[Dixielandjazz] West End Blues (was Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 57, Issue 26)

[Bill Haesler]

Dear Bob and Mop
I'm a little confused, which is not hard at my age.
Bob said, then asked: " It has been my understanding that Joe "King" 
Oliver recorded (and composed) that cadenza before Louis made his own 
recording of it. Have I been misinformed?"
Mr Mop replies: "No Bob, you are correct. And Oliver's version is 
amazing given that he didn't have nearly the chops Louis did."
Later Steve Barbone said: "I've never heard Oliver's cadenza. Is it 
anywhere near as fantastic as
what Louis did?"
OK then.
1.  King Oliver composed "West End Blues" and recorded it for Vocalion 
on 11 June 1928. No cadenza.
2.  Louis Armstrong recorded it several weeks later for Okeh on 28 June 
1928 with a (his) cadenza.
3.  Ethel Waters recorded it, with Clarence Williams at the piano, for 
Columbia on 28 Aug 1928, by which time words by Clarence Williams had 
been added.
4. Hazel Smith recorded it for Okeh on 29 Aug 1928 with Oliver on 
cornet. No cadenza.
5.  Katherine Henderson recorded it for QRS in Sept 1928 with Ed Allen, 
cornet. No cadenza.
6.  King Oliver rerecorded it for Victor on 16 Jan 1929 with the 
cadenza (played by Louis Metcalf).
I have all the above and have just replayed them.
Therefore:
Louis owns that introductory cadenza.
There is no Oliver cadenza on his original version. Louis added it for 
his recording.
The simplified cadenza played on the second (later) Oliver recording 
was not played by King Oliver.
Kind regards,
Bill.