"Talking to the Moon"

by B.A. Rolfe and his Palais d'Or Orchestra

George A. Little and Billy Buskette wrote this in 1926, and this version of it was performed by one of the better orchestras to record for Edison Labs, headed by B.A. Rolfe. Louis Armstrong considered Rolfe to be one of the better trumpet players he'd ever heard. Rolfe recorded this for Edison on May 17 of 1926. Going back and forth between Spanish and two-beat Jazz motifs, this arrangement allowed for Rolfe to roam the stratosphere which he does once he gets going. The disc from which this was sampled had been played a fair amount, judging from the spindle tracks on the label, though it was treated very well and played on good equipment so the incredible fidelity of this record was not ruined. The overtones of the banjo strings can be heard in the quieter parts if you listen closely. (The other side of this record, "Bye Bye Blackbird", can be heard over at the "Aardvark Mastering" site.)
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