Eubie Blake supposedly wrote more than 2,000 songs, but only about 350 have been catalogued from his published and recorded works. Eubie, of course was a jazzman during the very earliest days of jazz when it was much more of a folk music than it later became. Like Woody, Eubie recycled riffs, phrases, and whole tunes, so maybe 2,000 is a realistic number, with the proviso that a good number of those songs were only performed once or twice. In any event composing 350 "keepers" ain't at all bad. Out of Woody's 500 to 1,000 songs, does anyone believe there are even 350 that are more than historical curiosities? And that's asked by someone who has spent 35 years resurrecting some of Woody's forgotten gems, such as Blow Big Wind Blow, Boomtown Bill, Highway 66 Blues, The Many and the Few, Sally Don't You Grieve, and Down In O-klay-homa.

On the other hand, Eubie lived to 100 and was up and about until the very end. Woody died at 55, and suffered from a devastating illness the last 15 years of his life. Eubie thus had about four times as many productive years than Woody.

--- Steve