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Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)

04 Mar 08 - 03:37 PM (#2279537)
Subject: Lyr Req: 'The Mysterious Axmans' Jazz.'
From: Rain Dog

Trying to find the lyrics / music / recording of a song ""The Mysterious Axmans' Jazz (Don't Scare Me Papa" by Jospeh John Davilla published in 1919

It refers to the Axeman killings in New Orleans 1918 - 1919

04 Mar 08 - 04:21 PM (#2279581)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Mysterious Axmans' Jazz.'
From: ClaireBear

There's a photo of the cover here, but the lyrics and music are beyond my skills to uncover.

04 Mar 08 - 04:40 PM (#2279592)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Mysterious Axmans' Jazz.'
From: Rain Dog

Thanks Claire. I had found that pic but I have been unable to find the lyrics or the music so far

05 Mar 08 - 04:09 PM (#2280523)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Mysterious Axmans' Jazz.'
From: Peace

Refresh

05 Mar 08 - 04:36 PM (#2280544)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Mysterious Axmans' Jazz.'
From: Rapparee

I'll try to remember to check out my copy of "Gumbo Ya-Ya" when I get home tonight.

05 Mar 08 - 10:31 PM (#2280827)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Mysterious Axmans' Jazz.'
From: Rapparee

Nope. The story's in there but the words aren't.

05 Mar 08 - 10:50 PM (#2280840)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Mysterious Axmans' Jazz.'
From: Rapparee

It is also not in the catalog of the Library of Congress, New Orleans Public Library, World Cat, or Tulane University.

06 Mar 08 - 04:29 AM (#2280955)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Mysterious Axmans' Jazz.'
From: GUEST

Thanks very much Rapaire.
Someone on another list asked about this song and it got my interest. I had a search around myself but came up with very little.
I think that the best bet might be to get hold of a copy of the sheet music. Copies seem to have been for sale on various sites over the last year or two.
I am starting to have doubts about the existence of this song myself. But we shall see.
Thanks for all the replies. I thought this would be one of the better places to ask about the song.
Gumbo Ya-Ya looks an interesting book.

06 Mar 08 - 09:05 AM (#2281130)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Mysterious Axmans' Jazz.'
From: Rapparee

It was published by World Music Publishing in New Orleans and the cover picture to the sheet music is on the web -- Wikipedia, I think, but I know it's on there.

I was surprised that it wasn't listed in World Cat or LC, but lots of libraries have things that still aren't listed electronically. Something to do with having the money to do the job and libraries, of course, are "obsolete" because everything's on the web -- as this exercise shows.

It exists; it's just a matter of finding out where it is.

If you find it, please post the lyrics and let everyone know where the sheet music can be found. Sharing is, after all, part of what this place is all about.

Haven't check the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksville, MS...hmmmm....

06 Mar 08 - 09:21 AM (#2281144)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Mysterious Axmans' Jazz.'
From: Rain Dog

If I do find anything on it I will post it here. I too believe in sharing.

Yes I have seen the cover picture of the sheet music. I am just a little surprised abou the lack of information about the song itself. It's been written about a number of times but there appears to be no mention of the lyrics. More digging is required

Thanks again for your help in this matter Rapaire,

06 Mar 08 - 11:40 AM (#2281231)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Mysterious Axmans' Jazz.'
From: Rain Dog

I have the feeling that this might not be a song at all but just a tune.

06 Mar 08 - 02:54 PM (#2281433)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Mysterious Axmans' Jazz.'
From: Rapparee

Either way it should be collected.

I just got off the phone with the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, MS. They're gonna see what they can do; might be a couple days.

28 Mar 08 - 02:30 PM (#2299771)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz
From: Rain Dog

Just bumping this message up the page

28 Mar 08 - 07:52 PM (#2300046)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz
From: Rapparee

I've heard nothing more. I'll email them on Monday.

03 Sep 08 - 02:58 PM (#2430100)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

Bump

05 Sep 08 - 04:08 AM (#2431577)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

I found the following link to the Winter 2008 issue of Sera News

SERA News

which states that The Historic New Orleans Collection has recently acquired a piece of sheet music, "The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (Don't Scare Me Papa)".

I will try and contact these people in the next few days and see if I can find out any more about it. I know that things have been a little hectic In New Orleans lately so it might be a while before I get an answer.

09 Sep 08 - 12:24 PM (#2435303)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

I have heard back from the Williams Research Center,The Historic New Orleans Collection about this item

The Historic New Orleans Collection

but it was not the answer that I wanted to hear. They told me the following:

"We have processed your research request and have located the sheet music for J.J. Davilla's "The Mysterious Azman's Jazz (Don't Scare Me Papa) in our collections. Unfortunately, the sheet music does not include lyrics to the song. On the bottom of the second page, however, the phrase "Lyrics reserved for special mechanical reproduction" is included, therefore it seems likely that the song does include lyrics that we currently do not posess."

Can any of you sheet music collectors tell me if that phrase "Lyrics reserved for special mechanical reproduction" was a usual phrase on sheet music from that time?

So the search for the lyrics (if there are any) continues for the moment.

10 Sep 08 - 02:13 PM (#2436471)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Jim Dixon

WorldCat does list it:

Davilla, Joseph John. The Mysterious Axman's Jazz: Don't Scare Me Papa. New Orleans: World's Music Publishing Company, 1919.

But WorldCat lists only one copy, and that's at the Historic New Orleans Collection, and we already know where that gets us!

10 Sep 08 - 03:20 PM (#2436548)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

Thanks for that Jim.

I have sent an e-mail to the author of this article

The Axeman Cometh by Bruce Raeburn

to see if he had any source on the song apart from the piece in Gumbo Ya Ya.

Fingers crossed

11 Sep 08 - 09:37 AM (#2437286)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

I had a reply from Bruce Raeburn but he was unable to provide me with any lyrics. He, like a lot of people, has never seen any lyrics and he is not aware of any recording. So the hunt continues...

18 Sep 08 - 07:35 PM (#2444529)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: GUEST,scott

you said somewhere had the sheet music though- does that mean its possible to get a facsimile copy?

19 Sep 08 - 03:26 AM (#2444768)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

The Historic New Orleans Collection have a copy of the sheet music and will provide a copy for a small charge. You can contact them through their website here

The Historic New Orleans Collection

They were very helpful and quick in replying to my question about the sheet music.

25 Nov 08 - 12:07 PM (#2501302)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

I thought I would bump this thread up again and also mention a book which some of you might be interested in.

The book is "I Shot a Man in Reno: A History of Death by Murder, Suicide, Fire, Flood, Drugs, Disease, and General Misadventure, as Related in Popular Song" and it is by Graeme Thomson

I got a copy yesterday and while having a quick skim through it I was pleased to see the cover of the sheet music for The Mysterious Axman's Jazz reproduced on the frontspiece. Unfortunately there was no mention of any lyrics in the book.

26 Nov 08 - 07:39 PM (#2502504)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Jim Dixon

I have identified two nonfiction books that contain significant information about the murders:

Ready to Hang: Seven Famous New Orleans Murders by Robert Tallant (New York: Harper, 1952).

Serial Murder and Media Circuses by Dirk Cameron Gibson (Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers, 2006).

And one novel based on the story:

The Axeman's Jazz: A Skip Langdon Novel by Julie Smith (New York: Ivy Books, 1992).

And two collections of stories that contain some material based on fact:

The Edge of the Chair: Anthology by Joan Kahn (New York: Harper & Row, 1967).

French Quarter Fiction: The Newest Stories of America's Oldest Bohemia by Joshua Clark (New Orleans: Light of New Orleans Pub., 2003).

27 Dec 08 - 06:48 PM (#2525798)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: GUEST,armagecko

Hats off to your thorough research. Alas, there are no lyrics to the The Mysterious Axeman's Jazz by Joseph Davila. I know because I performed my own extensive research many years ago and I also own multiple copies of the original sheet music from World's Music Publishing. (In mint condition, I might add.) The music was recorded last spring and will be released on CD tentatively titled, "Road to Abaddon," around Sept. 2009. If your curiosity still won't allow you to sleep, reply to the post and maybe I'll send you an MP3.

30 Dec 08 - 09:25 AM (#2527359)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

Thanks for the post. I did think that there were no lyrics to this particular piece. I had done a little more searching and while I found some stuff on Davila I could find nothing about the lyrics for The Mysterious Axeman's Jazz.

10 Nov 09 - 06:04 PM (#2763765)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davi
From: GUEST,Dick T

i would very much like to hear the mp3, i live 3 blocks down from where the first supposed victims of the axeman died and id love to further understand the social climate the murders evoked, especially this piece of music, thank you

19 May 10 - 09:37 AM (#2909876)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: GUEST,Rita Faltoyano

nothing

I have found no lyrics at all.

19 May 10 - 03:41 PM (#2910081)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

I have the feeling that there were no lyrics for this piece but of course you never know.....

20 May 10 - 09:22 PM (#2910969)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Jim Dixon

Who knows? Maybe someday someone will feel inspired to write some lyrics to it.

21 Mar 11 - 02:27 PM (#3118429)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: GUEST,Mandy

I just stumbled on to this thread after reading a great non-fiction graphic novel on the Axeman called "The Terrible Axe-Man of New Orleans" by Rick Geary. No mention of lyrics, but there is a mention of the song. Anyway, for any one interested, it's a great history of the crimes.

Good luck!

31 May 12 - 03:37 AM (#3357540)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

Something Old, Something New: Collecting in the 21st Century

Something Old, Something New showcases some of the most significant items acquired by The Collection since the year 2000.

Multiple curators selected objects that reflect the broad range of Louisiana's history as represented through library materials, manuscripts, pictorial items and new media. Included are sheet music for "The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (Don't Scare Me Papa)"; a duck decoy crafted in 2008 using traditional Louisiana carving methods; and photographs by Michael P. Smith, Ernest Bellocq and C. Bennette Moore. The selections cover the nuances of the historical record and subjects both familiar and obscure.

Something Old, Something New: Collecting in the 21st Century
July 24, 2012–February 8, 2013
533 Royal St.
Gallery hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.,
Sunday, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Admission is free.

The Historic New Orleans Collection

31 Aug 12 - 03:45 PM (#3398242)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: GUEST,Magnus

Stumbled on your thread and thought you perhaps would find this intressting reading:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/91748853/I-Shot-a-Man-in-Reno

03 Sep 12 - 03:53 AM (#3399355)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

Thanks for the link. I did enjoy that book

22 Mar 13 - 08:13 AM (#3493406)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

A short video on this subject from the Travelchannel, with some views of the sheet music. Not sure what the record is that they play during the video

The mysterious axmans jazz

09 Apr 13 - 03:11 PM (#3501065)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: GUEST,Jason N.

Hello there,

I'm recently on the hunt for a recording of this song, or for a copy of the sheet music, and would be obliged for any leads. I saw the previous poster 'amragecko' mention a recording from 2009, but I've not succeeded in locating it. Thanks all!

Cheers,

J

10 Apr 13 - 03:28 AM (#3501272)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

As per my post of 19th Sept 2008, the Historic New Orleans Collection have a copy of the sheet music and will provide a copy for a small charge. You can contact them through their website here

The Historic New Orleans Collection


They were very helpful and quick in replying to my question about the sheet music.

I am not aware of any recording of the piece itself. If you find one I hope that you will mention it here.

11 Apr 13 - 05:11 PM (#3501988)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: GUEST,Jason N.

Good afternoon Rain Dog,

I did make contact with the HNOC and they offered to send some photocopies which, although I was hoping for a digital copy, I will request at my earliest opportunity. Thanks for following up.

Cheers,

J

07 Jun 13 - 12:05 PM (#3523828)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

I don't have the sheet music as I don't read music so it would not be much use to me but I thought i would post this link

Ragtimer95 playing The Mysterious Axman's Jazz on YouTube

As he says himself "No problem! I'd been looking for a copy of the music everywhere, and a friend let me borrow his (photocopy). I had JUST memorized it when I recorded it -- hence the dirtiness. I'll try to upload a cleaner version later."

The Mysterious Axeman's Jazz (1919), Joseph John Davilla

13 Aug 13 - 12:53 PM (#3548639)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

Another version

"Mysterious Axman's Jazz" Sight-Read by Tom Brier

and a sighting of the sheet music

29 May 14 - 08:15 AM (#3628856)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: GUEST,#

Refresh

30 May 14 - 12:16 AM (#3629056)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: LadyJean

Oh, I just can't spell. Because I checked for a thread, and was surprised there wasn't one. Thank you.

30 May 14 - 02:01 AM (#3629066)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Joe Offer

I see lots of posts and lots of links, but no lyrics. Can anybody post a transcription?

30 May 14 - 05:32 AM (#3629101)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

Yes I can post a transcription Joe




Chorus








Chorus





Chorus






There are some doubts about that version but it was the best I could find so far.

30 May 14 - 07:53 AM (#3629120)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: GUEST,#

It seems there are no lyrics.

03 Jul 14 - 05:22 PM (#3638788)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: GUEST,PHIL WILKING

The Historic New Orleans Collection, Royal Street, NOLA, has a copy of the piano solo (no lyrics). It is 4 pages - 2 covers and two interior music pages. They will photocopy at $.50 a page, plus a mailing fee. They have a web site.

13 Mar 17 - 11:00 AM (#3844669)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: Rain Dog

Miriam C Davis has just published a book "The Axeman of New Orleans"

Article here in the New Orleans Advocate, where Davis says that she thinks the letter to the press back in the day was a hoax.

The New Orleans Advocate

There is an interview on Vice.com with Davis about her book

Vice

14 Mar 17 - 03:24 AM (#3844796)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (J J Davilla)
From: GUEST,Mike Yates

I enjoyed reading Ray Celestin's novel "The Axeman's Jazz", which is based on the 1919 New Orleans events. Also liked his follow up novel "Dead Man's Blues", though the latter is set in Chicago, a few years later.