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Jesse Crawford
Organ & Chimes At Christmas
Jesse Crawford - Organ & Chimes At Christmas - VG+ - Ultrasonic Clean - A little scruffy, calling it VG+, but it's better than that; interesting pressing! - The record has been cleaned using ultrasonic technology and is a little rough, in VG+ condition. The cover is crisp, only a VG+ because of age and/or tag residue or writing!
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Jesse Crawford
American pianist and organist, born on December 2, 1895, in Woodland, California, and passing away on May 28, 1962, in Los Angeles, California, was a prominent figure in the music scene of the early to mid-20th century. He gained significant recognition in the 1920s as a theater organist for silent films and enjoyed a successful career as a gramophone recording artist. In the 1930s, he transitioned to the Hammond organ and embarked on a freelance career. By the 1940s, he had begun authoring instructional books on organ playing and teaching organ lessons.
**Early Years** After the death of his father when he was just one year old, Crawford's mother placed him in an orphanage asylum near Woodland, California, due to their impoverished circumstances. It was in this environment that he taught himself music, and by the age of nine, he was already playing cornet in the orphanage band. At the age of 14, he left the orphanage to perform piano in a small dance band, subsequently securing a position at a silent film house that charged ten cents for admission.
Crawford's initial experience with theater organs began in 1911 at the Gem Theater and the Casino Theatre, owned by Clemmer, both located in Spokane, Washington. He then briefly played at theaters in Billings, Montana, and Seattle, Washington. During this time, he met Oliver Wallace, which introduced him to the emerging sounds of theater organs. His subsequent engagements included playing at the Strand in San Francisco and the Mission Theatre in Los Angeles.
**1920s: Silent Movie Organist** In the 1920s, Crawford gained prominence, earning the nickname "Poet of the Organ" for his ballad-playing style. In 1921, he was recruited by the Balaban and Katz theatre chain to perform on its 29-rank Wurlitzer organ at the Chicago Theatre. Following this, he became the organist at Grauman's Million Dollar Theatre in Los Angeles, where he played a large Wurlitzer theatre organ.
From 1926 to 1933, he showcased his talent at New York City's Paramount Theater, with his wife, who was also an organist, accompanying him on a twin organ console. After initial recordings for the local Autograph Records label, he made a series of popular records for Victor Records, featuring hits such as "Rose Marie," "Valencia," and "Russian Lullaby," along with other well-loved songs like "At Dawning" and "Roses Of Picardy."
**1930s: Hammond Organist** As the silent film era waned, opportunities for theater organists in movie houses diminished. In 1934, Crawford played a Kilgen organ at the Century of Progress World's Fair in Chicago, and by 1936, he had secured a position as a staff organist at NBC studios in Chicago. During the 1930s, he transitioned to the Hammond organ and began performing across the United States. In addition to numerous sound recordings, he also recorded player organ rolls on the Wurlitzer "R Rolls" system and composed original works such as "Vienna Violins," "Louisiana Nocturn," "Harlem Holiday," and "Hawaiian Honeymoon."
**Teaching and Instruction Book Author** In 1940, Crawford, who was largely self-taught, undertook formal music studies with Joseph Schillinger, a notable figure whose students included George Gershwin, Benny Goodman, and Glenn Miller. He recorded Hammond organ LPs for Decca Records and created sheet music arrangements for the Hammond organ, along with writing instructional books. Additionally, he taught organ students through both individual lessons and group lectures. His final two LPs were recorded on the Simonton Wurlitzer organ.
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Description
Jesse Crawford - Organ & Chimes At Christmas - VG+ - Ultrasonic Clean - A little scruffy, calling it VG+, but it's better than that; interesting pressing! - The record has been cleaned using ultrasonic technology and is a little rough, in VG+ condition. The cover is crisp, only a VG+ because of age and/or tag residue or writing!
- Record was initially cleaned manually, then ultrasonically cleaned with iSonic Ultrasonic Cleaning prior to grading
- Records are packaged with a poly outer sleeve, the LP is placed in a fresh white inner sleeve directly after cleaning, (we include the accompanying sleeve, we send you both), separate from the cover to protect the seams during shipment, and of course, shipped within thick cardboard insert pads in a thick cardboard record mailer.
- We offer discounted shipping on multiple records: calculated shipping for the first one and $2 for each additional one. International Buyers, please read International Buyers paragraph below.
SRO Records Record Grading Guide:
SEALED/Mint:
Vinyl: Assumed mint, unverified until opened.
Sleeve: Visible through shrink wrap, graded as above.
NM (Near Mint):
Vinyl: Nearly flawless, with possible minor scuffs or hairlines only visible under strong light.
Sleeve: Appears new, as if freshly printed.
EX (Excellent):
Vinyl: Bright, with minor surface wear and hairlines, not affecting play.
Sleeve: May have faint creases or abrasions, but artwork is clean.
VG+ (Very Good Plus):
Vinyl: Obvious wear, scuffs and hairlines, plays with some noise but no major sound issues.
Sleeve: Worn with creases, noticeable wear, acid deterioration, corner dings, chipping, and possible seam wear.
Here's the typical SRO Records line in the sand. Anything below VG+, unless it's rare, unusual or just awesome, we're NOT going to sell online, much less go through the hassle of an ultrasonic cleaning, we're going to put it in one of many $10 Record boxes that we sell at Record Conventions and events. Some will wind up in the $1 Box, just to get it back out into the world for someone to enjoy or make a planter out of.
VG (Very Good):
Vinyl: Dull appearance with many hairlines and scuffs, somehow plays with persistent noise but no skips.
Sleeve: Worn with possible seam splits and moderate ring wear.
G+ (Good Plus):
Vinyl: Numerous marks and scratches, plays with significant noise but music usually overpowers flaws.
Sleeve: Rough appearance with possible seam splits and water damage.
G (Good):
Vinyl: Copious unforgettable marks, probably a skip or jump.
Sleeve: Heavy ring wear and damage, likely large seam splits or water damage.
F (Fair):
Vinyl: It's round with nearly infinite damage, skipper gonna skip
Sleeve: It's basically what's left of the sleeve for the album
International Buyers: We charge $7 for the first record and $2 a record thereafter for Domestic Shipping in the continental United States. This only includes shipping to the International hub here in the United States. Please carefully review the total shipping and VAT charges for your order before committing to a purchase, which will be different from what we are able to view or control on the US eBay site.
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Record Testing Equipment:
Turntable:
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Ortofon VMS 20 E Mk II Cartridge
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Yamaha Natural Sound Receiver
Speakers:
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We're Not Happy Until You're Not Happy Dept.
We kid! Since 1983, we simply don't exist without happy customers; we offer hassle-free returns on all vinyl LP record album purchase that are returned in the exact condition they were sent. We cannot accept returns on factory sealed/mint new/unopened lp albums that have been opened. Please send us a message if you have any questions, concerns, or issues with your purchase; please do not open a return or an eBay case without contacting us first, we will make it right!
We are professional, quite reasonable to a fault and are ALWAYS willing to work to resolve any issue with a purchase!
Thank you for buying from SRO Records! You can catch us at the Spring and Fall Austin Record Convention, many Austin popups, so drop by and say hello to Gabi and Jeff!
