Cylinder of the Month


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A fine xylophone solo recording, Down in Blossom Row Medley, performed by the talented Albert Benzler.

Down in Blossom Row Medley

 
Company Edison's National Phonograph Company
Cylinder # 9044
Category Xylophone solo
Title Down in Blossom Row Medley
Performed by Albert Benzler
Circa July 1905
Announcement "Xylophone solo, Down in Blossom Row Medley, played by Albert Benzler.  Edison record."
 

The xylophone recorded loudly and clearly on wax cylinders and was therefore generally a "sure thing" selling well in record shops.

Albert Benzler was, very likely, the most often recorded artist on wax cylinders - heard as an accompanist in hundreds of records, most often as the pianist, but also playing the bells, xylophone, chimes, and organ.   In addition, he was featured dozens of times as soloist, as with this cylinder of the month with Benzler on the xylophone.

To hear Down in Blossom Row Medley   —

For help playing these sounds, click here.

Notice in the Edison announcement to his dealers for this recording (below) that the tunes making up this medley had been recorded and released just prior to this xylophone solo.   Perhaps this was a shrewd promotion of those recent records, or the recording department was taking advantage of the music's relative familiarity to the studio musicians, or both.

    No. 9044, "Down in Blossom Row Medley," by Albert Benzler, is a xylophone solo, with orchestra accompaniment, introducing "Down in Blossom Row" (our Record No. 9004), "Susan Van Doozen" (our Record No. 9012) and "On a Summer Night" (our Record No. 9021).   Particular attention is called to the orchestra accompaniment, which is embellished to a high degree.
— June 1905 Edison Phonograph Monthly [announcing the July records]

                                       


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