Stomp Off 1001 - Dickbaker.org

Mule Walk, The [Mule Walk Stomp](James P. Johnson)Tom McDermott 1024Louis Mazetier & François Rilhac 1218Baker 2011 afterthought: Well, if he recordedhimself under a different title, we must showthat as an alternate title here the way we’vedone with so many others, especially JellyRoll.2013 review:1. At Carnegie Hall, 12/23/38, performed as“Mule Walk,” released on Vanguard 8523LP, obviously much later.2. JPJ pno solo as The Mule Walk, 6/14/39,CBS CL-1780, LP issued in 1962. LP labelconfirms “The Mule Walk.”3. Pno solo for 12/15/43 for Blue Note 27. 78label readsMULE WALK—STOMPAs far as I’m concerned, that’s just Mule Walkwith a genre marker.Well, copyright is just Mlule Walk:Mule walk; melody James P. Johnson. © 1c. Feb. 28, 1940; E unp. 216429; Bregman,Vocco & Conn, inc., New York.I have 5 recordings as Mule Walk (one by JP),4 as The Mule Walk (one by JP), 3 as MuleWalk Stomp, 2 as Mule Walk (Stomp) (one byJP), 1 as Mule Walk--Stomp (by JP), 1 asMule-Walk Stomp.Chrono Classics confirms that Columbiarecording in Rust as “The Mule Walk,” butdates it 3/14/39. Chrono Classics also has“Mule Walk (Stomp)” rec. 12/15/43, Blue Note27. (Blue Note’s LP reissue of this rec. titles itjust “Mule Walk,” which would be right, as the(Stomp) on the orig. 78 label would have beena genre-marker, not a subtitle or part of thetitle. Safe to say that “Stomp” got added tothis title the same way that “Rag” got added totitle of many rags that didn’t have that word intheir copyrighted title.For all this, though, I think we can stick withour original titlesMuscle Shoals Blues(George W. Thomas)Minstrels of Annie Street 1272Neville Dickie 1269Bob Oliver’s Hot Seven 1312ASM, 1921, Geo. W. Thomas.Mushmouth Shuffle (Jelly Roll Morton)Pam Pameijer’s New Jazz Wizards 1318Rec. RHP 7/14/30, Victor 23004, Bluebird B-8201, HMV B-10328 et al.Confirmed by 9/26/30 unpub. copyright reg.Music Box Rag (Luckey Roberts)Tom Roberts 1345Elite Syncopators 1358ASM, 1914, Jos. W. Stern, by “C. LuckythRoberts.”Music Has Charms(Jack Yellen–Milton Ager)San Francisco Starlight Orchestra 1296Not in Rust or S&P. Ah, opening theme ofKing of Jazz, confirmed by 3/15/30 copyrightreg., w. JY/m. MA.Muskrat Ramble (Kid Ory)Chris Tyle’s NO Rover Boys 1235Yerba Buena Stompers 1381ASM has that 1950 version: w. Ray Gilbert, m.Edward “Kid” Ory; (c) 1926, 1937, 1950 byGeorge Simon.She’s also got it by Edward Ory, “A modernpiano arrangement of a rhythm classic”(c) 1926 by Edward Ory(c) assigned 1937 to Melrose Bros.(c) assigned 1939 to George Simon, pub.Simon.Ory’s copyright registration is clear enough:Muskrat ramble; melody by E. Ory. © 1 c. May1, 1926; E 637451; Edward Ory, Chicago.But Phil Schaap’s Facebook still pushes analternative story that’s been around a while:Kid Ory only named “Muskrat Ramble”:LOUIS ARMSTRONG wrote it. And Ory’sname was “Muscat Ramble”: carryings-onfueled by muscatel wine. “Muskrat Ramble”has prevailed as the official title. [Thisassertion is clearly contradicted by Ory’sown copyright registration. --DB]“Muskrat Ramble” was recorded by LouisArmstrong’s Hot Five on February 26, 1926and issued quickly by OKeh Records underthe catalog number 8300. It was a“two-sided hit” as “Muskrat Ramble” was thereverse side of OKeh 8300 whose ‘A’ sidewas the legendary prototype for all scatsinging - “Heebie Jeebies”.OKeh Records must have realized that“Muskrat Ramble”, a title conveying animage of a particular type of rodent, was amistake, as all issues and reissues until thestart of the 1950s, entitled the recording as“Muskat Ramble”. This title conveyedanother image – albeit musket is misspelled– but seems to be an attempt to use Ory’sactual title though in a spelling that blurs itsmeaning.Rust does confirm that all the Hot Fivereissues after the initial OKeh 8300 were titled“Muskat Ramble.”But I say to hell with this story. The originalHot Five record was labeled “MuskratRamble” by Ory, and Ory copyrighted it as“Muskrat Ramble.” If OKeh did havemisgivings about the title and try to “change”it in subsequent issues, they didn’t persuadeanybody: Rust lists ten later recordings of thetune, all as “Muskrat Ramble” except forBenny Goodman’s “Muskrat Scramble”version, presumably a joke (it did credit Ory).My Baby (Jimmy Blythe–Mary Slaughter))Golden Eagle JB 1192West Jesmond Rhythm Kings 1255Pam Pameijer’s New Jazz Wizards 1395Well I’m not, thus a 2013 review: Rec.Chicago Footwarmers, 12/15/27, OKeh8548.Alexander Robinson, 2/28, Paramount12649.Tillie Johnson, 3/23/28, Gennett 6471.Blythe’s wb wizards, 3/30/28, Vocalion 1180.State Street Ramblers, 4/23/28, Gennett6454.Copyrights -- 1926:w/m W. A. Holmes, Chicago, 10/13/26.1927:w. Goldie M.Conner/m. Fred W. Petrie,Kalamazoo, 2/25/27.w. Edna E. Lowrey/m. David Reed, Lafayette,Wisc., 10/13/27.My baby; melody by James Blythe. © 1 c.Dec. 29, 1927; E 679749; Lester Melrose,Chicago.THIS HAS to be it. Blythe is on every one ofthose recods except Tillie Johnson, and hisWashboard Wizards bandmate W. E. “Buddy”Burton is on her record.BUT oops: The Chicago Footwarmers OKeh8548 label says Blythe-Slaughter. Who thehell is Slaughter? We learned that already:She’s Mary Slaughter, Blythe’s sister, who cowrote“Have Mercy!” with him.