[78-L] James Reese Europe "Hellfighters"

[Tim Brooks]

Jeff,
I know some others have weighed in on this, but the two 1996 Europe CD reissues are a classic example of the perils of pitching. It's pretty apparent (IMO) that there was no standard correct speed, and that individual issues differed.

Brad Kay writes in the liner notes to the Memphis Archives CD that he used 83.5 rpm (apparently for most or all of the sides) and cites the reasons why. The IAJRC issue doesn't say, but I compared it with original issues when it came out (I have a turntable with a digital speed readout) and seem to recall finding speeds in the 75-80 range--unfortunately I can't find my notes so don't have exact speeds at hand. You can also compare track timings. "Memphis Blues" runs 2:38 on the MA but 2:56 on the IAJRC - that's about 10% slower. So if MA was using 83.5 then IAJRC was at about 75 rpm.

I checked Europe sides reissued on New World and Folkways LPs years ago and they appear to have been transfered at 80-82 rpm. By way of comparison, I recently read a detailed essay on the speeds
of the Wilbur Sweatman Pathes (1917) which claims their speeds are
between 77-79 rpm.

So bottom line you're on your own. Personally I think mid to upper 70s (IAJRC) is more likely in this case - but what do I know?

Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:49:49 -0400
From: Jeff Sultanof <jeffsultanof at gmail.com>
Subject: [78-L] James Reese Europe "Hellfighters"
To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>

I am starting a brand new project that will probably take a little while,
and I want to get off on a good start. So I am getting information from the
one group that can really help.

The project involves transcribing, arranging and adapting music for concert
band from the era 1840-1920, much of which has not been available in many
years. Such names as Francis Johnson, Arthur Pryor, Ford Dabney and James
Reese Europe are involved. The sources will be recordings, old sheet music
(usually piano arrangements), and old instrumental arrangements (which would
need to be adapted for modern instrumentation). I will probably arrange
these for concert orchestra as well. I have a publisher for all of this, the
same one publishing my historical big band scores.

The issue involves the Hellfighters recordings. As we all know, they were
recorded by the infamous Pathe label. As we also know, all 24 recordings
were reissued in two separate CD editions. The approach to remastering was
totally different for each set, and this raises a particular problem with
regard to two of the sides which were reissued on the Actuelle label
(according to Rust): That Moaning Trombone and Memphis Blues. Both of the
sides on the Memphis Archives set sounds rather frantic; the IAJRC set
reissues these sides at a slower speed, changing the key of both pieces.

This brings up a series of questions, since both sets were remastered by
people whom I consider authorities: Brad Kay and John R.T. Davies. At what
speed were these recorded at? What is the 'normal' playback speed of Pathe
vertical cut discs? Was there a difference in speed for Actuelles? Assuming
the Actuelles were dubbed from a Pathe and not the large master cylinder,
would that account for the difference in speed, or did John R.T. think as I
did that the Pathe's sound frantic and were recorded at a slower speed?

I realize that many of these questions may have been answered in different
contexts in books and articles, but anything anyone knows or is aware of
would be helpful. It has been suggested that I contact Maurice Peress about
this since he re-created the Europe Carnegie concerts, but Mr. Peress tends
to be territorial and considers Europe his turf, an attitude I've
encountered repeatedly with regard to George Gershwin and Gil Evans (as if
people 'own' this music), so I am coming to you first.

Thanks in advance,
Jeff Sultanof


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