Source: eBay.com
Yesterday someone posted a new video on YouTube that features Adrian Rollini on both bass saxophone and the Couesnophone. The Couesnophone, AKA queenophone, AKA Goofus, was made by the French conglomerate of small musical instrument manufacturers known as Couesnon.
Most saxophone players—certainly most bass saxophone players—know that Adrian Rollini was a phenomenal bass player. However, perhaps not everyone knows of his Goofus playing ability.
In fact it is Rollini, who continues to inspire would-be Goofus players to this day. If it were not for Rollini’s fame, and the surviving recordings of his work on this curious instrument, it is likely that the Couesnophone would long ago have faded into history.
This is the history that the video’s creator provides as background to The Goofus Five recording:
In 1924 Ed Kirkeby, the manager of the famous jazz-dance band California Ramblers, formed a smaller group taken from the large orchestra to play novelties and hotter jazz numbers. At first known as the Little Ramblers on its Columbia recordings, the quintet (comprised of trumpeter Bill Moore, Adrian Rollini on a goofus, pianist Irving Brodsky, banjoist Ray Kitchingman and Stan King on drums and kazoo) also recorded for Pathe as The Five Birmingham Babies and, finally for Okeh, as The Goofus Five.
The “goofus” that Adrian Rollini played sounded like a mouth organ or a melodica but was shaped like a saxophone. The Goofus Five quickly grew to eight pieces, and Rollini played as much bass saxophone as he did goofus. At various times, other band members included cornetist Red Nichols, trumpeter Chelsea Quealey, and Ed Kirkeby as vocalist. In late-1927 Rollini and some of the other band members visited England, where The Goofus Five continued recording with less distinctive players and their style more dance-oriented than jazz. In Feb 1929 they returned to the U.S. for the final recording session, after which The Goofus Five passed into history.
To find out more about The Goofus Five, check out this article on Planetbarberella’s site. Another great source of info about the band is their page on redhotjazz.com.
If you’re interested in learning more about the instrument nicknamed the Goofus, check out the Couesnophone page on my website.
