[Dixielandjazz] Composer data needed

[Edmetzsr at aol.com]

Listmates, I'm in the process of finishing an arrangement of a tune recorded 
by Bob Crosby entitled "Catalina Jump". I've searched all of my reference 
sources and can't find who the composer was (probably one of the band members) or 
when (what year) the tune was written. Can any one help?
    The band had a number of stints on Catalina Island, both before and after 
WWII. I suspect the tune and their arrangement was done in conjunction with 
the band being on the island.
    Just to jump in briefly to the ongoing harang about charts or no charts, 
the current Bob Cats, like the originals, use charts. As a matter of fact, we 
perform in three different categories: 1) With no charts 2) With leadsheets 3) 
With full fledged arrangements. In both category 2) and 3), there is lots of 
open space for the soloists, as I rarely write background figures for the band 
to play behind a jazz solos. There are exceptions of course, where I 
intentionally try to capture the sound of the original band when they played figures 
or "footballs" behind the solos.
    Having said that, there are any number of tunes which we can and do play 
in all three categories. Take "Jazz Me Blues" or even "South Rampart Street 
Parade". Like most of you players, we can do it with no music, in the 
traditional fake fashion; or we can (and often do) play from a lead sheet because of 
substitute chord progressions (my call) or unusual key changes (half step 
modulations); or we can play the tunes from arrangements because I want to capture 
some effect (our new CD has "Jazz Me Blues" using Haggart's original arrangement 
as a template).
    I could be very wrong, but I would bet there is virtually no one or no 
group out there that plays or could play "Catalina Jump" without looking at the 
music. Sure, we can all gather around the CD player or the iPod and listen 5 
or 6 times in order to commit some version to memory, or we could call a 
rehearsal and "work on it", but we don't work that way as a band. The Bob Cats don't 
have the luxury of being able to gather round the Hi-Fi or rehearse. Further, 
our way works for us.
    Thanks for your help on trying to find the composer and year for 
"Catalina Jump".
Regards, Ed Metz



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