MMD > Archives > September 2005 > 2005.09.06 > 01Prev  Next


The "Winston Band Organ"
By Bill Luca

I saw this organ around 1976 at a carnival furnished, as Bill Finch
said, by Reithoffer Shows.  This was at the Brockton (Mass.) Fair.
Although a Gavioli, the Carl Frei rebuild, in my opinion, resulted
in some modification of pipework, yielding more of a "Dutch" type of
sound.  This evaluation was tinged by the fact that the instrument
didn't seem to be playing all that well that day.

The machine was generally cared for and operated by Alphonse
("Frenchie") St. Germaine, a popular 'carny' character who was known
in show circles to have had a lifelong affinity for band organs.
At some point, if I recall correctly, Frenchie had the organ fitted
with duplex Wurlitzer 165 rollframes.  I think I heard that this was
done by Max Nowicki, with whom Frenchie was well acquainted.  And
I believe its ability to play from cardboard music was also retained.

I think I have that vinyl LP record somewhere.  If I can find it,
I'll send anything of interest contained in the liner notes.

Bill Luca
Salem, Massachusetts


(Message sent Wed 7 Sep 2005, 05:49:52 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

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