Music of New Orleans Composers

Songs

Every American city has its famous composers. As jazz evolved in New Orleans we find a number of popular and jazz composers writing music. Many of the early jazz riffs became jazz tunes. Known by other names, some of these songs became famous. "Tar Baby Stomp" became "In The Mood," "Rusty Nail Blues" became "Tin Roof Blues," "Praline" became "Tiger Rag." On this program we will play some of the songs written by New Orleans composers.

PASQUINADE - L. M. Gottschalk - (arranged in 1927)

Gottschalk (1829-1869), a native of New Orleans acquired a world-wide reputation as a first class concert pianist and composer. Studying in Europe, Gottschalk toured the world giving well-attended concerts, finally settling in South America. Pasquinade is a caprice and was published in the Jacob's Orchestra Monthly Magazine. Each month the magazine featured an arrangement for band and/or orchestra. Gottschalk in his music, used Creole and African rhythms writing about the scenes he knew as a young boy growing up in New Orleans, near Congo Square.

PICKANINNIES ON PARADE - 1897 - George Bernard

New Orleans had an active music publishing industry. The tune "Dixie" was first published in New Orleans. As jazz was evolving the rest of the country looked to New Orleans for published arrangements of this new music called jazz. New Orleans composers also were published by other publishing companies. George Bernard wrote "Pickaninnies" for the John church company of Philadelphia. While the publishing companies were in existence even before the Civil War the zenith of its popularity was near the turn of the 20^th century as Negro and Jazz music was evolving and becoming popular.

COTTON PICKERS RAG AND CAKEWALK 

1899 -  William Braun

     One of the most popular arrangements in the music of the city of New Orleans, it is a great example of the cakewalk genre and its evolution to ragtime.  

     William Braun, born in New Orleans in 1867, became a leading band director in the city, most famous for his association with the Rex Carnival Krewe and the Pan-American Life Insurance Company Band. He was associated with a great number of New Orleans jazz musicians, among these: Nick LaRocca, Emmett Hardy and Eddie Edwards. He died in 1940.

      Cotton Pickers Rag and Cakewalk is a charming piece and is fun to play. It was published by one of the leading music stores of the era, the Grunewald Company of New Orleans.

      I GOT THE BLUES - 1908 - A. Maggio

      This is one of the earliest blues published, being published in 1908. And there is even a section that presents blues in a 'minor' key. We see that many arrangements. Especially in the 20's are called blues but, they are not in the traditional blues progress and 12 bar blues structure. They all have a 'blues' feeling abut are not what we have come to know as 'blues.'

     The origin of the blues is clouded, but not its popularity. Many of the early jazz bands such as Chris Kelly's and Buddy Bolden's Band had a large blues repertoire. As the music gained popularity, Tin Pan Alley began publishing quasi blues arrangements, but as said above, were not really blues.

    WAR CLOUD - 1918 - Nick LaRocca/Larry Shields

      The song begins with an introduction that uses the cakewalk rhythm and then proceeds to a 16 bar song form, with a theme reminiscent of the "12th Street Rag." There is a quasi stop tune section to begin the 2nd strain. While the melody is the 1st strain is in 16th notes, it is contrasted in the trio with a long note theme that sound more like the theme for the trio of a march. Students of New Orleans music will recognize the tune as "Fidgety Feet." It is said that the Original Dixieland Jazz Band put a new title on the song in hopes that having an Indian theme would help sales.

     I'M SORRY I MADE YOU CRY - 1918 - N. J. Clesi   

     This song, by New Orleans composer N.. J. Clesi became a national 'hit.' The arrangement is marked a 'jazz fox trot' and includes a verse that leads to the better known chorus that became a well-known melody. It also includes what is marked a trio that returns to the main melody for the Fine. Written for society orchestra that now (beginning around the late teens of the early 20th century) an alto and tenor saxophone.

      It is interesting to note the style of the arrangement. The melody, a very good one, when sung as a solo song, is played without the syncopation and jazz treatment found in this arrangement and the first and trio sections are never used. To sell a composition during the jazz age many songs were given the 'jazz' treatment as they would be used for dancing and the length of a song was extended as the dance needed to be longer than just a chorus or two by a singer.

    GOLDEN ROD BLUES - 1919 - Lada/Nunez

     All the arrangements and publications of the "Louisiana Five" reflect the emerging jazz style of the period just after World War I. It is in 4 bar phrases and it is called a blues in its title and is labeled a fox trot. There is ample use of syncopation. At the middle of the second section there is an interesting descending rhythmic/melodic figure in a sequential pattern. The Louisiana Five, basically a group that formed just to record, present a tight jazz arrangement that creates a typical jazz sound of the era. They presented to the public the 'now' jazz sound that became the rage of the era - the Jazz Age. During 1919 a number of arrangements by the Louisiana Five were published, leaving a profound message that the jazz sound could be played by 'legit' orchestras. Their influence became an important step in the progress of jazz, as witnessed by the large number of published jazz arranged during this period.

    JELLY BEAN - 1920 -Joe Verges

     Joe Verges was born in New Orleans in 1882, having an early interest in music, he entered vaudeville in 1912. His early success in song writing began in 1916 with "Don't Leave Me Daddy," that became a big local hit. He entered a partnership with local composer Sam Rosebaum and Nick Clesi. This group evolved into the Universal Music Publishing Company of New Orleans. Verges was also associated with other music publishers nationally. He was very progressive in his harmonies, using 'swing' chord progressions. Returning to new Orleans in 1940,. He remained in the city until his death in 1964, playing piano at local clubs in and around the French Quarter.

    MUSCLE SHOALS BLUES - 1921 - George Thomas

     George Thomas published many popular songs and we have chosen the "Muscle Shoals Blues" as the representative song. It is a true blues, using the 12 bar traditional blues progression. So many of the songs with 'blues' in the title were not really blues but used a blues feeling and the blues flatted third and seventh of the scale. Using the word 'blues' in the title almost assured the song would be a 'hit.' Songs like "Basin Street Blues," and "Limehouse Blues" were not constructed in the traditional 12 bar blues progression, often just using blues elements within their structure as we have heard in the previously played "Golden Rod Blues."

    SHIMMY LIKE MY SISTER KATE - 1922 - A. J. Piron

     The authorship of this song is still disputed, with Louis Armstrong claiming that it was his melody. Piron published the tune under his name and it became a national success. Armstrong never recorded the song, not wanting to make any money for Piron by sales under his name. It became one of the biggest hits of the Jazz Age.

    CHICAGO BREAKDOWN - 1925 - Jelly Roll Morton

      Primarily known as a jazz pianist, Jelly Roll Morton's importance in jazz history lies in his composing and recording, his biggest hit being "Kansas City Stomp." The arrangements and recording of his songs and his insistence that these recordings be in the true New Orleans jazz style has left us with a historic account of early jazz sounds. He also insisted on using some New Orleans musicians in the recording band to insure a 'real' New Orleans sound.

    NEW ORLEANS STOMP - 1924 - Louis Armstrong

     Writing this piece about 2 years after arriving in Chicago, Armstrong was one of the earliest musicians to emphasize improvising. A stomp is defined as a heavy, strongly marked beat, associated with early ragtime and early blues form and characterized by stamping steps, usually on the last chorus. The trio is a good example of the rhythm of the stomp, being in a quarter note melody with emphasis on the beat with no syncopation.

    SNAG IT - 1926 - Joe 'King" Oliver

     Once jazz reached Chicago and moved onto the national scene, it became the most popular dance music around. No one group did more to shape the jazz style of this era than the Joe 'King" Oliver Band, with Louis Armstrong on trumpet. Though only on the scene for a brief time, Oliver's place in jazz history is secure, thanks to the influence of his ensemble. "Snag It" became a national hit and was one of the few songs published with Oliver's name on it.

    BLUES EYES, I LOVE YOU - 1918 - Zelda Huckins

      Zelda Huckins, a native of the West Bank (Gretna), across the river from New Orleans, was classically trained pianist that received her music degree from Tulane University and taught music at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. While her name might be unknown, she attended public school with Emmett Hardy and played in the school orchestra with Emmett. "Blues Eyes" is as traditional ballad with a rather sentimental set of lyrics.

    HARLEM RHYTHM DANCE - 1933 CLARENCE   WILLIAMS

     Written in 16 bar song form, the 2^nd repeat is extended 2 bars followed by a 4 bar transition and modulates from Eb to Ab, then goes to F. The theme is presented again in an Ab section. The song feels like a series of jazz riffs. It possesses a set of jazz style lyrics and is marked 'swingy and fast.'

     Clarence Williams was one of the most popular publishing house, beginning in New Orleans, them moving to Chicago for a brief time and on to New York city where his publishing house became one of the most popular and successful publishing houses in the nation. He published 'authentic' New Orleans jazz sound arrangements by the leading jazz arrangers. He became one of the most influential of all jazz publishers.

     BABY WON'T YOU PLEASE COME HOME - 1919 - Clarence Williams

     Perhaps the most famous of Clarence Williams songs, it was written in 1919 and the present arrangement is from 1945, as an arrangement for a large dance band. It is fitting to end the program of New Orleans composers with a part using the traditional Dixieland Jazz sound.

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