ABSTRACT
An obscure record issued in Britain (or perhaps Australia), in 1927 or 1928, with the word Kildare pasted over the Vocalion name that had marked the original release. One item is known to have had the Kildare name printed,rather than pasted, on the label. It may be that Kildare was “a continuation of the yellow-label Vocalion B series, marketed briefly after Vocalion itself was abandoned” or that the “Kildare sticker was used to disguise and thus dispose of out-of-date stock” (Rust). [Rust 1978.]
FRANK ANDREWS
American accordionist, the first to record for a commercial label, born in Brooklyn; the name is also seen as Kimble and Kimmble. His initial recording was Zonophone #5996, a 10-inch disc of “Bedelia” issued in 1904. He was the first to record his instrument for Edison, beginning with “American Cake Walk” (#9341) in 1906, and continued with that label until 1929. Victor also had many of his records, from 1907 to 1928; Columbia and Emerson also issued Kimmel performances. His recordings were issued under his own name and Joseph Kimmel, John Kimmble, Edward McConnell, and Edward Kelly. Kimmel’s recordings were very influential on an entire generation of Irish accordion players, although he himself was of German descent. Kimmel played a single-row accordion (known as a melodeon); his breathtaking speed and ability to play in a variety of keys belies the limitations of the instrument. Besides traditional Irish music, he also recorded popular marches and songs of the day. He died in Brooklyn, New York. Selections of Kimmel’s 78-rpm recordings were reissued on two LPs, Leader (in 1977; reissued on CD as LED 2060 in 1998), and Folkways RF 112 (in 1980; available on special order CD from Smithsonian/Folkways). [Walsh 1958/2.]
Country performer, most notably from 1927 to the late 1940s on network radio programs such as WLS’s National Barn Dance and WSM’s Grand Ole Opry. Born William Bradley Kincaid in Point Leavall, Kentucky, Kincaid, widely known as the “Kentucky Mountain Boy,” is perhaps best known for the publication of collections of Appalachian
folk songs. His first recording session was for Gennett in 1928; he would also record for RCA Victor, Decca, Columbia, Capitol, and various independent labels like Royale. At the height of the post-World War II folk music boom, he rerecorded spare versions (vocals with guitar accompaniment) of much of his classic material on a series of LPs for Bluebonnet, entitled Mountain Ballads and Old TimeSongs, in 1963. After retiring from performing, he owned the Morelli Music Store in Springfield, Ohio, where he later passed away. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 1971. Old Homestead recordings has reissued a CD of his late 1920s recordings (4014). The Berea College library holds a collection of Kincaid’s songbooks and papers (https://www.berea.edu/library/Special/saafindaid/saa13.html). [Wilgus liner notes. 1963.]
FRANK HOFFMANN
American flutist, born in Minneapolis. He studied in New York with George Barrère, and played in the New York Symphony Orchestra in 1914-1921. He became principal flutist of the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1921, remaining until his retirement in 1960. Kincaid recorded the Telemann Suite in A Minor with the Philadelphia Orchestra (Victor VM890), bringing early attention to that composer as well as to the flute as a concert instrument. His recording of the Mozart Concerto No. 1 with the Philadelphia Orchestra remained in the Columbia catalog into the 1970s. He died in Philadelphia.
