Tarrant Bailey Jnr. Recording. Now I know what this tune called (I think)

[thereallyniceman]

I recently purchased a Tarrant Bailey Recording that I had heard before but never knew the title of.

I had seen a Pathe Film of TBJ playing along with Geoff Sisley, but there were no title details on the film clip:

On further research I found an article on this Parlophone record F.719 in the March BMG 1937:

TARRANT BAILEY Jnr.

SIDE A “Parlotrix."

 

SIDE B  (a) "Donkey Laugh; (b) "Ad Astra "

 

As Mr. Shakespeare (?) so aptly put it: "a banjo solo by any other name is just as acceptable”. "Parlotrix" is the same number as Tarrant Bailey played in his Pathe film short with Geoff. Sisley under the title "Jazzbo and Betty" explaining its similarity to his "Jazzbo’s Holiday,'' which, to those readers who were wise enough to buy his Eclipse recording of the latter tune, should be enough to make them want this disc! It is an ear-pleasing tune played in foxtrot tempo with all Tarrant Bailev's usual clean picking and polished style, and should surely please all finger-stylists.

 

Joe Morley's "Donkey Laugh" and "Ad Astra" are on the reverse side (also played finger-style) gives T.B. a chance to show us how equally at home he is with a slow, melodic type of number and one that calls for pyrotechnicalities. He plays (with the exception of one slight "trip up") "Donkey Laugh" in a manner that would not disgrace the composer himself, whilst everyone must admit that in the faster

solo- a solo which is meant to be played fast and is not merely "speeded up” for the mere sake of showing off and demands real technical ability and lissomness of the fingers -Tarrant Bailey gives a performance that does the banjo credit."

______________________________________________

Now I know that the title is either "Jazzbo and Betty" or "Parlotrix" !!!

Here are the tracks on the record:

PARLOTRIX played by Tarrant Bailey Jnr.

DONKEY LAUGH/ AD ASTRA played by Tarrant Bailey Jnr.

Anyone spot the "deliberate" mistake???????

[Jody Stecher]

There is an oddity in the timing just before the transition to Ad Astra. Perhaps that is what is being referred to. But I would say that another mistake, deliberate or not, was to have such strident horns accompany the banjo on Parlotrix. On side B some of the accompaniment also distracts from the banjo.   I wonder what "Parlotrix" means. A reference to Parolphone?  A silly spelling of "parlor tricks?"  Or what?

[Richard William Ineson]

Parlotrix is a good tune but I don't think that it was ever published, has anyone got a copy of the music as I would like to play it and time is running out?

[thereallyniceman]

In case nobody spotted it, here is a clue:

[Joel Hooks]

Ian, is there a funny joke in the "Adstra" that I am missing?

[thereallyniceman]

Just a case of dyslexia on the part of Parlophone, I guess. I would have expected  them to check before they released the recordings!

It is obviously meant to be  Ad Astra   not   AD ADSTRA

[Joel Hooks]

Ah! Gotcha, I thought it might be a class thing that I was missing. ;-)

[Jody Stecher]

Now I'm thoroughly confused. Ian, are you saying that the misspelling of Ad Astra was the "deliberate mistake" we were invited to find? I thought this was a reference to something in the banjo playing. And if it was deliberate how could it be also a case of dyslexia?   

Joel Hooks said:

Ah! Gotcha, I thought it might be a class thing that I was missing. ;-)

[thereallyniceman]

Ah Jody... Two nations separated by a common language!

In UK English, the phrase "spot the deliberate mistake" is common.

In earlier times it implied that someone made a mistake "deliberately" so that the others could try to spot and correct it.

But nowadays it's more often used as a sort of "oops" exclamation when someone makes an actual mistake and pretends that they did it on purpose to defend it.  As in  "Yeh, I meant to do that",  just like the Parlophone printer said.  :-))

[Jody Stecher]

This proves I am a foreigner —as if that were not already evident :-)

I never would have worked that out for myself.

Thanks!

thereallyniceman said:

Ah Jody... Two nations separated by a common language!

In UK English, the phrase "spot the deliberate mistake" is common.

In earlier times it implied that someone made a mistake "deliberately" so that the others could try to spot and correct it.

But nowadays it's more often used as a sort of "oops" exclamation when someone makes an actual mistake and pretends that they did it on purpose to defend it.  As in  "Yeh, I meant to do that",  just like the Parlophone printer said.  :-))

[Brett Lowe]

Just wondering - was Parlotrix was ever published as sheet music?  

[Richard William Ineson]

I don't thinks so. If anyone has a copy of it in any form, can they post it on here as I would like to play it, and time is running out.