Ah!  The infamous "Egbert Van Alstyne stole Pretty Baby" story.
I'm sorry, but I have read it so much that I find it rather difficult
to be complacent about it.

I spent several years looking into this story -- interviewed Donald
Kahn (Gus Kahn's son), Van Alstyne's family members and friends,
gathered obscure tapes of interviews with the original Chicago rag-
timers -- and searching for any evidence to prove conclusively whose
contributions made that song what it is.  The "Pretty Baby" story is
at the end of Egbert Van Alstyne's biography posted at my web site:

    http://www.rag-time.com/fest/bio.htm.

Steve Bentley wrote:

> Egbert Van Alstyne was a great composer, no doubt.  With regards to
> "Pretty Baby", he is credited with this tune, although it was Tony
> Jackson who composed it.  Van Alstyne was better known outside of New
>  Orleans, and to sell the song it was agreed he would put his name to
> it.  Tony, it is said, was THE great entertainer of his day by far.

Point by point:

Yes, Van Alstyne was an incredible composer who often felt shackled by
the whims of his publishers.  He has complained publicly that his best
works were not accepted for publication.

Yes, Tony Jackson did compose "Pretty Baby", or at least the concept,
but no one knows quite when.  It was copyrighted in 1916.  However,
it is well known that, at the time this tune was discovered, Jackson
had been entertaining in Chicago for several years, having arrived
there from New Orleans probably sometime between 1905 and 1910.

I have a recording of an interview with another Chicago pianist,
Glover Compton, a close friend of Tony Jackson.  In this recording,
Compton plays "Pretty Baby" as he remembers Jackson performing it.

The tempo is much slower and more bluesy.  The verse is entirely
different, having little to speak of as a melody.  The lyrics are
slangy and track poorly.  There are plenty of references to "Jelly
Rolls," and at that time, that phrase was unacceptable in proper
circles.

Donald Kahn stated that the original title was "Jelly Roll Rag,"
which correlates with Compton's recollection.  Glover's details are
rather inaccurate, as I point out in the biography; however, he states
that someone (he says Ziegfield, which was impossible -- Lee Schubert
debuted the tune in his "Passing Show") bought the tune from Jackson.
Anyhow, I have no reason to disbelieve Compton's claim that Tony
Jackson was paid $250 for it -- a decent sum for an unknown, gay,
epileptic, black lounge pianist.

According to Donald Kahn, Gus and Bert used to frequent the high-tone
black cabarets.  It was a policy at Remick Music, where Van Alstyne was
employed, for staffers to have a certain amount of discretion in pur-
chasing new music.  It seems that Van Alstyne and Kahn themselves
bought the tune on Remick's behalf, then wrote new lyrics and added
a new verse.

That Van Alstyne did write the entire verse -- fully one-half of the
song -- has now been proven beyond a doubt.  In 1915, the year before
"Pretty Baby" was copyrighted, he had written a quite unsuccessful rag
song called "I Love to Tango With My Tea."  It is written in straight
ragtime rhythm, not the dotted rhythms of "Pretty Baby".  However, the
tune is virtually _identical_ to the verse in "Pretty Baby".  There-
fore, Van Alstyne did steal the tune, but from himself and no one else.
For you roll collectors out there, "I Love to Tango With My Tea" was
issued on QRS 32274.

From the 1950s forward, many so-called historians have utterly failed
to look for the facts, preferring instead to weave a tale of exploita-
tion and woe for poor Tony to promote their own political agendas,
rather than the opportunity it truly was.  The facts in this case show
that Van Alstyne and Jackson each contributed one-half of this tune,
both shared composer credit, Kahn wrote the lyrics, and everyone
received credit where credit was due.

Van Alstyne was one of the pioneer ragtime composers: up until 1902 he
had more ragtime works in print than Scott Joplin, and he paralleled
the output of Charles Hunter and Arthur Pryor, who was a close friend.
By 1915, Van Alstyne was one of the most respected "grand old gentle-
men" of Tin Pan Alley.

Gus Kahn, who had always signed himself "Gus," opted for "Gustave" out
of respect when collaborating with Van Alstyne (per Donald Kahn).  For
Jackson, having his name associated with Van Alstyne was no shame -- it
was an honor.  Tony couldn't have been too put out about the arrange-
ment, either.  He collaborated with them once again in 1917 on a smash
flop, "I've Been Fiddle-ing."  Lousy tune.

The worst aspect of this story is not that I have all this mythology
to override with facts, but that Van Alstyne, who died in 1951, knew
that the 'historians' were not only discounting his contribution to
"Pretty Baby", but saying that he had stolen the tune.  It hurt him
very deeply, and he went to his grave knowing that people thought him
to be a racist song thief.  It is time to set the record straight.
Don't believe everything you read.  Ask for proof.

Well, didn't I get into a snit?

RAGards,

Tracy Doyle

 [ A snit?  With you it's cute, girl!  :-)  Thanks for sharing your
 [ research, Tracy; it seems very thorough, and so your conclusions
 [ are well-grounded.  -- Robbie