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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCONFREY, Zez(b Edward Elzear Confrey, 3 April 1895, Peru IL; d 22 November 1971, Lakewood NJ) Pianist, composer, bandleader. He formed a band with his brother Jim in 1915; made piano rolls; served in US Navy WWI; later played with violinist Benny Kabelski (who changed his name to Jack Benny). He played in the Paul Whiteman band; led his own band in the 1920s, often on radio; wrote hit song 'Sittin' On A Log' '34. He was best known for 'novelty' piano pieces, sometimes arranged for orchestra: 'Stumbling' '22, 'Dizzy Fingers' '23, 'Nickel In The Slot' '25: biggest hit was 'Kitten On The Keys' '24, premièred at the same concert as George Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue. Piano novelties were then regarded as the last word in jazz; they were not, but they were part of the transformation of ragtime into popular music, and an influence on jazz pianists from Dick Wellstood to Art Tatum. A selection of 28 of Confrey's pieces played by Mordecai Shehori was released on Cembal d'Amour in 2010. Among others in the 'novelty' genre were Felix Arndt (1889-1918: he died during the worldwide flu epidemic; he wrote 'Nola', one of the most famous novelties of all); Lee Sims (1898-1966, admired by Tatum), Roy Bargy (1894-1974), songwriter Rube Bloom (1902-76; he went on to write 'Fools Rush In', 'Don't Worry 'Bout Me'), and Arthur Schutt (1902-65), who played on hundreds of small-group jazz records in the '20s-30s but was a better composer than jazzman. See also Billy Mayerl. |