exciting.

Comment by thereallyniceman on September 5, 2012 at 21:29

For those brave souls who would like to try out this tricky piece, I have added the Notation score and piano part to the MUSIC LIBRARY.. good luck!

Comment by Mike Moss on September 5, 2012 at 21:31

Piano part? Did you say PIANO PART?

I feel a "new and improved" recording coming up soon ;-)

Comment by Jason Smith on September 6, 2012 at 1:08

Bravo!  great job Mike!

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