Harry Reser:Crackerjack banjo

Subject: Harry Reser:Crackerjack banjo
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 24 Oct 00 - 03:25 PM

I hid this away as an aside in the "types of banjo" thread. Perhaps it needs an airing in its own right?
I have a cassette of this name featuring HR doing virtuoso rags, blues and novelty numbers (like "Kitten on the keys")on tenor(I assume) banjo with a piano accompanist. I gather from the notes he lived till mid-1960s (recordings were from 1920s-30s) wrote guitar and banjo instruction books and ended in pit orchestras of Broadway theatres.
In my ignorant opinion he sounds up there with Osman and Van Epps but I've not heard of him in any of my jazz reference books or mentioned here by the banjo fraternity.
Any opinions or information?
RtS

Subject: RE: Harry Reser:Crackerjack banjo
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 24 Oct 00 - 05:20 PM

Hi Roger (you can be my pen pal any day of the week)

Harry Reser...up there with Ossman and Van Epps? You bet yer toad in the hole he is! Course remember they played Five string and Harry played Plectrum banjo usually. (Plectrum has a long neck and is tuned to an open G chord, rather than in fifths like the tenor)

He was lightening fast, a huge vaudeville star and I guess is rarely mentioned in jazz circles, because what banjo player is? They mention Eddie Condon 'cause he was a historian. Lonnie Donnegan 'cause he became famous WITHOUT the banjo. Eddie Lang for the same reason and Eddie Peabody 'cause he had Xmas lights on his banjo! Louis St Cyr and Danny Barker get mentioned (6 string banjoists) 'cause of their association with Satchmo. Oh and only three people in the universe besides us know who Vess Ossman was.

Harry spent the last 20 years of his life as a broadway "pit musician" and croaked during Hello Dolly (or something) with guitar (no banjo by then) in hand.

Rick

Subject: RE: Harry Reser:Crackerjack banjo
From: Metchosin
Date: 24 Oct 00 - 06:27 PM

I must be one of them, I have a copy of a recording here by Vess Ossman playing Whistling Rufus from 1899. Looked him up recently for my brother, as this was one of the songs my grandfather played. But I don't know of Harry Resser. Are there recordings by him still available? I am still looking for a better recording (less noise, of the song)

Subject: RE: Harry Reser:Crackerjack banjo
From: Metchosin
Date: 24 Oct 00 - 06:37 PM

And Mcgrath is right. This place has some wierd synchronicty going on, I was just listening to Vess's recording again last night.

Subject: RE: Harry Reser:Crackerjack banjo
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 03:53 AM

In the car on the way to work today I was listening to a mixed tape I'd recorded from LPs some years back. I had Wes Montgomery's "Willow weeps for me" followed for contrast by the Wilbur De Paris band featuring a stonking banjo feature on "The world is waiting for the sunrise". Must check when I get home who was on the banjo. The cassette by Reser" Crackerjack Banjo" I picked up either at Asman's near Leicester Square tube or Ray's Jazz & Blues Record Shop some years ago. I haven't seen anything else by him.
RtS

Subject: RE: Harry Reser:Crackerjack banjo
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 04:42 AM

I can also claim to be one of the few who are aware of Vess L. Ossman as I have somewhere an LP compiled from original cylinder recordings.
I also had some form of instruction book for Banjo written by Harry Reser. I expect I still have it, but unfortunately neither the LP or the book are not at my current address, so I cannot check out what they contain.
If I manage to call in on the 'folks' I'll see if I can locate them and might be able to provide additional information.
Quack, GtD.

Subject: RE: Harry Reser:Crackerjack banjo
From: GUEST,King Street Smith
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 06:09 AM

For a biography of Harry Reser plus a number of recordings listenable in Realplayer go to www.redhotjazz.com. For a selection of cassete recordings of banjo players of that era, including Reser, go to www.halshawmusic..co.uk Also a CD of Reser on YAZOO CD1048 available from www.redlickrecords.com YAZOO also have a Roy Smeck CD.

Subject: RE: Harry Reser:Crackerjack banjo
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 06:26 AM

Thanks KSS. The All Music Guide has a few additions to the sleeve notes I have as well.
RtS

Subject: RE: Harry Reser:Crackerjack banjo
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 11:20 AM

I was lucky enough to snag a used Harry Reser LP about 20 years ago -- by accident; it just looked interesting. What a wonderful discovery!

Bat Goddess

Subject: RE: Harry Reser:Crackerjack banjo
From: John Hardly
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 01:37 PM

If there are a few fans of plectrum and tenor banjo out there check out Ric Lovelady. He was a featured "hot pick" in the Elderly Instruments recordings catalogue.--John

Subject: RE: Harry Reser:Crackerjack banjo
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 03:44 AM

The Wilbur De Paris' banjo player I mentioned above was Eddie Gibbs. This morning my tape had among others, Django's Nuages and Osman's St Louis Tickle.
RtS

Subject: RE: Harry Reser:Crackerjack banjo
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 11:24 AM

Damn Roger, I was wrong! Us "Vess" fans are legion! Actually I left out one of the very best..and he's someone I've played with dozens of times. Toronto's Tim Allan is a superb tenor player. Think he has a couple of recordings.

Rick

Subject: RE: Harry Reser:Crackerjack banjo
From: Metchosin
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 11:27 AM

Rick, do you know of any more recent recordings of the song Whistling Rufus?