Dear MMDians,  First of all, I'm very pleased to hear this praise of
the new CD.  I was feeling a little discouraged for a while, but now
my confidence is right up there again.  The "new formula" I used for
recording the B.A.B. rolls has been tried out on a few Wurlitzer 165
rolls, which will make up the third volume.  I'm pleased to say that
I'll have some orchestral Wurlitzer stuff to offer you in the third CD,
but in order to complete a full length CD, there will be a few modern
waltzes.

In regards to the quality of B.A.B. music: it's there, folks.  Just
give it a chance.  There are many recordings of 165 music, but how
often do you get to hear clean recordings of B.A.B. stuff?  In light
of this new appreciation for B.A.B. music, I'm inclined to continue
recording the B.A.B. master rolls that the Malones have stashed away.
I can promise you all "Poet and Peasant Overture," "Over the Waves,"
"Beautiful Blue Danube" and many other lovely pieces from B.A.B.

You may notice that the snare drum doesn't play in CDM-2.  This is
because the B.A.B. drums differ from Wurlitzer drum action, so the
tempo is off.  It's not exactly a flaw in the roll cutting, so much
as it is the movement of the snare drum beaters.  In order to conquer
this problem and get the snare drum playing properly, I'll need someone
to donate a Wurlitzer 165 tracker bar on which I can mutilate the snare
hole to adjust the timing.  Any volunteers?

 [ I believe that the B.A.B. drums worked okay on the original 165s
 [ (fitted with the standard Wurlitzer tracker bar), therefore it seems
 [ that the problem lies solely with the snare drum.  Ask John Malone
 [ or Don Rand or Mike Kitner if the adjustments on the Wurlitzer
 [ drum might to altered to emulate the B.A.B. snare drum.  Failing
 [ that, I think Don Rand has a Wurlitzer 165 tracker bar which was
 [ mutilated long, long ago -- possibly at the B.A.B. shop, but more
 [ likely by someone who had the same problem and didn't know how
 [ to adjust the snare drum mechanism !   -- Robbie


I guess now's a good time to post the address and all that good stuff
for CDM-2.

  CDM-2: "Music Fit for a King - Vol. II"
  Time: 74 minutes
  Tracks: 26

Play list:

 1. Genesse Patrol
 2. Love Song of Renaldo
 3. Down In Toyland Village
 4. Amusement Park Waltz
 5. Blacksmith Blues
 6. Hello Young Lovers
 7. I Whistle a Happy Tune
 8. Night After Night
 9. You Belong To My Heart
10. Symphony
11. Perfidia
12. Old Timer's Waltz Medley
13. Golden Gate March
14. Under The Double Eagle
15. Official West Point March
16. Waltzing Matilda
17. Pavanne
18. Anniversary Waltz
19. Potato Bug Parade
20. Speranze Perdute - Lost Hopes
21. I Have But One Heart
22. Goodnight Irene
23. Lisbon Antigua
24. Emperor's Waltz
25. Wedding of the Winds
26. Genesse Patrol (variation)

Please send a check amounting to $12.00 made out to "Marc Elbasani"
to the following address:

  Marc Elbasani
  1476 Euclid Ave.
  Berkeley, CA.
  94708

Warmest regards,
Marc Elbasani.

P.S.  Write to the Malones !

 [ The preferred short name for the company is the initials
 [ "B.A.B." vs. "BAB".  The full name is "B.A.B. Organ Company",
 [ and the initials represent the family names of the owners,
 [ Ervista Bona, Andrew Antoniazzi and Dominic Brugnolotti.
 [ See Matthew Caulfield's article, "B.A.B. History", in
 ] MMDigest 970320, and also Bowers' Encyclopedia, page 858.
 [ -- Robbie