Stomp Off 1001 - Dickbaker.org

Too Tight (Natty Dominique)Pam Pameijer’s New Jazz Wizards 13822013 review: Wait a minute. We’ve had thesefive recordings in the book, all credited toNatty Dominique. Since there was no conflictor contradiction, I never looked into beforenow.First, in August 2013 John Gill sent a list of allthe Armstrong copyright deposits he’dgleaned at Library of Congress, including a7/19/26 deposit for “Too Tight Blues” showingLillian Armstrong as composer. And thecopyright registration isToo tight blues; melody, by L. Armstrong. ©1 c. July 19, 1926; E 643159; LillianArmstrong, Chicago.Then I tried to find a copyright for the 1929Dominique “Too Tight,” but it’s not there. Sotime to check the recordings:New Orleans Wanderers (Lil on pno), 7/13/26,Columbia 735-D; DB-2920, CQ-2240,DW-5080, DZ-813, GNS-5093; Biltmore 1084;HJCA HC-30; et al. Columbia 735-D labeltitle is Too Tight [no Blues], credit is LouisArmstrong (same credit on flip side, PapaDip), which we know was by Lil).Johnny Dodd’s Orch (w/Dominique), 2/7/29,Bluebird B-10240; HMV JK-2138, B-10419,EA-4122, HN-3200; Biltmore 1093; BritishRhythm Society 13; HJCA HC-61. (Allissues except Biltmore 1093 as JohnnyDodds Hot Six.) The HMV B-10419 labelsays A. Dominique. Most importantly,probably, the Victor Project page for thissession names Natty Dominique ascomposer.Now the really big question: Are we sure allour bands are playing the Natty Dominiquetune and not the Lil Hardin one? After all, theyboth were released under the same title, TooTight, despite the fact that Lil had copyrightedher tune as “Too Tight Blues.So I gathered up all our recordings plus the1926 and 1929 tunes and presented them toDave Robinson for analysis. His report:The '29 tune has two strains, one of which isa standard 12-bar blues and the other a12-bar blues variation. The '26 tune also hastwo strains, one minor and one major,neither of which is a blues. The Gill, Helm,Lulu's, and Yerba tracks are the '26 tune; thePameijer is the '29.Ouch: Means we’ve have four of our fiverecordings misidentified all this time.Too Tight Rag (James Brown)Bo Grumpus 1388All CD notes by Ventrescu say is 1927, creditis E. E. Hack.Oops, “Hack” copyright is in 1929 and sayshe’s the publisher:Too tight rag; by James Brown; pf. © 1 c.Oct. 30, 1929; E unp. 12888; E. E. Hack,Powderly, Ky.May be getting close. Columbia 15418 was bythe E. E. Hack String Band, sides Too TightRag & West KY Limited, rec. 4/17/29. IfVentresco took it off that record, he’d havepresumed Hack, but we can be pretty surethat it’s really Brown from the copyright.What’s amazing is that it was copyrighted atall.And a detailed discography of country musicrecords reports that Eugene “Buster” Hackwas the leader and played “jazzhorn,” and thatJames Brown played fiddle on the recording.Toogalou Shout (see Tougaloo Shout)Top and Bottom (F. Eugene Mikell)Back Bay Ramblers 1355Rec. Joe Steele aho, 6/4/29, Victor V-38066.Cootie Williams, 6/22/39, OKeh 6336, Blue Ace253.Confirmed by 12/17/30 unpub. copyright reg.and Victor label with Mikell’s name in full.Top Liner Rag (Joseph F. Lamb)Red Rose Ragtime Band 1412ASM, pub. Stark, missed year.Top of the Town (Charles Henderson–Frank Skinner))Back Bay Ramblers 1374CD said Harold Adamson-Jimmy McHugh.Rec. CW WB band, 4/8/37, Bluebird B-6918.Well, this gets sticky. Top of the Town was a1937 musical film. The primary songwritingteam for the film was Adamson-McHugh, andthe 1937 book is full of songs from the movieby them. But it’s also full of incidental musicfor the movie byTop of the town; main title A, Henderson andSkinner; conductor. © 1 c. June 29, 1937; Bunp. 147466; Universal music Corp., NewYork.And thenTop of the town; main title B, Frank Skinner;conductor; © 1 c. June 29, 1937; E unp.Universal music Corp., New York.But it’s also got lots of incidental musiccopyrighted, some by McHugh-Skinner,Charles Previn-Skinner, but most are just bySkinner as conductor, although there are threeby Charles Henderson as conductor, so hemust have written/conducted at least some ofit. And one by Charles Previn, conductor.Presumably the band is playing the maintheme of the movie, which, as we see, waswritten in two parts by Hendeson-Skinner andjust Skinner. And in the index, “Top of theTown” is listed under both Henderson andSkinner, but NOT under Adamson andMcHugh.The record label does credit them, though:TOP OF THE TOWN--Fox Trot(From the Universal film “Top of the Town”)(Harold Adamson-Jimmy McHugh)Clarence Williams and his Washboard BandVocal refrain by Eva Taylorbut I’m not moved by that, because it’s reallyidentifying them as composers of the film, notcomposers of the particular bit of the film thatWilliams is playing.(When You Carry) The Torch(Harry Herschel*)West End JB 1042Frisco Syncopators 1245