Charles P. Lowe was an American xylophonist who made numerous recordings in the early days of the recording industry.
In 1883 Lowe was featured in a series of concerts at West End, New Orleans directed by Gustav D'Aquin.[1] Lowe was a featured performer in New York theaters in the 1880s, including Huber's Prospect Garden (1884).[2]
Lowe first recorded for the New Jersey Phonograph Company in 1892 and remained the most prominent xylophonist in the recording industry's formative years.[3][4] He recorded for most American record companies in existence before 1905, including 21 titles for Berliner Gramophone between 1897 and 1899,[5] Columbia cylinders (pre-1900 - 1905) and discs (1902 to 1905),[3][5][6] Edison cylinders,[7] Victor Records from 1900 to 1904,[3][5] and numerous recordings for Zonophone between 1900 and 1903.[5] His last recordings were made in 1905.[3]
Lowe played xylophones with rounded bars in order to ease the execution of glissandi.[8] His rolls were played in a faster style than was to be common later.[8]
He was married to contralto Jacobine Wichmann Lowe, who performed as "Miss Jottie"[3]
References
edit- ^ Baron, John H. (2013). Concert Life in Nineteenth-Century New Orleans: A Comprehensive Reference. LSU Press. p. 12. ISBN 9780807150849.
- ^ Clinton, George; Odell, Densmore (1970). Annals of the New York Stage: 1882-1885. AMS Press. p. 537.
- ^ a b c d e Frank Hoffmann, ed. (2004). Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound. Routledge. p. 1260. ISBN 9781135949501.
- ^ Walsh, Jim (March 1966). "Favorite Pioneer Recording Artists: Early Zon-o-phone Record Catalogs Part II". Hobbies. p. 36.
- ^ a b c d "Charles P. Lowe (instrumentalist : xylophone)". Discography of American Historical Recordings. University of California Santa Barbara. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ Laboissonnière, Guy; Settlemier, Tyrone; Sage, Glenn (April 12, 2012). "COLUMBIA (USA) "XP" cylinders: 32500 - 33000 series Numerical Listing". Online Discographical Project. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ Walsh, Jim (January 1967). "A March, 1901, Catalog of "Concert" Cylinders part III". Hobbies. p. 36.
- ^ a b Singer, Jonathan (2017). NOODLING CHANGES: THE DEVELOPMENT OF XYLOPHONE IMPROVISATION IN NEW YORK CITY (1916-1942) (PhD). The City University of New York.