The Minstrel Show, as hugely popular an entertainment form as it was in the last half of the 19th century, was beginning to die out after World War One - this is the only post-WW1 Minstrel Show recording I have in my collection, and while not the best
example of this genre it does serve as a counterpoint to the earlier recordings of Minstrel Shows. While still adhering to the rigid form of the show, it is certainly less derogatory than earlier examples were. The cast is Steve
Porter, Ed Meeker, George Ballard and (the unmistakable) Billy Murray. This was recorded for Edison Labs on February 26, 1919, and was the first of three takes of this number (take "A"). It is not a good recording; the balance between performers varies
greatly, and the orchestra is distant and "off-horn" (as opposed to "off-mic"). It made for a difficult audio restoration, as the program-to-noise ratio was nearly 1:1 in some spots, but the results are certainly an improvement on the original. (More
recordings by the Premier Quartet can be heard at the UCSB Special Collection.)
