The early days of radio brought soft-spoken pianists into the spotlight for a short while, since they didn't overmodulate the equipment and they could play for hours. Willard Robison was mainly a
songwriter (he co-wrote "A Cottage For Sale", "Old Folks", "Wake Up Chillun Wake Up", and wrote "Don't Smoke In Bed" amongst others), but he also performed on radio and records during the mid 20's. Here
he takes the Kern-Hammerstein standard (from "Showboat") and makes it a dance number with a moderate two-beat rhythm. You're not likely to hear it this way anywhere else. This was recorded for the Perfect
label in mid-'26, using their new (and crude) electronic process. There's some distortion, and a little groove noise in the beginning, but overall it's a nice slice of history. (Two other recordings by
him are on a compilation CD available through Document Records.)
