Vess Ossman

Vess Ossman

Source: Classic Banjo

Banjo player, Vess Ossman, was born on 21 August 1868 in Hudson, New York. Ossman attained such popularity upon the turn of the century as to tour England in 1900 and 1903, where he also recorded. He later performed and recorded in the Ossman-Dudley Trio with Audley Dudley and Roy Butin, after which he formed his own dance band, the Singing and Playing Orchestra. His greatest upcoming rival was banjoist Fred Van Eps, ten years younger.

Ossman's first recordings were produced on "phonograph" cylinders which invention preceded that of phonograph discs in 1888 by Emile Berliner. The phonograph cylinder had been invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison, not to play music, but to record and reproduce telegraph messages, then to record and reproduce communications via telephone, the telephone invented in 1880 by Alexander Graham Bell.

As for Ossman, Bill Edwards at Rag Piano has him recording 'Washington Post March' and 'Love's Sweet Honor' in October and November of 1893 toward North American Phonograph 757 and 798 respectively. MusicBrainz and RateYourMusic have those issued the same year. He shifted over to Edison in 1886 before his initial recordings on disc for Berliner in 1897: 'Jolly Darkies' (457), 'In Old Madrid' (463), 'Narcissus' (464), et al. His most popular issues per Music VF were 'The Old Folks Home' and 'Coon Band Contest' in 1900. Per below, Ossman supplies apt examples of ragtime during the first decade of the 20th century, when it was in full bloom with straw hats, as interpreted on banjo. Which includes 'Maple Leaf Rag', a composition by Scott Joplin to which many would point upon being asked to choose a title representative of the period. Among Ossman's favorite titles to put to disc was 'The Colored Major' of which he did numerous versions. Among the old flat discs below, find a couple cylinder recordings.

'Stars and Stripes'   Vess Ossman   1897

Recorded 9 Oct 1897 ?    Issued on Berliner 470

Composition: John Philip Sousa   1896

'Whistling Rufus'   Vess Ossman   1899

Recorded 25 April 1899 in NYC    Issued on Berliner 092

Composition: Kerry Mills

'A Ragtime Skedaddle'   Vess Ossman   1900

Recorded 18 April 1900 in NYC or Philadelphia    Issued on Berliner 01209

Composition: George Rosey

'The Colored Major'   Vess Ossman

Recorded Nov 1901    Issued on United Record 232

Composition: S. R. Henry

'The Darkies Awakening'   Vess Ossman   Recorded 1904   Issued on Columbia XP 32443

Composition: G. L. Lansing

'Buffalo Rag'   Vess Ossman

Recorded Dec 1905   Issued on Columbia 3360

Composition: Tom Turpin

'The Motor March'   Vess Ossman

Recorded Oct 1906   Issued on Columbia 3569

Composition: George Rosey

'Maple Leaf Rag'   Vess Ossman

Recorded March 1907   Issued on Columbia 3626

Composition: Scott Joplin

'Dill Pickles'   Vess Ossman   Cylinder

Recorded August 1908 ?   Issued on Indestructible 838

Composition: Charles Johnson

'Powder Rag/Dope'   Vess Ossman   Cylinder

Recorded sometime 1909   Issued on US Everlasting 1398

Composition: From Charles Johnson's 'Powder Rag' of 1908

'St. Louis Tickle'   Vess Ossman

Recorded Sep 1909   Issued on Columbia 4919

Composition: Theron Bennett

Ossman recorded prolifically up to his last sessions for Columbia in 1917, though he continued to tour such as hotels (few huge stadiums in his days) in the Midwest while living in Dayton, Ohio. Edwards traces Ossman to as late as 1 May '17 for 'He's Just Like You' (Columbia 77018), 26 Nov for 'Policy King' (Columbia 77381), and 14 Dec for 'Old Dog Tray' (Columbia 77578) and 'The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane' (Columbia 77579). Ossman died in Fairmont, Minnesota, six years later of heart attack on December 7, 1923, following a performance.