[Dixielandjazz] Dressing Up Your Presentations

[Dave Stoddard]

Dear Listers:

There is another book of song titles and composers which was written by 
Warren E. Colbert in 1975.  It has a wonderfully whimsical title--Who Wrote 
That Song, or Who in the Hell is J. Fred Coots?  I had access to this volume 
when I was at Temple University between 1979 and 1984 (first as a graduate 
student and then as an adjunct lecturer).  It was an immense help in 
preparing comments about songs for jazz gigs.

John Frederick Coots was a Tin Pan Alley songwriter who wrote over 700 
songs.  His most famous composition was Santa Claus is Coming to Town 
(1937), which originally carried the title In Old Louisville.  When 
published as Santa Claus, it sold over 4 million copies.  Coots also wrote 
You Go to My Head and Louisiana Fairytale, which later became the theme 
music for This Old House.

Regards,
Dave Stoddard
Round Rock, TX