On yesterday's MMD, Jody Kravitz asked about an Ampico performance
found on Facebook.  I can shed some light on the origin of this roll.
It was one half of a souvenir roll that Dave Junchen and I collaborated
on for the 1983 AMICA convention in Chicago.  Its companion piece (on
the same label) was "The Jamaican Rhumba," by Arthur Benjamin.

Dave and I played both tunes live, on two pianos, before the AMICA
conventioneers, and then offered boxed and autographed Ampico rolls for
sale, as Robert Armbruster and I had done three years earlier (his
ChopSticks Variations).

"The Jamaican Rhumba" can be seen/heard in many places on YouTube.
Both tunes were hand-cut, months ahead of time, Dave creating the
Strauss polka, and I doing the rhumba.  We agreed on a paper speed,
with suitable compensation for paper build-up.  John Malone at Play-
Rite did the punching, boxing, etc.

The performance on a Chickering Ampico piano, via YouTube, was
playing at a tempo which was about 50% too fast, as most Strauss
fans would agree.  But this is something of a testament to the
Chickering's restoration, since I couldn't catch any obvious missed
notes or other errors, even at this blazing tempo.

Next query:  We didn't see a label on the leader.  So who perforated
the roll, and when?  Most likely it was Janet and Richard Tonnesen,
here in the Dallas area.  I had given them verbal permission to recut
any of the rolls that I had ever created, gratis.  Janet will probably
remember.  I'll ask her.

Since Junchen and I were a half-continent apart when we were doing
all this, we had to agree on a format for "Tritsch Tratsch," for the
live performance, anyway.  So, both being theater organ buffs, we
agreed on a format based on George Wright's recording.  Most organ
buffs will recognize that, especially at the end.

Bill Flynt
Dallas, TX

  [ As a young boy, the album "George Wright Encores" was my favorite
  [ in my father's record collection.  Consequently I knew the song in
  [ the video and it's probably why I was so attracted to the
  [ arrangement.
  [
  [ Thanks for posting the information.   Are copies of this roll 
  [ available or is that arrangement available on another roll ?
  [ Also, has this arrangement been released on other formats or
  [ as a Midi file ?
  [
  [ Thanks again,
  [ Jody