Dear MMDers: As I have made my custom in recent years, I want to
wish everyone Happy Public Domain Day 2023! This year works that
were copyrighted in 1927 and properly renewed after their first
term have entered into the public domain.

In the music world, this includes such works as Gershwin's song
"Strike Up the Band" (September 14, 1927) so, if you are at the
Rose Parade in Pasadena tomorrow, you can sing this without fear
that the Gershwin estate will be getting after you!

While we're on Gershwin, although he composed "Concerto in F" in
1925, it does not appear to have been copyrighted until it was
published in a two-piano arrangement by Harms on October 7, 1927,
so that one is public domain now.

Gershwin's "Preludes" for piano were similarly copyrighted and
published September 9, 1927, though written earlier. James P.
Johnson's work "Yamekraw", inspired by Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue",
was copyrighted in the original piano solo version and published
by Perry Bradford on October 17, 1927. On a much smaller scale,
Johnson's "Snowy Morning Blues" was copyrighted as an unpublished
work on April 27, 1927.

I spent part of today transcribing a much less-well known work,
Jimmy Blythe's "47th Street Stomp" from the A-roll, Capitol 2225,
on which it appears as tune #8, presumably played by the composer.
I attach a PDF image of the last strain and tag. I did not have the
time to typeset it yet, so this is my pencil manuscript; please
excuse the weird mixture of technologies (optically-scanned player
piano roll, pencil manuscript...).

Blythe apparently sold the work to Frank Melrose (younger brother of
the well-known Walter and Lester Melrose) and his business partner
Montgomery, who copyrighted the unpublished work on May 11, 1927.

So, again, Happy New Year and Happy Public Domain Day 2023!

Bob Pinsker
San Diego, California

 [ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/23/01/01/230101_235308_47thStreetStomp-last_strain_and_tag_RI_Pinsker_20230101.pdf 

 [ More about Public Domain Day at
 [ https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2023/ 
 [ -- Robbie