In case MMD readers missed Vincent Morgan's comments in 070228
MMDigest posting on the CD, "Rags, Blues & Foxtrots, Played by Rare
Nickelodeons & Orchestrions," featuring instruments from the John and
Nadine Motto-Ros Collection, I'd like to add a few comments.

As a collector of automatic music recordings for 45+ years and record
review editor for the Musical Box Society in the 1960s and early 70s,
I heartily recommend this CD for anyone who likes American "nickelodeon"
music, and especially for anyone who would like to hear the difference
between several different brands and models of coin pianos and
orchestrions playing different brands of rolls.

The nice variety of instruments includes a very early Wurlitzer
Pianino, Link 2E (piano, mandolin attachment and xylophone), Empress
Electric style Y (which includes the instrumentation of a Coinola X
with xylophone and drums), Coinola C-2 (playing O rolls on piano,
mandolin, a rank of solo flute pipes and drums), Cremona G (with flute
pipes), Seeburg KT Special (piano, xylophone, mandolin and 9 other
percussion instruments), and Seeburg G.  The instruments are restored
and regulated properly and tuned well.  The acoustics are just right --
bright enough to add life to the sound, without too much reverberation.

The generous total of 35 tunes on the CD include a good variety of
ragtime ("Funny Bones Rag," "Barbed Wire Rag," "Reindeer Rag,"
"Bohemia" and over a dozen more), blues ("Ain't Much Good in the Best
of Men," "Sobbin' Blues," "Blame it on the Blues" and others), fox trots
("Somebody Loves Me," "Where's My Sweetie Hiding" and others) and misc.
tunes that don't fit into the other categories ("Grandpa's Spells,"
"King Porter Stomp," Sugar Foot Strut," "Cubanola Glide," "Oceana Roll,"
etc.).  The CD liner includes color pictures of six of the pianos.

If you've wondered what makes different brands and models of American
coin pianos and orchestrions, sound vastly different from each other,
this recording gives you a good start.  It also shows you the nice
variety of music available on various types of coin piano music rolls.
If you would like to own one coin piano or orchestrion, it will also
help you to decide which type you like the best.  I have no vested
interest in promoting the CD, but I've enjoyed playing it numerous
times, and our friend John Motto-Ros deserves credit for the nice job
he did in making some fine music available.  To order one, contact John
at <mottoros@sbcglobal.net>

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