Obit: Max Morath (1926-2023)

Subject: Obit: Max Morath
From: GUEST,Wally Macnow
Date: 22 Jun 23 - 09:16 AM

Max Morath (1896- 6/19/2023) was the single most influential individual in the revival of Ragtime music in the United States beginning in the 1950's. I believe it was the inspiration for Nonesuch Records to record Scott Joplin's works in the 1970s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Morath

Subject: RE: Obit: Max Morath
From: gillymor
Date: 22 Jun 23 - 01:16 PM

Thanks for posting this, Wally. I have his "Max Morath at the Turn of the Century" LP and played it to death back in the 70's. While my chums were listening to the Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers etc. I was listening to Max, Leon Redbone, Jellyroll Morton and some of those Kicking Mule ragtime guitarists. That LP was an education as well as a great listen.
Btw, you have his birth year as 1896 while Wiki has it as 1926.

Subject: RE: Obit: Max Morath (1926-2023)
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 22 Jun 23 - 10:20 PM

So sorry to hear this. May he rest in peace!

I've enjoyed his work over the years - he did an amazing
series for public television in the early years, including
a program on the popular songs of WWI.

His earliest recordings on the GOLD CAMP label.
Many records for VANGUARD.
If anyone is interested I can list others.

GOLD CAMP:

October 1, 1926
biographical information from liner:

great grandfather - PALMER climbed Pikes Peak in 1876
grandfather - on Cripple Creak board of trade
father - Fred, founder AdAmAn Club, annual New Year's Eve climb Pikes Peak
mother - Glad, Society editor, Colorado Springs Gazette,
               played piano for silent films, Princess Theater, Colorado Springs

1944 graduated High School
KVOR announcer
influenced to play piano Dean Elliott
1948 A.B. degree, English, Colorado College

Stanford - study Television ???
made records in Texas       ???
Actor with ORVIS GROUT's CIVIC PLAYERS

married Norma Loy (Imperial Hotel acting company 1953-54)

daughter c.1955 KATHY

From 1959 to 1961 Morath wrote, performed, and co-produced 26 half-hour television programs for PBS, then NET (National Educational Television). The programs were produced by Rocky Mountain PBS in Denver (then known as KRMA Channel 6) and were fed nationally to the public broadcasting network.





GOLD CAMP RECORDINGS RMM-1001/1002          10" LP 5/51 RED jacket, green translucent vinyl
[Box 592, Manitou Springs, Colorado]            45rpm EP ???
liner: Marshall Sprague
Cover design by Herman Raymond

MAX MORATH plays and sings at the Gold Bar Boom Piano
IMPERIAL HOTEL CRIPPLE CREEK, COLORADO
liner Marshall Sprague
Geo.Marvin, traps

RMM-1001                                 
Imperial Rag (Morath)
I Love Girls (Dodd)
The Sunshine of Paradise Alley (Bratton-Ford)
Row, Row, Row (Jerome-Monaco)
Original Rag (Joplin)
RMM-1002
Bird in a Gilded Cage (Von Tilzer-Lamb)
Why Do They Always Say "No" (Nelson-Pease-Davis)
Maple Leaf Rag (Joplin)
He'd Have To Get Under (Leslie-Clarke-Abrahams)
Comrades (McGlennon)



GOLD CAMP RECORDINGS KCMS-1091/1092       10" LP 4/56 YELLOW jacket, yellow translucent vinyl
                                     *       45rpm extended play
Volume II, summer 1956                  
KCMS-1091
Gold Bar Rag (Morath) *
Take Back Your Gold (Pritxkow-Rosenfeld)
Come After Breakfast (Smith-Burris)
Sweet Georgia Brown (Casey-Bernie-Pinkard) *
KCMS-1092
Hard-Hearted Hannah *
Gay Nineties Medley
   The Sidewalks of New York
   The Band Played On
   Sweet Rosie O'Grady
Take Your Girlie To The Movies (Wendling-Leslie-Kalmar)
I Love Girls (Dodd) *




GOLD CAMP RECORDINGS KCMS 1129/1130 [FPA 5/57]            LP 1957 yellow vinyl
* Available also on 45 rpm extended play
      
MAX MORATH plays and sings at the mighty gold bar piano
Imperial Hotel, Cripple Creek, Colorado, 1957
liner: Marshall Sprague
recording info C.M."Bud" Edmonds
Cover Design by Don Willis

Side I
Lies (Harry Barris)
Ace in the Hole (Dempsey, Mitchell)                         *
Row Row Row (Jerome, Monaco)
How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm? (Donaldson, Lewis, Young)
Gold Bar Rag (Morath)
Tearjerker" Medley:
   She May Have Seen Better Days
   When the Garden of Roses Has Turned into Thorns
   She is More to be Pitied Than Censured
A Bird in a Gilded Cage (H.Von Tilzer, Lamb)

SIDE II
Wang Wang Blues (Mueller. Johnson, Busse)
Bedelia (I Wanna Steal Ya) Jerome, Schwartz)                *
Take Back Your Gold (Rosenfeld, Pritzkow)                   *
Spaghetti Rag (Lyons, Yosco)
Take Me Out to the Ball Game (Norworth, A. Von Tilzer)       *
The Curse of an Aching Heart (Fink, Piantadosi)
Music for the Melodrama (Morath).




DOES ANYONE HAVE THE FOLLOWING RECORDING on the "San Francisco Records" label ???????????????????

Billboard Mar 2, 1957
MUSIC FOR MOOCHERS, GOLD DIGGERS, AND CATTLE RUSTLERS
Talking Machine TM-4
This is an engaging-and satirical-
package reproducing the saloon music
of the Gay Nineties-Western style,
Max Morath, who pounds the mighty
Gold Bar Pianola at the Imperial
Hotel, Cripple Creek, Colo., was re-
corded in all his tinny and enthusiastic
glory with portable equipment.
The tunes-like "Take Back Your
Gold," "Curse of an Aching Heart,"
etc.-are interspersed with hiccups of
the beery listeners and lusty conversa-
tion of gay ladies. A novelty pack-
age. Moderate sales indicated.

TALKING MACHINE TM4 Music for Moochers, Gold Diggers and Cattle Rustlers   LP 1957
BARBARY COAST   SLP/BC-33004 Moochers, Gold Diggers and Cattle Rustlers    LP 1959, 1960
Max Morath, mighty Gold Bar pianola, Imperial Hotel, Colorado Springs.
liner: Marshall Sprague & Al Levitt
cover design Don Willis
recorded by Bud Edmonds, owner operator KCMS-FM Manitou Springs, Colorado

A1 Gold Bar Rag
A2 Take Back Your Gold
A3 Spaghetti Rag
A4 Memories
A5 How You Gonna Keep 'em Down On The Farm
A6 Lies
A7 Medley: Sidewalks of New York ; And the band played on ; Sweet Rosie O'Grady
B1 Curse of An Aching Heart
B2 Twelfth Street Rag LABEL: Tiger Rag
B3 Daughter of Rosie O'Grady
B4 Bird in a Gilded Cage
B5 Sitting On Top of the World
B6 Wang Wang Blues
B7 Silent Movie



GOLD CAMP RECORDINGS KCMS-1147/1148             LP 1958
                                  * available on 45 rpm extended play
HONKY-TONK IN HI-FI      ""Max's 4th ragtime record""
Imperial Hotel Cripple Creek, Colorado
MAX MORATH at the Gold Bar Room piano.

liner notes: Marshall Sprague

KCMS 1147
I Want a Doll *
The Vindicator Rag *
Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway
Joe Howard Medley
    I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now?
    Goodbye, My Lady Love
    Honeymoon
    Hello, Ma Baby
Raw Gin
When the Saints Go Marching In
KCMS 1148
Dill Pickles Rag *
Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home? *
Waltzes You May Have Forgotten
    Mother Was a Lady
    Little Annie Rooney
    Sunbonnet Sue
Cheyenne (Shy Ann)
Maple Leaf Rag
Peoria



GOLD CAMP KCMS 1168/1169                         LP 1959
For the 1959 Imperial Hotel Melodrama Season Gold Camp Recordings proudly present
MORE MAX MORATH
KCMS 1168
St.Louis BLues
Much Obliged To You
Saloon
The Anatomy of the Tearjerker
Crazy Bone Rag
Heaven Will Protect the Working Girl
KCMS 1169
Oceana Roll
Come after breakfast, bring your own lunch
Grace and Beauty Rag
Alexander's Ragtime Band
Waltzes that Willy undoubtedly waltzed to
Car-Barlick Acid


Thomas.