Belle of Louisville

Composer: Frank French

Arrangement: John Roache

Performer: John Roache

(comments and copyright by John Roache)

Here is "Belle of Louisville" written in 1990 by contemporary ragtime performer/composer Frank French. David Thomas Roberts describes this piece as follows: "Belle of Louisville is an eloquent example of the contemporary folk ragtime that has become so much a part of the New Ragtime spectrum. For all its drive and high-kicking extroversion, Belle exhibits some wistful moments and much longing, especially in the first two sections. Note that the B strain not only chromatically grows out of the A (as do the other sections), but that subsequent sequences in B correspond to the descending chromatic passage (G, Gb, F) in bars 6 and 8 of the A theme, establishing the rag's yearning character. This title is derived from Frank's experience with riverboats."

ABOUT THE MIDI FILES: There are 2 MIDI files in this archive:

BELLE.MID is a stereo midi which uses pan controller instructions to place each note in a stereo spectrum. Lowest note at the far left and the highest note far right. All the rest somewhere in between depending on their pitch. It sounds just like you were sitting in front of a player piano.

BELLE_M.MID is the same performance with all the pan controller in- structions removed. I discovered that some FM synthesis sound cards cannot handle pan controller calls correctly. Most of the notes play in the center of the two channels with an occasional high note playing far right and a few low notes playing far left. This is very unnatural sounding and if your sound card is this type, use this file which will play OK.

This MIDI was sequenced with Cakewalk Pro on a SoundBlaster AWE 32 sound card. Your sound card may not reproduce bass notes with the same intensity as the AWE. If this is the case, the balance between the Right Hand part (Track 1) and the Left Hand part (track 2) will need to be adjusted. Load the file into a sequencer and edit the track volumes according to your taste and sound card.

ABOUT THE COMPOSER: Frank French graduated from the San Francisco Music Conservatory and studied classical music in Vienna. He is a featured performer at ragtime festivals across the US and Canada and is co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Ragtime Festival in Boulder, Colorado. Frank has recorded several tapes and CD's and published sheet music portfolios of his original compositions. All of which are available by mail order: SHEET MUSIC: "Bucktown Buck" is a tribute to Jelly Roll Morton and the boys who hung around old Bucktown. It will challenge the most experienced performers and must be played in medium bucktime. cat. no. SM3 Price: $4.00 postage paid.

"Eight Original Piano Solos" Includes "Belle of Louisville", "Inter- mezzo", "New Oriental Darktown Strut", "Merengue", "Oh Zez", "Preclarus", "The Western Drouth", and "Tricky Licks" cat. no. SM1 Price: $15.00 postage paid.

AUDIO CASSETTE TAPES: "James Scott's Ragtime" Volumes 1 & 2 This digitally mastered cassette contains sixteen of James Scott's Rag- time classics played by Frank French. Included on VOLUME 1 are: Frog Legs, Quality, Great Scott, Troubadour Rag, New Era Rag, Don't Jazz Me, Efficiency Rag, Grace and Beauty, Victory Rag, Ragtime Oriole, Sunburst Rag, Paramount Rag, Evergreen Rag, Hilarity Rag, Peace and Plenty, and Climax Rag. VOLUME 2 includes On The Pike, Honeymoon Rag, Princess Rag, Rag Sentimental, Broadway Rag, Prosperity Rag, A Summer Breeze, Ophelia, The Ragtime Betty, Dixie Dimples, Modesty Rag, The Fascinator, Kansas City Rag and Pegasus Rag. The package includes extensive notes on the music and composer by Eric Marchese. cat. no. FF112 & 113 price: $12.00 each postage paid.

COMPACT DISKS: "LA BAMBOULA" This new compact disk by Frank French contains music in the New World tradition, beginning with Louis Moreau Gottschalk and proceeding to the present day. The music of Hal Isbitz and Frank French included here is representative of the Ragtime and Latin Tinge pieces of today, and compliments the selections from the 19th century. Also included is a rare piece "Le Congo", composed by J.A.Dawson and published in New Orleans in 1869. Superb recording quality of the Bechstein concert grand piano makes for full range of expression in a program of music just over one hour in duration. cat. no. AFF 1012 Price: $17.00 postage paid.

"MORE AMERICAN SOUVENIRS" This compact disc contains more New World Music including music of Jelly Roll Morton, Ernesto Nazareth, James Scott, David Thomas Roberts, and Frank French. Titles include Belle of Louisville, Honky Tonk Music, The Crave, Mississippi Brown Eyes, Labirinto, Texas Fox Trot, Hilarity Rag, At Midnight, Vemca Branquinha, Memories of a Missouri Confederate, Levee Revels, The Alaskan, Ouro Sobre Azul, and Climax Rag. cat. no. AFF 1011 Price: $17.00 postage paid.

ORDER FROM:

FRANK FRENCH P.O. BOX 4034 BOULDER, COLORADO 80306

========================================================================= ABOUT THE PERFORMER: My name is John Roache. I am an amateur ragtime enthusiast living in Torrance California. I have been playing piano and keyboards for almost 50 years. I began creating ragtime computer music in the mid- '80s on the Commodore-64 using the SIDPLAYER music composition program. In 1994, I discovered the power of MIDI and have been sequencing ragtime, stride and swing music since then.

I would be pleased to hear any of your comments about this midi. Address e-mail to JohnRoache@aol.com.

Also visit my WWW home page to download more of my MIDI sequences: http://members.aol.com/ragtimers