At a meeting of the Western University Memory Club in San Francisco in 1989, Townsell was approached
by Bedelia Dunsmore, a niece of John Boone. She encouraged him to investigate the music of her forgotten
uncle, commenting on the similarity of style of Townsell's playing and that of her famous relative.
During the course of intensive research into Boone's music, Frank received a grant from the
National Endowment for the Arts to record some of Boone's works for piano.
He presented the project to Laurel Record which agreed to produce this compact disc of such a musical find.
It was a privilege and a pleasure for Frank Townsell to present this unusual piano music
to the public for the first time on recording. The CD is available from
Laurel Records. Notes here provided by John Gilbert, owner of Laurel Records,
and producer of the album. The CD is also listed in the
CD Baby and
Amazon catalogs.
Frank Townsell recorded an album - Frank Townsell Plays - of works by three European composers
and African-American composer Clarence Cameron White.
Featured compositions are Schubert's Fantasy in C Major Opus 15 (Wanderer);
Chopin's Étude in A Flat Major Op. 25 No. 1 and Étude in C Minor Op. 25 No. 12;
the three pieces of Debussy's Estampes -
Pagodes, Soirée dans Grenade, Jardins sous la Pluie;
and two pieces by Clarence Cameron White, "On the Bayou" and "Cabin Song".
Recording, editing, and mastering by Sergey Bulyga.
Frank Townsell dedicated the performances on this compact disc to his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. A. V. Townsell of Kansas City, Missouri.
The CD is available from CD Baby.
Photo: Frank Townsell practicing in studio at City College of San Francisco