[Dixielandjazz] All The Girls Go Crazy About The Way I Walk

[tyleman]

On Wed, Oct 26, 2011 at 4:24 AM, Stephen G Barbone
<barbonestreet at earthlink.net> wrote:
> This is a tune that was reputed to be part of Buddy Bolden's repertoire. The
> way I hear it, Ory changed the words and title thus getting credit by some
> sources for writing the tune.

According to what source, Steve? It's not mentioned in Don Marquis'
book about Bolden (generally considered the definitive book on
Bolden), in the section dedicated to numbers the band played. There's
also no reference to it in the book "Hear Me Talkin' to You," the
compilation of interviews with various musicians from a variety of
sources, first published in 1955.

I couldn't find any reference, in books on Bunk and Ory, to Bolden
having played the tune.

In the liner notes to the album "Bunk and Lu: 16 Historic Recordings"
on Good Time Jazz, Ralph Gleason writes: "All the Girls, the
traditional New Orleans Storyville tune, was taught to the band by
Bunk who claimed to have written it." (The recording referred to was
made in the spring of 1944.)

I recorded the tune with Turk Murphy, who was on the Bunk recording,
and he never mentioned anything to me about Bolden, but did mention
the tune "came from Bunk." That recording, like the Good Time Jazz
recording, showed "traditional" for composer credit.

An interesting item, from the review of a concert of Bunk with the Ory
band, from May 9, 1943: "Rudi (Blesh) asked the audience if they
wanted to hear the band jam a number so he had the band pick up one of
Ory's numbers 'All the Gals (sic) Are Crazy About the Way I Walk."

So, Ory or Bunk?

Regarding the lyrics, if Ory included them with his copyright, I can't
say. But there are no Ory recordings of the tune with a vocal.

Maybe someone who has Tom Lord's discography can enlighten us as to
what the first recording of the tune was with a vocal.

Regards,
Chris Tyle