Jelly Roll probably named Big Foot Ham in tribute to vaudeville artist Hamtree Harrington, who wore a pair of outsize shoes in his act. Both Morton and Harrington were associated with W.C. Handy’s orchestra in Memphis.

This title does not appear to have been originally copyrighted or published and its existence is known only from The Baltimore Acetates recording session dated before April (?) 1938.

“While there [at the Cadillac Café in Los Angeles], Morton wrote a tune called Cadillac Rag.” [D]

An unpublished manuscript exists at HNOC, transcribed by J. Lawrence Cook. This is taken from the 1938 Jazz Man recording.  [BT]

Unpublished. [VG]

Mike Meddings is in possession of an unpublished manuscript edited by J. Lawrence Cook.  [1]

Golden Leaf Strut is, in part, the same tune as Milenberg Joys, with the omission of Jelly Roll’s name as composer.

(Gee I Be Happy) If Someone Would Only Love Me  [DJR]  [BE]
(Smith & Garrison)

In Born With The Blues, Perry Bradford writes: “I played and sang a whole gang of blues; among them was ‘I’m Alabama Bound’, the song I changed the title to ‘Don’t [You] Leave Me Here’.” [BWTB 94]

London Blues was named after The London Café, which was located on the corner of 31st and State Street, Chicago. This was a meeting place for musicians who knew it as “Funk London”.

This does not appear to have been originally copyrighted or published under this title and it’s existence is known only from The Morton Seven recording session dated 30th January 1940.  There are striking similarities between Dixie Queen — A Southern Ragtime, composed by Robert Hoffman, © 1906 by Cable Co., and Mama’s Got A Baby.

This title is not in Morton’s hand. Bill Russell speculates in some notes that the arrangement had been written by Dave Nelson. It is, of course, possible that Morton wrote the arrangement and that someone else copied it. But unlike the arrangements that are clearly Morton’s, this one has a violin part. [JD 1]

An unpublished manuscript of the “stomp” version exists at HNOC, transcribed by J. Lawrence Cook. [BT]

Phonograph arrangement as played by King Oliver and his Jazz Band

“The drums would start off, the trumpets and trombones rolling into something like Stars and Stripes or The National Anthem [sic] and everybody would strut off down the street . . .”  [MJR 12]

This title is mentioned in The Indianapolis Freeman, dated Saturday, 18th January 1913, page 6, column 1. [q.v.]

In late 1940 and early 1941, both Jelly Roll and Roy Carew were looking for songs by other songwriters to be copyrighted by Tempo-Music Publishing Company and held for later publication. Jelly Roll sent a number of songs by “Buddy” Payne, a New York musician, and others by a Los Angeles acquaintance whose surname was Bennett. See Morton-Carew correspondence in Oh, Mister Jelly. [OMJ 273-289]

Of all the pieces sent, Roy Carew liked a song called Oh, Baby the best, and clearly referred to Bennett as the composer, not Payne as has been suggested. [OMJ 287]

Nothing is known of Bennett, not even his Christian name, but Carew mentions that Payne played in Bryant’s Dance Orchestra. [OMJ 289] This is probably Willie Bryant’s Orchestra, which recorded for RCA Victor in 1935 and 1936 with a Stanley Payne on alto saxophone. Payne also recorded for Benny Carter in 1940, along with Coleman Hawkins. Other recordings by Payne are in 1939 with Frank Newton’s Cafe Society Orchestra, and in the orchestra accompanying Billie Holiday (including the classic Strange Fruit for Commodore). [PH 1]

I Know Something Now (That I Didn’t Know Before)  [FJR]  [BE]
(Gene Back [sic] Buck)

This title does not appear to have been originally copyrighted or published and its existence is known only from The Baltimore Acetates recording session dated August (?) 1938.

Mike Meddings is in possession of an unpublished manuscript transcribed by J. Lawrence Cook.  [1]