Stomp Off 1001 - Dickbaker.org

Schaefer also made connection withAnderson, but Anderson has nothing.The copyright isMerry makers twine; words and melody byD. C. Nelson. © 1 c. Dec. 22, 1926; E654704; Chicago music pub. co., inc.,Chicago.Is this King Oliver’s nephew Dave Nelson?Yes, Dave Nelson’s full name is Davidson C.Nelson, so looks good. And yes, label of“Olga” says composers Joe Oliver-D. C.Nelson.--3>2013 review: Rec. Lovie Austin 8/26,Paramount 12391. Couldn’t find label, but LCSONIC has two reissue 78s, neither of whichlists a composer credit, so I doubt theParamount did either. Which is perhaps whyMike Durham reported no apostrophe on thatbut didn’t mention a composer credit. Thecopyright reg. will have to serve.But when I google for that title I do keeprunning into the credits we started with, C. A.Nelson or N. C. Nelson and Billy Mack., butmost seem to be associated with reissues ofthe title in Johnny Dodds collections. Notably,the one site that seems discographic, and oneI’ve found before but can’t quite figure out—copyrightencyclopedia.com—also sayscomposed by D. C. Nelson.Aha, Bill Haesler weighs in with more info: Hequotes Max Vreede’s very compellinglyresearched Paramount discography, sayingthe credit on the Paramount was indeed N. C.Nelson-Billy Mack. He also includes a veryrough scan of the label, which could well sayN. C. Nelson and Billy Mack.As to my “who the hell is Billy Mack?”question, he has that answer too:Chris Hillman, Ron Middleton and RichardRains, in the booklet "Dave Nelson andOthers" (Cygnet Productions), suggest that . . .Dave Nelson, probably mis-typed N.C. on theParamount label, is connected with the LovieAustin recording because of "his knownconnection with [wait for it] Mack's MerryMakers show, of which Henry Williams[vocalist on “Merry Makers Twine”] was amember. The Merry Makers played at theMonogram Theatre from June 14 1926 - thesame date as the Okeh Clarence Williams'[Chippie Hill] sessions above." It seems thatDC Nelson led the Merry Makers stage bandat this time.But what about Billy Mack, you ask?“When Jelly first came there,” she toldRussell, “he was with a little shownBilly Mackand Mary Mack, from New Orleans. MaryMack always carried a little four-piece bandwith her show, and Jelly played in this band.”Billy and Mary Mack (shortened from McBride)had a traveling show from 1908-1959 whichthey called “Mack and Mack,” not to beconfused with “Mack's Merry Makers” (whichwas led by Thomas Mack, a trumpet playerfrom New Orleans). Their specialty was NewOrleans music. Mary McBride (nee Thacker)was born in Algiers, Louisiana, and sang theblues. “Mack and Mack” were popular at theMonogram, and would settle in Chicago in the1930s, as did many other New Orleansmusicians that [Lovie] Austin, herself asouthern migrant to Chicago, met and workedwith on TOBA or while playing for acts at theMonogram and other theaters."The above reference to Thomas Mack, maybe incorrect, as other reliable sources (and aChicago Defender advert I have) tie Mary andBilly Mack as 'owning' the "Merry Makers.Tom Lord, in his Clarence Williams'discography, says [in part]:MACK, Billy (vocal) part team of Billy andMary Mack which toured with group known asMack's Merry Makers....Billy apparently was in charge of producingthe shows.Further checking also finds Billy Mackinvolved with Clarence Williams and otherOkeh recordings. (Incidentally, I have all theBilly and Mary Mack records on CD.)So: Dave Nelson, on the assumption (basedon copyright) that N. C. Nelson was a typo forD. C. Nelson, and that D. C. Nelson is Dave.Billy Mack because most of the secondarycitations name him and because of his clearconnection to Dave Nelson.Merry Widow Rag (Eubie Blake)John Gill 1066Looks like Eubie recorded this “live” for a QRSpiano roll (CEL-125) but that may be a reissueseries number). Perfesser Bill lists it as aBlake composition, but has no date, says“unpublished or uncopyrighted.” Obviouslyand admittedly a travesty on Lehar. Severalsources say “issued in 1974,” which I thoughtunlikely, but Robbie pointed out that the oldQRS marking piano was restored in 1972 andproduced new “hand-played” rolls byLiberace, Peter Nero, Ferrante & Teicher,George Shearing, Roger Williams . . . andEubie Blake.Mesa ’Round [Road Apple Rag](Turk Murphy)West End JB 1085Minstrels of Annie Street 1272Independence Hall JB 13862013 review: Note directly above writtenbefore 1386 was released with Road AppleRag!Well, I’m torn. It’s all well and good to knowthat originally Turk called it, informally, “RoadApple Rag,” but that fact is that he “published”(i.e., recorded) it as “Mesa ‘Round” in 1951. Itdidn’t get recorded under the title “RoadApple Rag” until the Natural Gas JB did so in1979. I couldn’t find a copyright under eithertitle, but I’ll look again at LC. If I don’t find acopyright for this in 1951 as “Road Apple,” wemust leave its primary location here at “Mesa’Round.”Also—for what it’s worth—in Turk Murphy:Just for the Record, by Turk and Jim Goggin,they devote more than four pages todiscussing the July 10, 1951, recordingsession that produced Little John’s Rag,Minstrels of Annie Street, Bay City, and Mesa’Round, but Mesa ’Round doesn’t getmentioned once. If Turk had any lingeringpassion about being “forced” to change hisRoad Apple Rag to Mesa ’Round, surely he’dhave brought it up.Mess-a-Stomp (Andy Kirk–John Williams)Keith Nichols Dreamland Syncoptrs 1150Back Bay Ramblers 1262Both records credit Mary Lou Williams.Rec. Andy Kirk, 11/729, Brunswick 4694, A-500162; Vocalion 3255. Again 9/9/38, Decca2204, M-30204; Brunswick 02707, A82000.Credit on first Brunswick and Vocalion labelsfor the 11/7/29 recording is just Williams.Oops, the copyright:Messa-a-stomp; melody by Andy Kirk andJohn Williams. © 1 c. July 3, 1930: E unp.24462; State Street music pub. co., inc.,Chicago.John Williams played reeds in Kirk band, washusband of Mary Lou, and was composer ofmany tunes in his own right, including many ofthe others rec. by the Kirk band at that sametime. I think Mary Lou’s a screw-up becauseshe later became more famous as a composerand arranger. And Frank Powers’s liner notessay that though it appeared under the name ofJohn Williams and his Memphis Stompers