When my wife and I traveled to Mexico in 1971 one goal was to find a
copy of Rollo Mexico 1208, "Maple Leaf Rag".  As it turned out I did
find a copy, and I bought it from Senor Ledoza himself.

His shop was located in a small alley in Mexico City.  I had done
a lot of asking for 'Rollos para pianola' to track him down.  His
1971 card gives the address: Articulo 123 No. 5, Mexico D.F.

Everything was in a small two room store.  The front was filled with
hundreds of used rolls of all brands, including a large selection of
Duo-Art rolls.  I didn't speak Spanish and Senior Ledoza didn't speak
English.  I was too stupid to think about securing the services of a
translator.  We managed to 'understand' each other quite a bit, even
with our language difficulties.  Shared interests...

I bought the five or six jazz-related rolls in his stock and I saw
the perforator and a master making machine.  Senor Ledoza had been
employed by Rollos Mexico and had bought them out when they went out
of business.

In the early 1970's John Malone told me that his firm, Play-Rite,
had purchased all of the Rollo Mexico roll making equipment, primarily
to eliminate possible competition with another roll maker.  Senor
Ledoza retired in the early 1970's.

As far as the Rollo Mexico "Maple Leaf Rag" roll is concerned,
pianist Marty Eggers told me that the arrangement is very similar to
a band stock arrangement done by pianist Elmer Schoebel in the 1920s!
I wonder if Robbie will agree with this?

Ed Sprankle
Oakland, CA

 [ I trust Marty's ears.  My Rollo Mexico roll, "Profundidad",
 [ also follows a 1928 band 'stock'.  -- Robbie