We continue our chronological journey through the archive in
1926 and '27 as the train stops for another early Duke Ellington
classic: "East St. Louis Toodle-O." It served as the band's
theme song for years, but as with many artifacts in the Warehouse, there’s a
secret hidden behind the label.
First, let's hear the definitive 1926 recording by Duke
Ellington and His Kentucky Club Orchestra on Vocalion Records:
The "Todalo" Truth
So evocative, but what is it supposed to be evoking?
I will admit that for many years, I thought the title
referred to someone saying goodbye to a section of the Missouri city. You know,
like Sally Field-as-Gidget saying “toodles” to STL!
But here’s the real dope: Despite what the label says, Duke and co-writer Bubber Miley didn't intend for this to be a "Toodle-Oo" (the British slang for goodbye). The original title was "East St. Louis Todalo." Duke pronounced it "toad-low," describing a slouching, rhythmic, "broken" walk—the gait of a weary man walking home after a grueling day's work. Duke chose East St. Louis, Illinois, because it was a gritty industrial hub that represented the working man’s struggle. The record label misheard the title, and a jazz legend was born out of a typo!
The "Talking" Horns: Bubber, Tricky Sam, and
the Kid
That haunting main melody played by Bubber Miley on
trumpet? Bubber actually "borrowed" it from a 19th-century spiritual
called "The Holy City." He took a sacred hymn and
"corrupted" it with a plunger mute to create the "Jungle
Style."
Answering Bubber is the incredible Joe "Tricky
Sam" Nanton on trombone. He used a rubber sink plunger to create a
"wa-wa" sound that was eerily human. While the industry marketed this
as "primitive," it was actually a highly technical art form. He
wasn't just playing notes; he was speaking a language.
And listen to the deep "floor" of the saxophone
section. That is the debut of Harry Carney on baritone sax. He was just
17 years old here, but he would stay by Duke’s side for the next 47 years.
The Decade Update: 1937’s "New" Look
By 1937, the band had grown from a club outfit into a
world-class orchestra. Duke recorded The New East St. Louis
Toodle-O to show off this evolution. Here's Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra on Master Records:
If the 1926 version is a weary walk down a dusty road, the
1937 version is that same man finally reaching the city lights. Bubber Miley
had passed away by this time, so you hear his successor, Cootie Williams,
taking over the "growl" trumpet duties. It’s faster, smoother, and
"bigger"—a perfect example of Duke updating his architecture without
losing the soul of the building.
Of note is that The New East St. Louis Toodle-O was the first release on Master Records, a short-lived label owned by Duke's longtime manager Irving Mills.
The Covers: From the "Home of Happy Feet" to Rock Icons
This song is so quintessentially Ellingtonian that except for Duke himself, few dared to remake it for years. But when they did, the results were fascinating.
In 1959, veteran arranger Van Alexander gave it a snappy update for his Capitol album The Home of Happy Feet:
Interestingly, the liner notes credit trumpeter Shorty
Sherock with playing in the "Cootie Williams style"—forgetting
that it was Bubber Miley who laid the original tracks!
Then, in 1974, Steely Dan threw a curveball by
including it on Pretzel Logic. It’s a surreal, faithful tribute where
pedal steel player Jeff Baxter does a yeoman’s job mimicking those
"talking" horns:
The Flipside: Birmingham Breakdown
Back to Duke himself. Let's spin the original flipside of
the Vocalion 78:
While "East St. Louis" was the mood, Birmingham
Breakdown was the engine—showing off the band's technical speed.
Birmingham Breakdown didn't get many covers either, but Ellington devotee Charlie Barnet cut a swinging version for Bluebird in 1941:
Always great to hear the Barnet band keeping the drivers
drivin’! That train ain't ‘breakin' down’ anytime soon!
So, until next time..
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