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Sook And Blaw : Melodeon, Harmonica And Concertina Classics From 1907 To 1935

By Various Artists


  1. Irish Waltz Medley
  2. The Atholl Highlanders
  3. Ane
  4. The Buchan
  5. The Muckin‘ O’ Geordie’s Byre
  6. Lady Mary Ramsay
  7. Highland Wedding
  8. Irish Medley
  9. Cock O’ The North
  10. Roll Her On The Hill
  11. The Buchan Foxtrot
  12. Father Flynn
  13. Monymusk
  14. March, Strathspey And
  15. The Middy March
  16. The Sword Dance
  17. The Inverness Gathering
  18. Twa
  19. American Medley

Five comments

Old timers, but sooo good !

A nice compilation of old 78 rpm recordings from 1907 to 1935, with :
on Harmonica : Donald Davidson, William Kemp, James Andrews and the Aberdeen “Silver City Harmonica Band”,
on Concertina (english…): Georges Smith Harris,
on Melodeon : Alec Bisset, William Powrie, William Hannah, Peter Wyper, Jimmy shand (one of his first recordings…), Daniel Wyper, Georges “Pamby” Dick

Issued by Ythan Music Trust, Vintage Recordings, YCD03

Mostly Scottish… but these vintage remastering are great ! Topic issued in 1978 a vinyl called “Melodeon greats”, with remastered recordings of the beginning of the 20th century : the interpretation hasn’t aged a bit… seems that people like the wyper brothers played 2 row button box, C/C# (that can bring another discussion on the merits of different tunings….B/C, C/C#,C#/D, D/D#….)
the LP is Topic 12T376… but i dunno if it’s been reissued on CD…

Sigh ~ we can but hope that eventually the Topic catalogue, and RTE’s and the BBC’s archive recordings will eventually find air again to inspire us all…

“Sook And Blaw : Melodeon, Harmonica And Concertina Classics From 1910 (07) To 1935”

Ythan Music Trust, Aberdeenshire - YCD03

Review: Keith Chandler - 16/12/2001
http://www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/sook.htm

Musicians / Instruments / Source Recordings

_1. ) Alec Bissett - melodeon / Robert John Smith - hammer dulcimer / James B Andrews - piano
circa January 1931; Beltona 1651; Better Than an Orchestra 12T320

_2. ) Donald Davidson - harmonica
October 1929; Beltona 1499

_3. ) William Powrie - button accordion / unknown - piano
probably June 1932; Beltona 1855

_4. ) George Smith Morris - English concertina / William S Morris - piano
mid August 1931; Beltona 1753

_5. ) William Hannah - melodeon / probably Patrick Cadden - violin / unknown - muted trumpet, piano
1925; Parlophone E 3153

_6. ) Peter Wyper - melodeon / probably James Wyper - piano
November 1907 (probably the 18th); Columbia D 202

_7. ) Donald Davidson - harmonica
October 1929; Beltona 1497

_8. ) James Shand - button accordion / Margaret Low - piano
circa early 1935; Beltona 2229

_9. ) William Kemp - harmonica
circa late 1933; Beltona 2020

10. ) Daniel Wyper - melodeon / unknown - piano
11 October 1926; Imperial S 107

11. ) George Smith Morris - English concertina / William S Morris - piano
mid August 1931; Beltona 1753

12. ) Peter Wyper - melodeon / probably James Wyper - piano
November 1907 (probably the 18th); Columbia D 211

13. ) Donald Davidson - harmonica)
October 1929; Beltona 1497

14. ) William Powrie - button accordion / Ian Powrie - violin
11 May 1933; Beltona 2041; VotP 7 First I’m going to sing you a ditty TSCD657

15. ) James Andrews (‘The British Champion’) - harmonica / Harry Hudson - piano
between 11 and 22 December 1930; Beltona 1619; Better Than an Orchestra 12T320

16. ) George ‘Pamby’ Dick - melodeon / Dave Roth - piano
mid 1918; Guardsman 898

17. ) Donald Davidson - harmonica
12 or 13 August 1931; Beltona 1716; VotP 14 Troubles they are but few TSCD664

18. ) William Powrie - button accordion / unknown - piano
probably June 1932; Beltona 1855; VotP 13 They ordered their pints of beer & bottles of sherry TSCD663

19. ) The Silver City Harmonica Band: members unknown - multiple harmonicas, piano, bass drum
probably 1933; Great Scott A 235