Re: What Is It ? It's a BAB.
By Bob Conant
In a message dated 96-11-14 03:13:10 EST, Mr. A.B. Bonds writes:
> When I lived in Berkeley, CA I would regularly make a Sunday pilgrimage
> up to Tilden Park to watch the merry-go-round and listen to the organ.
> It runs off of a double-roll tracker bar frame, appears as though
> O-rolls are used, although this installation does not look original.
> I asked the folks that worked there from time to time and the only
> authoritative replies (in that the words sounded right) were that it
> was a "B & B" from Brooklyn or a Gavioli or a Gavioli reworked by B & B
> or some combination of those alternatives.
Dear Mr. Bond,
From Bowers' Encyclopedia we read that "In the United States the B.A.B. Organ Company (operated in New York by Messrs. Borna, Antoniazzi and Brugnolotti) converted many Gavioli and other organs to play B.A.B. paper rolls when cardbard music, which did not lend itself to mass-production techniques, became too expensive to produce."
B.A.B. also produced music books as well as the rolls for various organs and was in the business of refurbishing organs and generally providing service to the amusement industry. They operated from the 1920's to 1957 in Brooklyn, NY. Much of the music on B.A.B. rolls was arranged by J. Lawrence Cook. They were characterized by more solos and countermelodies than was generally found on Wurlitzer rolls. Unfortunately, B.A.B. rolls were characterized by sloppy rhythmic connections between repeated choruses and by note errors. Big Gaviolis, Limonaires, Gebruder Bruders, Wilhelm Bruder Sohnes and Ruths lost much great music when converted to either B.A.B. or Wurlitzer rolls and most of the old book music was discarded. This and more information is available in Reblitz' "Treasures Of Mechanical Music".
In view of the above, it is likely that the Tilden Park organ is a Gavioli that has been converted to the B.A.B. paper roll system.
I would be interested to hear more about the B.A.B. company if others on the MMD are familiar with them. I would also like to hear others' opinions of their music.
Bob Conant
Endicott, NY |
(Message sent Thu 14 Nov 1996, 17:14:19 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
|
|
Mechanical
Music Digest™ Archives
