Vocalstyle Music Company Explained
The Vocalstyle Music Company of Cincinnati, Ohio was one of the foremost manufacturers of piano rolls.[1] Founded around 1906, they were the first company to conceive of the idea of printing song lyrics on the piano roll so they could be viewed and sung as the music played. They patented this idea and collected royalties from all other music roll companies that printed lyrics.
They had a huge stable of artists, and jazz legends Jelly Roll Morton,[2] [3] Clarence Jones, and Luckey Roberts[4] were probably the most prominent of their visiting recording artists. Other prominent musicians who recorded for Vocalstyle include Amanda Randolph, (Mandy Randolph-The Yellow Dog Blues, by W. C. Handy in 1919, Vocalstyle roll # 11562)[5] [6] who in later life became a well-known television actress, Art Gillham, and Ernest Ball.
They were purchased by the QRS company[7] in 1926, and ceased operations in 1928.
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Vocalstyle piano roll seals and 1920 trade ad. Mechanical Music Digest. 17 October 2010.
- Web site: Vocalstyle Co. Completes "Jelly Roll" Morton Series. 16 June 1924. Music Trades. 17 October 2010.
- Web site: "Jelly Roll" Morton's Series In Vocalstyle Lists. 7 June 1924. Music Trades. 17 October 2010.
- Web site: Luckey Roberts Rolls. bluesrolls.com. 17 October 2010.
- Web site: Search for "Randolph" at website's Piano Roll Artists Database. pianola.co.nz. 17 October 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110629133102/http://www.pianola.co.nz/rollscans/rollscan_search_results.asp. 29 June 2011. dead. dmy-all.
- Web site: MIDI file of Mandy Randolph-'Yellow Dog Blues'. pianola.co.nz. 17 October 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110629133117/http://www.pianola.co.nz/rollscans/midi/TheYellowDogBlues(1919)_Vocalstyle-11562_MandyRandolph.mid. 29 June 2011. dead. dmy-all. (RealPlayer)
- Web site: Piano Rolls For Sale. QRS Music. 17 October 2010.
