In mid-1903, sales were accelerating for Edison's louder new-generation molded black wax records (replacing his individually copied brown wax cylinders).   Also, the Peerless Orchestra had enjoyed a string of hot-selling recordings.   These factors combined to help make this excellent recording – marketed as a "characteristic barn dance" – a big-seller for Edison.

As is typical of many of these early black wax recordings, the capture of the bass is relatively strong – a feature that was essentially lost by 1905 due to "improvements" in the recording process.

To hear In Old Alabama  — For help playing these sounds, click here.

To hear other examples of wax cylinders, see the

• Cylinders of the Month Archive
• Cylinder Music Shop   (Supports the preservation work of Tinfoil.com)