Who is the real composer of "My Little Suede Shoes?

[Hardbopjazz]

Charlie Parker gets credit for this, but one time about 15 years ago I was speaking with Lou Donaldson and he said that Parker was not the true composer of "My Little Suede Shoes." Anyone know who the composer was?

[Ted O'Reilly]

Thom McAn?

But seriously, why not ask Lou?

Edited September 13, 2011 by Ted O'Reilly

[Hardbopjazz]

If I get to see him live again I will ask.

[Dan Gould]

Bring a sammitch.

[Larry Kart]

According to Brian Priestley's "Chasin' the Bird," "it's a song ["Mes Souliers De Daim"} from the French Caribbean that Charlie picked up in Paris."

[king ubu]

Yeah, definitely has that vibe... interesting to know, thanks Larry!

[Hardbopjazz]

I pulled out a private recording I have of Lou Donaldson and Lou said the tune was written Cal Massey JR. but Bird gets the credit.

If you want to hear

Suede shoes

Edited September 13, 2011 by Hardbopjazz

[Spontooneous]

Maybe Lou's gotten it mixed up with Cal Massey's "Fiesta," which Bird recorded?

[bertrand]

According to Brian Priestley's "Chasin' the Bird," "it's a song ["Mes Souliers De Daim"} from the French Caribbean that Charlie picked up in Paris."

My friend Philippe Baudoin wrote an article on this and the statement above is the gist of his findings. I believe it is in a fairly recent issue of Cahiers du Jazz. I will try to find out more from him. IIRC, Bird telescoped two tunes that were on the A and B sides of a 45 that Philippe found.

Lou told me it was Massey on two separate occasions, but I do think he is getting it mixed up with 'Fiesta'. Cal originally copyrighted 'Fiesta' on 11/09/49 (EU185571), but Bird did not record it until 3/12/51 (same day as 'Suede') so this piece existed before the Bird session. Could someone have recorded it elsewhere between 11/49 and 3/51? The copyright deposit has lyrics.

Here's something odd I just noticed.

There is a registration under Parker for 'My Little Suede Shoes' (EU 431254) dated 3/26/56. There is also a second registration for 'Fiesta' on the same day (EU431077). Someone from Verve must have sent in a whole stack that day: my hunch is that all numbers between 431077 and 431254 were all sent in together by the same person. I can check this in the books when I go back there in a month or so, if anyone cares.

Bertrand.

Edited September 14, 2011 by bertrand

[Hardbopjazz]

If you can check, I would like to know.

[Chuck Nessa]

I thought the composer was Carl Perkins.

[Big Beat Steve]

I thought the composer was Carl Perkins.

The one who recorded on Dootone, you mean?

[king ubu]

And Chubby Checker wrote "Now's the Time"?

[Swinging Swede]

It was really composed by Eddie Vinson.

[paul secor]

Stan Hasselgård wrote it - original title was "My Little Swede Shoes".