singers

Alfred A. "Al" Bernard (1888-1949) was an American vaudeville singer, known as "The Boy From Dixie", who was most popular during the 1910s through early 1930s. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Bernard became a blackface singer in minstrel shows before starting his recording career around 1916.   Bernard composed and recorded more than 100 songs in the first three decades of the 20th century.   He was one of the first white singers to record blues songs.   W. C. Handy credited Bernard with helping his own career by recording a number of his songs, notably "St. Louis Blues".  Bernard recorded the song for nine different record labels, the most successful being what Handy called "the sensational Victor recording in which he sang with the Dixieland Jazz Band". For a brief period in the early 20's Bernard was teamed with Jimmy Durante and wrote the lyrics for "Papa String Bean" for Durante.  He teamed up with the ragtime composer J. Russell Robinson in a vaudeville team called the Dixie Stars and they recorded songs together for a number of famous labels.  Bernard usually sang while Robinson played the piano and added some vocals. Together they composed a number of hit songs including "Blue Eyed Sally" and "Let Me Be The First To Kiss You Good Morning".   Excerpted – [1] [2]

He was recording for Victor starting in 1919: adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/talent/detail/1835/Bernard...

Unidentified so far, see www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/49997965513/ and www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/49998736677/

I tried to look at the score on the piano using the high-res TIFF. All I could tell was that it seems to be vocal music.

Found: Nellie (1889-1979) and Sara Kouns, sometime billed as the Kouns Sisters, "Mirror Voiced Sopranos". www.45worlds.com/78rpm/artist/nellie-and-sara-kouns adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/325776... www.miles-shute-kouns-families.com/getperson.php?personID... Performing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoKOMXYZe_I New York concert, 1921: timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1921/04/29/98678615... 1922 Article with photos: worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Site-Early-Radio/Archive-Wi...

Art Siegel : Well done!

Thanks. A piece on them, with photo, from The Topeka State Journal, February 04, 1922, referring to them as "Topeka's two daughters." chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82016014/1922-02-04/ed-...

Please update her entry in Wikidata when you identify her: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q100701088

Found: Nellie (1889-1979) and Sara Kouns, sometime billed as the Kouns Sisters, "Mirror Voiced Sopranos". www.45worlds.com/78rpm/artist/nellie-and-sara-kouns adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/325776... www.miles-shute-kouns-families.com/getperson.php?personID... Performing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoKOMXYZe_I New York concert, 1921: timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1921/04/29/98678615... 1922 Article with photos: worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Site-Early-Radio/Archive-Wi...

Richard Norton Was for some reason unable to put in Nellie Kouns' dates of birth and death. From www.miles-shute-kouns-families.com/getperson.php?personID...

See

The Kouns Sisters www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107222179