Features and Reviews
Joseph F. Lamb: A Biography
By Russell Cassidy
Part VI
It was shortly after this (1949) that Rudi Blesh's and Harriet Janis' refusal to accept a "Joplin Pseudonym" theory for Lamb's rags led them to the re-discovery of Joe Lamb during research for their definitive book, They All Played Ragtime.
"He (Blesh) was trying to trace me around the localities where ragtime prevailed. He tried to locate me on the coast, in New Orleans and other southern points, in St. Louis, Chicago and even in New York. In checking in the copyright office in Washington, they happened to find two songs I wrote which had a Brooklyn address, so when they found me in the telephone book, they thought that rather than phone they better come around and find out. It was a good thing they did, because I would have been suspicious if someone had called and said he wanted to include me in a book on ragtime." Blesh could scarcely have expected to look for a top ragtime composer in that quiet middle-class neighborhood near Coney Island, far from the ragtime capitals of the past. Lamb was amazed that anyone would still be interested in anything that had happened so long ago, and especially that they would be interested in him personally. Of this period, Mrs. Lamb wrote: "Joe played and composed all the time, but didn't write things down. Some of his rags he had (composed) in 1949 before Rudi's book, but that really started him playing the piano and composing in earnest...and putting his compositions on tape."
Publication of They All Played Ragtime brought about a series of new friends interested in the subject during the following decade. On this Joe replied, "I enjoy getting letters from people I don't know because they are all interesting and are all different, and because they are all of a common interest and one that has gone pretty deep into my system. They all bring back very pleasant memories of 40-odd years ago when rags were rags and not swing, jazz or be-bop, although I like them all." Among these friends was jazz pianist and piano roll authority Mike Montgomery, whose article, "A Visit with Joseph Lamb," appeared in Jazz Report (Dec. 1957). Through Mike, Lamb's address was learned, resulting in a three-year correspondence by the author and Trebor Tichenor, during which Joe obligingly answered, in lengthy detail, multitudes of questions, and for good measure, many questions not asked!
Montgomery had brought out the fact that although many of Lamb's rags had been cut on piano rolls, Lamb had never cut any himself, and, being out of touch with the music business, had never recorded any of his music. Several of his friends had urged him to consider recording, but a hearing impairment often distorted the sound from his piano and made practice discouraging.
In 1958, while in search of material for a proposed Joplin record album, it was brought to the attention of Sam Charters of Folkways Record Company that the sole survivor of classic ragtime's "Big Three" might be somehow persuaded to make a documentary record, and that, in fact, such a record ought to be done for its historical value. Lamb had already been convinced that recordings of his rags should be made, but in his characteristic modesty, was not convinced that he himself should be the pianist.
The following account details some of the events which eventually led to the only recording known to be made by one of early ragtime's giants: ...(Dec. 1958) "Some day...I'll drop in on Charters. Maybe he can do something about an album of my rags whether I play them or not." (April '59) "I have been in touch with Mr. Asch of Folkways, who asked me to come in. I explained the trouble with my hearing, and that I was pretty much out of practice..." (July '59) "Sam and Ann Charters have been our guests a few times...Sam is anxious to record my rags and I hope that in spite of my hearing, I'll be able to go through with it. I should have kept up my playing all these years, but how could I ever anticipate anything like this? Ann played several rags, including 'Ethiopia,' and it was the first time I ever heard it played by anyone else. I told them that maybe she should make the recording instead of me. Sam wouldn't have it because it has to be played by the composer. I may surprise everybody some day...if I do I'll be surprised myself." (Sept. '59) San and Ann were here several times during our work on the record...in all, about 15 rags. The sessions lasted from about 3:00 to 9:00 p.m. with time out for supper. It was around 90 degrees all the time, and what with the heat, etc., I got so tired toward the end that I couldn't play anything right. The record, which he calls a documentary, will contain ten rags as well as a few questions and answers pertaining to the subject. "Alaskan Rag" and "Cottontail Rag"...were not yet put on paper when you were here and are maybe six or seven years old. The others are all Stark publications." (Feb. '60) "...the record is out. It is entitled 'Joseph Lamb: A Study in Ragtime.' "
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