Moving to a more general area ....
So, I've got some stuff in the mail! Brief titles and descriptions:
*
The Modern Dance Saxophonist (1929), by Henri Weber. It's a method book. Published for piano, violin, clarinet, trumpet, saxophone and
tenor banjo. Features things like how to "moan" on the saxophone -- hey, I can make the
audience moan, as soon as I start playing! (Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Try the veal. Tip your waitresses.)
* Undated, but probably from the late '20's/early '30's Carl Fischer music catalog. Interesting read. For instance, there are 11 pages of saxophone music and
one entry for the Sarrusophone. OK, two if you count the fingering chart (50 cents).
* 1927 piano chart called "Blame it on the Two Black Crows." A "Worth Weil" chart from Milton Weil Music Co. Inc.
* July 1928 edition of Buescher's
True-Tone Musical Journal (for the promotion of interests of musicians and music). Cover pic (black and white) is of a flapper playing a Buescherphone (looks like a Sousaphone; there's an article on it in the Journal) and a dog howling. Five cents a copy, fifty cents a year. (Edit: just Googled. Someone's selling this same edition. Check
this out. There are a few issues of the Journal on eBay.)
'Course, because I'm more interested in instrument research than music research, I opened the Journal first. Some of the highlights of this 24-page Journal:
* Paul Ash becoming director of the Paramount Theater.
* Death of
Herbert A. Wiedoeft, brother of Rudy Wiedoeft (yes, that's the name of a Holton sax model). Several pages are devoted to him.
* Lots of fun letters to the editor.
* Couple pages devoted to new instruments: True-Tone metal clarinets (three models), the aforementioned Buescherphone and the [HASHTAG]#212[/HASHTAG] trumpet.
Things of interest:
* It has been said, in many places, that Buescher did not produce high-pitch saxophones. I think you can extend this to "all woodwinds," but not the trumpet or other brasswinds.
* I've noted that the contrabass saxophone alternative offered by Conn was the Eb contrabass Sarrusophone. I had heard, a long while ago, that Buescher's alternative was the Eb contrabass Rothophone, but I couldn't find any documentation. Well, the Journal gets us closer to that: there's a couple pages of used instruments sold by Buescher. You've got a nice selection of alto, baritone and bass Rothophones from Bottali (bass is $90).
* I mentioned used instruments.
Clarophone, anyone?
* Hmm. A used curved Selmer Bb soprano ... in high pitch. I'd
assume that it's one of the stencils made for Selmer, like a Couesnon, but that's intriguing.
I'll see what I can do about getting this scanned without destroying it in the process. It's in good shape, but is kinda fragile.
