In response to Roger Waring's question about Jelly Roll Morton's
Vocalstyle roll of "Tom Cat Blues," I have this roll and would like
to offer a few comments.

Of the rolls Jelly made for Vocalstyle (four of which have never to
this day been located) most were of his original, instrumental rag/jazz
compositions, which were published in sheet music form as (simplified)
piano solos, without lyrics.  "Tom Cat Blues" is an exception to this,
in that it is a "Song Roll", i.e., with printed lyrics to go along with
the music, and not a wholly instrumental composition.

Most rolls companies adopted a "formula" approach to the issuance of
song roll material, as to how the tune would be laid-out on a roll.
For example, one formula was verse/chorus/chorus/verse/chorus.  Many
variations exist.

I believe that Jelly's work on "Tom Cat Blues" fell victim to the
prevailing Vocalstyle song-roll formula approach.  I.e., his original
performance was snipped, cut and pasted in sections to produce a "song"
roll, with repeated verse/chorus patterns.   As such, it tends to lack
some of the spontaneity you normally feel when listening to Morton.
On the other hand, the playing is still highly characteristic and
obviously original Jelly Roll Morton material.  It is simply somewhat
restrained, edited, and formularized Morton!

The completely instrumental Vocalstyle rolls present the Morton we
know and love in much greater clarity, for example "Shreveport Stomp."
These are highly elaborate, improvised performances, and do not suffer
from a commercial "formula" approach being imposed upon them.

The other Morton Vocalstyles  which were songs and hence revised into
"song- formula" format are "Tin Roof Blues, " and "Mr. Jelly Lord."
The two Morton rolls issued by QRS as played by Morton are really most
likely the work of J. Lawrence Cook (in emulation of Morton's playing
style), and they are _highly_ formula-arranged (but still wonderful
to listen to!)

All Best,

Frank Himpsl