Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Axel Christensen, the Czar of Ragtime, gives one of his famous vaudeville monologues, date unknown, but probably around 1927.

Written by J.B. Bluford.

A rare recording of Axel Christensen's voice. This is a surviving remnant of his typical vaudeville routine, which consisted of the following, according to a 1927 promotional brochure:

'For vaudeville, where his time is naturally limited to not more than 20 minutes, his routine is usually as follows:

1. Novelty Piano Solo.

2. Pianologue – A Reminder of Bert Williams, in colored dialect.

3. Monologue – Skandinavian atmosphere in dialect and full of laughs.

4. Piano Solo – Medley of popular tunes, played in his own style, with plenty of breaks, fills and embellishments to delight the modern music lover.

5. Encore: His impression of a tobacco chewing old soldier telling a duck story.

For club entertainments this routine is lengthened out to about 30 minutes by adding a character monologue in English dialect, such as:

6. The Honorable Bassington- Bassington talks on Physiology.

7 . Monologue – Mrs. Gilhooly's experience with the bottles, in Irish dialect.

8. Piano Solo – A syncophonic version of the Overture "Poet and Peasant," or "An Alpine Storm."

For full evening programs he delves deeper into his repertoire and gives serious pianologue readings such as James Whitcomb Riley's "An Old Sweetheart of Mine" and "The River Smile." This is followed by selected piano solos, interspersed with pianologues, monologues, stories, etc., etc.

Anyway, when the evening is over you'll say you've been ENTERTAINED.'

Brochure excerpt courtesy Ted Tjaden.

More Axel Christensen:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbGAQvbfY3Z2W89jwdwoQm3BlqRl0dlvE&si=PiULqgwK9kSHIbtR