Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2008-12-22 16:02
Jaysne wrote, "You know that Duke Ellington piece "East Street Toodle-loo?" Well, the correct title is actually "East Street Toddle-loo." "Toddling" is a type of slow, meandering walk one would do down a street."
Probably not. First of all, "Toddling" is not a slow meandering walk, it's the hesitant shuffle babies do (hence toddler) -- though there apparently was a popular dance called the toddle (a bouncy version of the foxtrot) that came into popularity around 1917. Also it's not "East Street " it's "East St. Louis." Finally, it wasn't "loo" it was "O" or "Oo".
In his book Ellington, The Early Years, Mark Tucker writes (pp. 250-51):
"East St. Louis Toodle-O" must have been in the Washingtonians' repertory by October or November of 1926. When Ellington went into the Vocalion studio on November 29 for his first date using only original material, he chose it as one of four pieces to be recorded, and his band gave every sign of being familiar with the arrangement. The name of the piece, however, may have emerged during the record session. Apparently Vocalion wanted to increase sales in the largely black section of East St. Louis, Illinois, hence the place name in the title.
The "Toodle-O" part of the title has an interesting history. In 1962, Ellington explained that this phrase – which he always pronounced "Toad'lo" – meant a kind of broken walk. Elsewhere, he recalled the picture Miley [Bubber Miley, the trumpet player] imagined for the piece: "This is an old man, tired from working in the field since sunup, coming up the road in the sunset on his way home to dinner. He's tired but strong, and humming in time with his broken gait." The term Ellington probably had in mind was "todalo," which referred to a specific dance style or step. Through printing errors the title was spelled different ways as the piece was rerecorded. It started as "Toodle-O" (Vocalion, November 29, 1926, and Brunswick, March 14, 1927) and went on to "Toodle-Oo" (Columbia, March 22, 1927) and "Toddle-Oo" (Victor, December, 19, 1927). Both the stock and piano versions published by Gotham in 1927 give it as "Toodle-O." The spellings seem less important than the correct pronunciation, which differs from the popular phrase for good-bye. Pronouncing the title Ellington's way links it to earlier pieces with "todalo" in the title... – and also lends support to Ellington's story relating the word to physical movement."
Performances by Duke Ellington if you'd like to listen to it:
Probably the original version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY5D6uzxLuU&feature=related
Probably the revised version first used on the Victor recording:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6LmSj26RRc&feature=related
Best regards,
jnk
Post Edited (2008-12-22 16:03)
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