[78-L] banjo player id wanted (Ruby Brooks)

[Don Chichester]

I asked my friend Eli Kaufman, editor of the Five Stringer, for info on Brook's cylinders.  Here is his reply:
 
 
RE the Ruby Brooks- Very interesting you should raise the question about those Climax/Columbias.


Heier and Lotz  list Ossman as the artist for  some Columbia/Climax discs recorded ca. 1901. These start with # 254 and 255, and then  there are eight running straight  from 288 to 295. As it turns out I have the Climax #s 290, 292 and 293- The artist on the labels is given as Brooks and I'm pretty sure from listening that the artist is Brooks Not Ossman. So there is a good chance that all or some of  the other 7  are Brooks as well. As you know these are pretty rare records. 
   However I got a disc of Valse Blueu about 3 yrs ago. I can't seem to locate it , but I'm pretty sure it was a Columbia played by  Ossman. But since I can't find it just now  I can not tell if it is Columbia 289 in that series. According to  Heier and Lotz Ossman only recorded it 2x once as this disc the other as a cylinder??? I'll give it another shot  tomorrow and see if i can find the record. 


  So feel free to use this information, but I would appreciate credit to  me and the American Banjo Fraternity.
 
I guess no one is sure who recorded it.
 
Don Chichester
> Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2011 19:09:27 -0500
> From: dlennick at sympatico.ca
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Subject: Re: [78-L] banjo player id wanted
> 
> http://www.ask.com/wiki/Ruby_Brooks
> 
> dl
> 
> On 2/2/2011 6:43 PM, DanKj wrote:
> > Ruben Brooks - real person, yep. Dead in 1906. Good thing this Banjo book was cheap; it was in a clearance bin at Strand.
> > Unless the Columbia book is wrong, that is.
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "David Lennick"<dlennick at sympatico.ca>
> > To: "78-L Mail List"<78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2011 6:29 PM
> > Subject: Re: [78-L] banjo player id wanted
> >
> >
> >> Well, that's interesting since the Columbia Books show Ruby Brooks on Columbia
> >> matrices 254, 255, 288, 289, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294 and 295. Brooks is also
> >> listed as composer on some of these pieces so I presume he/she/it was a real
> >> person. Ossman seems to have done the later takes where both artists are listed
> >> for titles like Hunky Dory.
> >>
> >> dl
> >>
> >> On 2/2/2011 6:23 PM, DanKj wrote:
> >>> "The Banjo on Record" says it was Ossman& unknown pianist, recorded "ca. June 1901" . Same book shows no Columbia
> >>> records
> >>> by Brooks.
> >>>
> >>> Vess Ossman definitely (his name is anounced) recorded Salome for Victor around that time - maybe you can compare the
> >>> two&
> >>> recognize his style.
> >>>
> >>> Here it is: http://www.box.net/shared/4a1cv6e67s
> >>>
> >>> (Imperial Marimba Band recorded Salome on Edison Diamond Disc, much later ... a favorite record of mine)
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>> From: "Bud Black"<banjobud at cfl.rr.com>
> >>> To:<78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> >>> Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2011 4:59 PM
> >>> Subject: Re: [78-L] banjo player id wanted
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> Oly Oakley maybe?
> >>>>
> >>>> Bud
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> -------Original Message-------
> >>>>
> >>>> From: David Lennick
> >>>> Date: 02/02/11 16:27:34
> >>>> To: 78-L Mail List
> >>>> Subject: Re: [78-L] banjo player id wanted
> >>>>
> >>>> The reason I say "not Vess Ossman" is because there were several selections
> >>>> recorded around these numbers, and presumably some were remakes by different
> >>>> artists. Ossman did a couple of them but isn't listed for 294. And these
> >>>> numbers definitely fall in the 1901-1902 period. A best seller could have
> >>>> acquired a Grand Prize label after 1904. Rust lists Ossman as recording
> >>>> Hunky
> >>>> Dory" on Columbia 290 around June 1901. Ossman's next Columbia in Rust is
> >>>> 461,
> >>>> around November 1901. Anyone know who Ruby Brooks is?
> >>>>
> >>>> dl
> >>>>
> >>>> On 2/2/2011 4:19 PM, zimrec at juno.com wrote:
> >>>>> I'm a little confused. It seems you are saying that the identity of the
> >>>> performer on Columbia 294 is not known but is definitely no Vess Ossman and
> >>>> that it was recorded ca. 1901-02. However, the label mentions Grand Prize
> >>>> St. Louis 1904, so I was assuming that the recording dated from around that
> >>>> period. Does the recording date from as early as 1901-02? Art - - - - - - -
> >>>> - - - - - - - Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2011 18:27:48 -0500
> >>>>> From: David Lennick<dlennick at sympatico.ca>
> >>>>> Subject: Re: [78-L] banjo player id wanted
> >>>>> To: 78-L Mail List<78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> >>>>> Message-ID:<BLU0-SMTP853610AA6DDAAB72B44063BDE50 at phx.gbl>
> >>>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; format=flowed
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Ruby Brooks on Climax 294, unknown on Columbia and Manhattan 294. Not Vess
> >>>>> Ossman, per the Columbia books. This is from that period when dates are
> >>>> only
> >>>>> being guessed at..likely 1901-2.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> dl
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On 2/1/2011 6:19 PM, zimrec at juno.com wrote:
> >>>>>> Does anyone know identity of banjo player on Columbia 294 - Salome
> >>>> Intermezzo. I'm
> >>>>> curious also about the recording date, prob. ca. 1906-07. Art
> >>>
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