[Dixielandjazz] Alligator Blues mystery

[Bill Haesler]

Bruce Stangeland asked:
> I recently found a tune called "Alligator Blues" in a fake book I 
> borrowed from an old friend. Does anyone know who wrote this tune, and 
> when?
Bill Haesler replied:
"Alligator Blues" (also known as "Lagniappe". 1927. John Hyman - Horace 
Diaz.)
Recorded for Victor in New Orleans on 10 March 1927 by John Hyman's 
Bayou Stompers.
John Hyman was later to be known as Johnny Wiggs.
The recording of the tune (both 'takes') is available on CD (Frog DGF 
2).
Then Robert Smith wrote:
> Fats Waller re-arranged this tune and called it "Alligator Crawl". It 
> was also recorded by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven.
and Butch Thompson later added:
The lead sheet on Mr. Stangeland's website appears to be based very 
closely
on the Armstrong Hot 7 recording, including (!) the C strain, which is 
taken
from Johnny St. Cyr's 12-bar guitar solo.
OK then, which one is it?
The earlier John Hyman tune is fast (echoes of "Do What Ory Say") and 
certainly not the same as the Waller composition "Alligator Crawl", 
recorded by Doc Cook and Louis' Hot 7 (released on English Parlophone 
as "Alligator Blues").
As I am not about to argue with a musician of Butch Thompson's stature, 
perhaps the lead sheet for the tune on Bruce's site is in fact the 
Waller composition.
All three versions can be heard on the indispensable Red Hot Jazz 
Archive sire at <redhotjazz.com>
Kind regards,
Bill.