Mellotronists

In my piano class I have been trying to get my instruction veerd 
towards the Great American Ragtime sound.. In doing so I found a 
little history that was lost until reciently. Rick, if you know of the 
following please let me know what you think. Well I stumbled on some 
old piano rolls of James P. Johnson dated 1921 - 1929(The Charlston 
and more)!!!! The father of Stride, the teacher of the great Fats 
Waller and Duke Ellengton.. From what I've been reading it all comes 
down that the movement he started had much more impact to the world 
than anything we know of regarding modern music. It's difficult to put 
my self in that time but listing to these lost rolls one can hear 
music that must have been on hold until today! (the history tells how 
his name was forgotton partially due to his work and inflence on 
Gershwin) On ebay I also found a old "Push Up" which was the 
predecessor to the player piano invented in Detroit. You push this 
large unit up to any piano and it uses the suction pumps to activate 
"servos" if you will to play the piano. I wish I could get it but it's 
in Ohio..   Anyway these songs are now available on CD on the 
Tradition Records label by Rycodisk. The CD is called James P. Johnson 
Running Wild 1921-1926. 
Ches #997