Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls

Recording#

Gershwin recorded these piano rolls between 1916 and 1927. Several rolls use overdubbing, so that Gershwin is in effect playing a four-handed piece solo. The final selection, “An American In Paris”, was recorded by Frank Milne in 1933. Milne worked as a roll-editor with Gershwin in the 1920s, and edited several of the rolls reproduced on this disc. So skilled was Milne as a roll editor, the liner notes suggest that he may not have actually “played” “An American In Paris” at all—in the same way that a musician can write sheet music, Milne was able to prepare roll masters by marking the lines on special graph paper that would be used as a template for the holes punched in the actual piano roll. The piano rolls were played back on a 9-foot Yamaha Disklavier grand piano, augmented by a 1911 Pianola operated by Artis Wodehouse. The Pianola allows for the operator to add “live” effects with piano footpumps and expression levers.

Reception#

Allmusic awarded the album with 4.5 stars and its review by Scott Yanow states: “George Gershwin made 130 piano rolls between 1916 and 1927. Certainly such tunes as “Novelette in Fourths,” “So Am I,” and “Idle Dreams” are long forgotten but worth reviving.”

Personnel#

• George Gershwin – piano rolls reproduced on Yamaha Disklavier DCF111S player piano
• Artis Wodehouse - Pianola (piano roll playback & artistic interpretation)
• Max Wilcox – producer, engineer