[ Jules Shaffer wrote in

> Subject: Identity of QRS 100465 played by Max Kortlander
>
> Hi, folks.  I downloaded the MIDI file of Bob Pinsker's QRS 100465
> "mystery" roll [040126 MMDigest], and while enjoying listening to
> it (it's an excellent arrangement!) it occurred to me that I had
> heard that song somewhere before.  Took me a while and some
> head-scratching to recall exactly where I had heard it and what
> the song is, but eventually I was successful.
>
> I have it on a recording of Bill Black's Wurlitzer 125 band organ,
> and the title of the song is "She Is The Sunshine Of Virginia."
> It's from about 1916.

Dear folks:  Jules Shaffer is absolutely right!  Excellent tune memory,
Jules!  The tune is indeed "She Is the Sunshine of Virginia", words by
Ballard Macdonald, music by Harry Carroll (the writers of "The Trail
of the Lonesome Pine"), and it was published by Shapiro, Bernstein &
Co. in 1916.  The sheet is available at the invaluable Lester Levy
Collection site (Johns Hopkins).  Kortlander's roll is in the same key
as the published arrangement (E-flat).

It seems that most of the time on word rolls the arranger did the song
in the same key as the published arrangement, presumably for those
musically literate (and possessing perfect pitch!) and sensitive souls
that wanted to sing along in the same key as they learned the song
in from the sheet.  It seems to me that on instrumental rolls ("For
Dancing") like this one, though, the roll arrangers did not feel bound
to stick to the same key as the published arrangement, since this
reason did not apply.  But Max did in this case, anyway.

This must not have been a very popular roll, as Terry Smythe found that
it was not listed in the 1922 QRS Dealer's catalog, and it's not in the
1925 catalog either.

Thanks to Terry for his efforts, and to Jules for his wonderful musical
memory!

Best regards,
Bob Pinsker
San Diego, Calif.

 [ Hear the QRS piano roll at the MMD Sounds site,
 [ http://mmd.foxtail.com/Sounds/  -- Robbie