Stomp Off 1001 - Dickbaker.org

Sobbin’ Blues (Art Kassel–Vic Berton)Hot Antic JB 1044Wally Fawkes & His Soho Shakers 1144Black Eagle JB 1147High Society JB 1166John Gill’s Novelty Orchestra 1270Neville Dickie 1309High Society JB 1396Yerba Buena Stompers 1406ASM, 1923 Melrose: Arthur Kassell-VictorBurton on cover, but Kassel-Berton oncopyright page.Social Polecat [Turk’s Blues](Turk Murphy)Hot Antic JB 1155Down Home JB 1199Bob Schulz & His Frisco JB 12882013 review: This had been listed under Turk’sBlues before now, with a cross-ref from SocialPolecat [Blues]. Couldn’t find any evidence ofthat title being used, so killed [Blues]. Now Isee--that title went on 1199. But it was anaberration (nobody else seems to have doneit, and Turk didn’t), so we’ll ignore it. “Blues”gets added to blues titles and “Rag” to rags allthe time.But then following research led to my movingit here.Looks like first rec. May 1949 as TB, issuedon GTJ L-12026 in 1950. Record Changermagazine selected it as “Record of the Year.”Then as SP in April 1957 for Verve MGV-1013 LP Music for Losers. Alas, Jim Gogginand Turk discuss that session at length in TurkMurphy: Just for the Record, but nothing wassaid about why or how TB turned into SP.Doesn’t look like turn ever recorded it againunder either title; later bands have done itunder both titles.Mike Duffy’s notes to 1199 suggest that thetune actually started out as Social Polecat:Hal Smith thinks the number may havecirculated at Hambone Kelly’s in the daysprior to Turk’s departure.And Eureka! In Turk’s own words in his notesto a 1979 Natural Gas JB LP:“Social Polecat” was merely a commentaryon myself and a few of my close friends, aswas the other tune, “Brother Low-Down.”My good friend Les Koenig of Good TimeJazz/Contemporary Records thought the titlea bit degrading (little did he know) andinsisted that it be recorded as “Turk’sBlues.” I personally like the tune, but wehave had little luck in playing it since werecorded it with Bob Scobey on trumpet.So there you have it: SP is the “true” title, TBjust one forced on Turk for that 1949 record.We must honor Turk by making his originaltitle our primary one and Turk’s Blues analternative. [But I realize I’m being inconsistenthere, since I normally argue that the“published” title is the original-genuine title.]Society Blues (John C. Spikes)Canal Street JB 1005Dan Levinson’s Roof Garden JB 1361