Ossman's Darkey Volunteer

[Shawn McSweeny]

 

Here is Vess L. Ossman’s 1898 recording, and his arrangement, of “The Darkey Volunteer”, whose title refers to the volunteers signing up during the Spanish American war.

The piano score was published in the US the same year and was “Dedicated  to Vess L. Ossman, America’s greatest banjoist”.

The composer was Fred Hylands, a top ragtime key-tinkler and the “house” pianist at Columbia Records, playing for the studio’s soloists from about 1897 to 1904.  Hylands is likely in the backing ensemble on this piece and the piano accompanist heard on other Ossman Columbia recordings from this period. He obviously knew Ossman and thought highly of him.

The banjo score, published a few years later in England, ignored Hylands and falsely credited Ossman as composer (now corrected ). 

Ossman’s great phrasing, power and precision are evident but sadly, even after restoration, sound quality is wanting. The accompaniment floats in and out, but far worse is the throbbing regularity of the surface/player noise which, for much of the piece, sounds like Teddy Roosevelt and all of his Rough Riders are galloping past the mike. 

 

Ossman Plays THE DARKEY VOLUNTEER

A digital playback of the score is also provided for a clearer rendering of the melody.

THE DARKEY VOLUNTEER Score Playback

The score is provided in standard notation and corresponding TAB, plus a TAB arrangement in melodic style .

[Jody Stecher]

Wow. This is fantastic banjo picking. The quotes of Dixie, Yankee Doodle etc, are awfully silly, but the playing itself is so very good.

[Trapdoor2]

Very cool piece. Thanks for posting it, Shawn.

I guess I'm used to hearing a lot of background noise on these things. I doesn't bother me a bit.

The quotes in the tune are ok...except for the second part of the themes. They sound awkward, probably because they contain a cadence that doesn't lead where you think it ought to. To my ear, they sound a little 'less awkward' in the MIDI sequence.

[Shawn McSweeny]

Hi Jody and Marc : Glad you liked this. The 1890's recordings are scarce and loaded with surface noise, but Ossman's really solid playing still comes through.

I'll be posting more pieces from Ossman's vast repertoire in coming weeks, together with his recorded performance where possible.

[Joel Hooks]

So here is a curious bit.  Published in 1899 by Stewart and Bauer it is only credited to Vess.  See attached-- in A notation.

[Shawn McSweeny]

Your 1899 banjo score tells me that S&B ignored Hylands' authorship and may have deliberately misspelled "Darkey" to muddy the waters regarding copyright.

The Clif Essex publication a few years later likewise omitted Hylands and misspelled "Darkey" the same way, suggesting it was a British notation copy of the S&B score.

[Jody Stecher]

Good news, Shawn. By all means, keep em coming. And don't worry about the surface noise. I don't think many (or any) of us are distracted or disturbed by it.  Thanks!

Shawn McSweeny said:

Hi Jody and Marc : Glad you liked this. The 1890's recordings are scarce and loaded with surface noise, but Ossman's really solid playing still comes through.

I'll be posting more pieces from Ossman's vast repertoire in coming weeks, together with his recorded performance where possible.

[Joel Hooks]

Interesting theory.  

This was included as a musical supplement in Issue #111 of the Journal.  "Stewart and Bauer" was publishing it off site at a publishing house (before Geo Bauer had is way with the company and moved it to his factory it was published on SSS presses in house).  Charles Morris was the editor (he later takes over the total publication of the journal with Fred Stewart-- shortly after Fred takes the journal to NYC and publishes it with Jos. Sterns). Associate editors are C. S. Patty, Paul Eno, C. F. Elzear Fiset and Bert S. House.

Vess Ossman had already been a regular contributor to the Journal.  In Issue 112 Ossman is included in the "Journals' Portrait Gallery of its Founder, Present Staff and Contributors" with the caption under his photo "Contributor."

If I were to draw a conclusion based on evidence, I would say the the claim of "Vess L. Ossman" came from Vess.  No retraction was published as to the authorship in later issues. Furthermore, it was advertised in later issues as a "Banjo Solo by Ossman"-- as he was still listed as a contributor he could have corrected this.

[thereallyniceman]

Wow...Wow and Wow again!

Thank you Shawn.

I have mentioned before that I had never really appreciated Ossman's playing, mainly because the reproduction quality of most cylinder recordings available on the web is dire.. but this is a real eye, and ear, opener. Ossmans' playing has such drive and attack and proves that there was a man with real classic banjo fingertips!

I don't suppose for one moment that it will, but I hope that those who insist on attempting to convince us that classic style should be played "with added sugar" will listen again to this... as, no ifs and buts, this is how Classic Style WAS played !!

I agree with you Shawn, Ossman was a genius and thank you for posting these recordings and transcriptions. I look forward to hearing more of the great Vess.  I have two heroes now...Vess and Fred :-)

Sorry for the delay, I would have replied sooner, but I have not had a great week.

 

[Shawn McSweeny]

Hi Joel

There are at least a few banjo scores out there known to have authorship misattributed to Ossman, when they are his arrangements only. Some have altered titles, some do not.. It's an issue that will come up again in my future postings.

Perhaps there are still more pieces to be one day clarified as his arrangement only, and not his composition.

 Accurately tracing the source(s) of the misattributions, whether Ossman or others, is pretty difficult at this point and one should avoid drawing conclusions from thin evidence. The best we can do is put forward suggestions or theories.

 

Hi Ian 

Great to hear that you enjoyed the recording and are acquiring a new appreciation for Ossman.

[Trapdoor2]

I suspect that 'copyright' was not taken as seriously then (for music) as it is now...and without the instant ability to research stuff that we have these days, finding and prosecuting a mis-attributation (whether intentional or otherwise) was both difficult and costly. I would imagine that unless there were large sums of money involved, nobody did a thing about it.

Heck, from what I've read, just getting paid anything from a publisher then was iffy.

[Shawn McSweeny]

Marc I suspect you're right.

[Joel Hooks]

Especially George Bauer!  Fred and Lem (and their Mother) really got the raw end of the deal from him.