The Ivory Bridge: Piano Accompaniment on 78rpm Recorded Sources of Irish Traditional Dance Music America c. 1910-1945 A dissertation submitted for the Degree of Masters of Arts in Ethnomusicology by Aileen Dillane University of Limerick 2000 To my two grandmothers, Nora Dillane and Eileen O'Shaughnessy List of Plates, Figures, and Musical Examples v Notes on Transcriptions VI Acknowledgements VB Abstract V111 Introduction: Origins of Topic 2 Sources 2 Methodology 3 Responsibilities: Limitations and Personal Contribution 5 Solidifying My Conceptual Approach 8 From Process to Product: Outline of Thesis 10 Chapter I: IRISH TRADITIONAL DANCE MUSIC Culture, Landscape & Tradition 15 Harmonic Consciousness 16 Harmonic Accompaniment in Irish Traditional Dance Music 20 Music, Culture and Landscape 23 Harmonic Precedents Within the Tradition 30 Harmonic Precedents Outside the Tradition 37 Conclusion 45 Chapter 11: THE SYMBOLIC PIANO From Parlour to Podium - Victorianism to Modernism 49 The Piano as a Symbol 50 The Piano-Based Culture of America 54 The Piano and the Church 56 The Piano as a Female Instrument 57 ii The Piano as a Machine 63 Consumer Culture 66 The Player Piano or Pianola 67 Conclusion 72 Chapter Ill: NEGOTIATING SPACE & IDENTITY Tenements in the Grooves and the 'Other' Becomes 'Another' 75 Embracing the Hyphen 78 Tenements in the Grooves 85 Irish and Popular Music in America 89 Vaudeville 91 Black Vaudeville 92 Tin Pan Alley 94 Ragtime 96 Sound Recording 102 Conclusion 103 Chapter IV: SOUND RECORDING AND PROFESSIONALSIM Ebony Disc, Ivory Key, Ethnic Sounds 108 The Early Recording Industry 110 Recording Irish Traditional Dance Music 111 Survey of the Professional Irish Music Scene c.1915-1945 115 The Addition of the Piano to 78rmp Recordings 120 Resultant Sounds 126 Old Repertoire, New Complexion 129 Regional Styles, International Sounds 131 Conclusion 133 III Chapter V: THE ACCOMPANISTS Microcosms, Manifestations, Shaded Faces 136 Piano Vamping Style 137 Constituents of the Piano Vamping Figure 138 Microcosms 141 Selected Accompanists 141 Joe Linder 141 Ed Geoghegan 147 John Muller 151 Dan Sullivan 153 Ed Lee 159 Tom Banks 163 The Female Accompanist 168 Della McMahon 169 Kathleen Brennan 172 Conclusion: Decline of the Piano 178 Influence of the 78rpm Recordings 178 Ireland's Reluctant Piano 180 The Context of the Piano as a Bridge and a Mediator 183 Reassessing Vamping Styles 184 Tonality Revisited 185 Approaches to Vamping 186 Conclusion 187 BIBLIOGRAPHY 190 DISCOGRAPHY 206 iv No. Title. Page No. Plates: 1.1 Celtic Spirals and Circles 27 1.2 Carpet Page from the Book of Durrow 28 2.1 Pianola Advertisment - Easy to Play 70 2.2 Pianola Advertisment - For All the Family 70 3.1 Racist Cartoon 83 4.1 Playing at the Leitrim House Social Club 118 4.2 The Four Province's Orchestra 119 4.3 Tuxedos and Dickey Bows 121 5.1 Joe Linder and John Kimmel 144 5.2 Della McMahon and the Tom Carmody Band 170 Figures: 1.1 The Henebry Scale 34 1.2 The Uilleann Pipe Regulators 34 3.1 Table of Irish-born living in the USA, 1850-1941 80 5.1 Basic vamp figure in a reel and ajig 140 5.2 Basic harmonic movement in a major key 140 5.3 Basic harmonic movement in a minor key 140 Musical Examples: 1.1 Turlough 0 Carolan's "Concerto" 35 1.2 Moore's "Silent, Oh Moyle" arranged by Stevenson 39 1.3 Moore's "Silent, Oh Moyle" arranged by Stanford 40 1.4 George Petrie's "A Munster Jig" 44 3.1 Scott Joplin's "Original Rags" 100 3.2 Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" 100 5.1 Joe Linder 145 5.2 Bd Geoghegan 149 5.3 John Muller 154 5.4 Dan Sullivan 156 5.5 EdLee 160 5.6 Tom Banks 164 5.7 Kathleen Brennan 173 v Conceptual Approach In the discussion of the musical content of transcriptions, I use a comparative method. While ethnomusicology has, to a certain extent, moved away from primarily musicological approaches, I feel that such a method functions as a helpful tool in my research. I do not want the conceptual aspect of my work to be influenced entirely by the American school for the following reasons. Speaking about a tradition of music from Western Europe compels, even morally obliges me, to look to the European school as well as the Irish academic tradition - both of which tend to be more formalistic in nature. Despite its somewhat isolated location on the north-western tip of Europe, Ireland has been exposed to the musical practices of the continent for centuries, especially since the Baroque era. The use of the comparative method acknowledges this presence of certain musical elements from the European tradition in Irish music. Almost paradoxically, the imposition of structural aspects of Western harmony to a 'non-western' melodic music seem to make the use of the comparative method unavoidable if system incongruities and discrepancies are to be highlighted. Therefore, a formalist approach, through the use of the musicology method, proves beneficial, especially when combined with a contextual approach. Practical Approach I encountered problems when making the transcriptions for which I was obliged to compensate. While I am happy that the bass line and rhythmic figures of all the examples are accurate recreations of the recorded experience, I must acknowledge that the voicing of chords in the right hand did cause some difficulty. The noise distortion in certain musical examples often made it impossible to hear the true voicing of chords. Where it became impossible to transcribe without any doubt, I drew on my own experience both as a traditional piano accompanist and classically trained pianist as a means of compensating for these technical difficulties. The resultant chords, therefore, are sometimes interpretations as opposed to unequivocally accurate, literal representations. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with my approach since all of these transcriptions are functional illustrations of individual stylistic piano accompaniment techniques. vi My thanks must go, first and foremost, to my mother and father whose love and unfailing support guided me through this and all of my journeys - you are the best. Thanks, too, to my sisters Deirdre and Noreen for their encouragement and generosity, and especially to Fionnuala whose conscientious editorial pencil invariably put me on the right track. I am grateful to my supervisors Prof. Micheal 6 Siiilleabhain and Dr. John Morgan O'Connell for their constructive criticism and direction throughout this project, and their support for my future endeavours. Thanks to all in the IWMC who offered advice and encouragement, especially George (Georgette Mulheir) who kept me going during those dark middle days. Finally, Nicholas Carolan and the staff of the Irish Traditional Music Archive deserve a special mention for their continual support and assistance. This is where I first met Harry Bradshaw without whom this thesis would not have been possible. Harry was essentially the main informant for this work and his knowledge, wisdom, and insight suffuse the following pages. vii THE IVORY BRIDGE: -,Piano Accompaniment on 78rmp Recorded Sources of Irish Traditional Dance Music, America c.1910-1945 by AiIeen Dillane Master of Arts in Ethnomusicology University of Limerick 2000 Professor Micheal 6 Suilleabhain Dr. John Morgan O'Connell This dissertation is concerned with the polyvalent symbolism of the pIano and its manifestation in 78rmp recordings of Irish traditional dance music early in the twentieth century in America. Irish dance music was conceived and practised in its original rural Irish context as an unaccompanied, melodic form whose clear purpose was that of accompaniment to the associated dance figure (I). On being introduced to America by immigrant Irish communities, the music did not seem to resonate within this new urban landscape, reflecting the geographical, social and cultural displacement of the music's practitioners and audiences (Ill). One way in which the Irish negotiated their ideological space and ethnic identity was through music. Irish traditional dance music was mediated by the piano, initially a symbol of Victorian ideals representing prestige, morality, economic status, and high culture. This symbolism was replaced by a more contemporary interpretation, one that embodied the mechanical complexity of the modern industrial age (11). The addition of the piano to Irish records imbued the music with these associated characteristics. The 78rmp recordings of Irish music with piano accompaniment thus become a social, historical, and musical record of these experiences in 1920s America (IV). Within the three-minute grooves of each recording the manifestations of emigrant experience in this multi-cultural, populist, modern, and capitalist society are encountered (V). The piano, the ivory bridge, is shown to have acted as a mediator between Irish identity and mainstream American culture on a number of interrelated levels. viii In order to understand why a music structure exists as it does, we must also understand how and why the behaviour which produces it is as it is, and how and why the concepts which underline that behaviour are ordered in such a way as to produce the particularly desired form of organised sound. (Alan Merriam 1963:7) Origins of Thesis Topic Many years ago, when I first heard a track from an old 78rpm record of Irish traditional music featuring Sligo fiddler Michael Coleman (1891-1945), I was swamped with conflicting feelings. I To my ears the sprightly fiddle playing was undoubtedly brilliant if not virtuosic but the accompanying piano vamp sounded terribly wrong, both rhythmically and harmonically." Coleman, one of the greatest and truly revered musicians of the tradition, did not seem to be aware of the cacophony he and his accompanist were making." The unnamed piano player sounded completely unrehearsed, or else appeared to have no real insight into the music he was accompanying.