“When You and I Were Young, Maggie”—Tommy Ladnier & His Orchestra

Last October, Steve Attias​, in reaction to a Classic Jazz Lovers Facebook group post, wondered if there is such a thing as a Great Canadian Songbook.

If there ever was one, "When You And I Were Young Maggie" should certainly be included as one of the earliest Canadian songs.

The song was originally written by American composer James Austin Butterfield (1837-1891) to a 1864 poem by an Ontario school teacher named George Washington Johnson.

After it became a folk song it also became an early jazz standard.

This instrumental version was recorded by Louisiana trumpet player Tommy Ladnier and his Orchestra in New York on November 28, 1938.

That year, French jazz critic Hugues Panassié had travelled to the United States with the purpose of recording New Orleans jazz before it was totaly swept away by the swing era music.

He located clarinetist Mezz Mezzrow in New York and Mezz put Pannasié in touch with Tommy Ladnier.

In his early career, Tommy Ladnier accompanied various blues singers on their recordings. As a cornetist he had a style that carried a drive few were able to duplicate.

But it is said that Tommy was his own worst enemy and he wasn't very fortunate in his career choices. For instance, he departed from New Orleans because his mother found work in Chicago. But then Ladnier left Chicago on the eve of the golden days of jazz in the Windy City.

By the time Pannasié caught up with him he was giving trumpet lessons in upstate New York.

Pannasié assembled the following group which recorded under Ladnier's name to play this arrangement by Bechet and Mezzrow:

Tommy Ladnier-trumpet; Sidney Bechet (a fellow Louisianan whom Tommy first met in Moscow while they both were touring Europe)-soprano sax and clarinet; Mezz Mezzrow-clarinet and tenor saxophone; Cliff Jackson-piano; Teddy Bunn-guitar; Elmer James-string bass; Manzie Johnson-drums.

Tommy Ladnier's late Thirties revival was short lived.

On June 4, 1939, six months after the Panassié recordings, and six days after his 39th birthday, Tommy Ladnier suddenly died .

In his book "Really the Blues" Mezz Mezzrow recalls that when Tommy Ladnier died, his widow wanted to know about his estate.

"Tommy's estate is at the police station," Mezz told her. "It consists of one pair of soiled socks, one torn shirt and a set of raggedly underwear."

Mezzrow added that Tommy Ladnier was great on the horn though, "one of the most prosperous New Orleans musicians."

Ladnier's musical friends were shocked by Tommy's heart attack and it was in that spirit that they entered the New York Bluenote recording studio 4 days later to cut "Blues For Tommy" and "Pounding Heart Blues."

This group, called Port of Harlem Seven, consisted of Frank Newton-trumpet; J.C. Higginbotham-trombone; Sidney Bechet-soprano sax/clarinet; Meade Lux Lewis-piano; Teddy Bunn-guitar; John Williams-string bass; and Sidney Catlett-drums.

In "Blues For Tommy" these musicians all express their sorrow through their music, each one of which is better than the other. The number ends up in a free for all New Orleans wail.