[Dixielandjazz] Elephant Stomp

[Bill Haesler]

Dear Dr Cave,
"Elephant Stomp" a 3-theme rag is credited to St. Gery-Alferay.
The earliest recording I know of was recorded by the Locke Brothers Rhythm
Orchestra in Charlotte, NC on 15 Feb 1936 for Bluebird B-6297. Unknown
tb/as/p/bj-g/d. There is a vocal.
It has never been reissued on LP or CD, to my knowledge and is not on that
wonderful source, the Red Hot Jazz Archive.
Somewhere, Humphrey Lyttelton picked it up (assuming it is the same tune)
and featured it with Bruce Turner at the now-legendary Conway Hall jazz
concert in London, England on 2 Sept 1954. On LP and CD.
Subsequent recorded versions include Jan Burgers (Dutch) on 9 April 1957,
Terry Lightfoot (13 Oct 1959) and my dear friend, Australia's Dave Dallwitz
(Aug-Sept 1985). I have a long detailed list of other later versions.
The Lyttelton/Dallwitz renditions (which remind me of a strain from WC
Handy's "Ole Miss Rag") would have been been the logical source for the
chords [which I have, but in two parts only] you played with your 80-year
old mate yesterday.
Unfortunately, the late Dave Dallwitz was never able to find anything about
the origin, date or composers of the tune, which was sent to him on tape by
John RT Davies. Perhaps it was the Locke Bros side.
OK, who were St Gery and Alferay? A query our erudite and composer-literate
listmate, Dick Baker, should be able to answer.
There is another "Elephant Stomp" recorded by Earl Hines in Jan 1975. [On an
LP titled 'In New Orleans with Wallace Davenport & Orange Kellin'.] The
composer credit for this is (Minerbi) and is similar but not, to my ears,
the same tune.
Kind regards,
Bill.