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MMD > Archives > February 1999 > 1999.02.20 > 04Prev  Next


"Tom Cat Blues" by Jelly Roll Morton
By Roger Waring

Can anyone help with regard to piano roll "Tom Cat Blues"?  I have it
on Biograph BCD 103, and it is given as played by Jelly Roll Morton.
The roll number is Vocalstyle Song Roll 12983.

A very respected professional pianist friend of mine suggests that
it does not sound like Morton due to the absence of his usual phrases,
and no variations (such as found in "Shreveport Stomp").

Does anyone have this roll?  If so, what is their opinion?  Are there
any Morton fans in the group who would care to comment?

Regards from England

Roger Waring
Pianolas@dial.pipex.com

 [ The roll is deemed authentic by expert collector Mike Montgomery,
 [ and the fans of Jelly Roll accept this.  That the roll doesn't
 [ sound like the phonograph records is mostly because the music roll
 [ has no dynamics, and partly because the Vocalstyle editor was
 [ unfamiliar with the strange jazz which Jelly played!  Virtually
 [ the same melody was played by Jelly for QRS as "Midnight Mama":
 [ the same artist, but QRS applied quite different editing.  (I
 [ wonder if the QRS editor was young J. Lawrence Cook.)  -- Robbie


(Message sent Sat 20 Feb 1999, 13:52:20 GMT, from time zone GMT.)

Key Words in Subject:  Blues, Cat, Jelly, Morton, Roll, Tom

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