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mahatmakanejeeves

(57,464 posts)
Mon Dec 25, 2023, 06:57 AM Dec 2023

On this day, December 25, 1942, George Linus Cobb died.

George L. Cobb



George L. Cobb

Background information
Born: August 31, 1886; Mexico, New York
Died: December 25, 1942 (aged 56); Brookline, Massachusetts

George Linus Cobb (August 31, 1886 – December 25, 1942) was an American composer. He composed over 200 pieces of music, including ragtimes, marches, and waltzes. He also wrote columns for music trade publications.

Career

Cobb attended the School of Harmony and Composition at Syracuse University in 1905, and his compositions began soon thereafter.

Cobb collaborated with lyricist Jack Yellen on many early songs, and in 1950 Billboard described Cobb as a "roving music teacher" during Yellen's sophomore year in college. They sold their first big hit, All Aboard for Dixieland, for $100 in 1913, but the two had been writing songs as early as 1909, beginning with Moonlight Makes Me Lonesome For A Girl Like You.

Cobb's most famous work is Russian Rag, a composition based on the opening chord progression of Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op.3, No.2. The piece was such a hit in 1918 that Cobb wrote The New Russian Rag in 1923 in an attempt to arrange more of the Rachmaninoff prelude for ragtime piano.

By 1917, Cobb began writing a monthly column titled "Just Between You and Me" in The Tuneful Yankee, a ragtime music magazine owned by publisher Walter Jacobs. The magazine also published many of Cobb's musical compositions. Cobb continued writing for the magazine after the name changed to Melody in 1918.

{snip}

My guess is that he'd be more famous for this:

Alabama Jubilee

"Alabama Jubilee" is a song written with music by George L. Cobb and words by Jack Yellen. The first known recording was that of comedians Collins & Harlan in 1915. The song is considered an American popular standard. The most popular versions of the song were Red Foley's 1951 version (#3 country, #28 pop) and the 1955 instrumental version by the Ferko String Band, which reached #13 on Cashbox, #14 on the Billboard Jukebox chart, and #20 in the UK. A 1981 instrumental version by Roy Clark won the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance.

{snip}



Alabama jubilee - banjo instrumental
1,015 views Feb 28, 2020

Jordan McCallister
164 subscribers

This is a neat version of the song Alabama Jubilee. It's got some cool runs and licks in it.


Wayne and Presley Alabama Jubilee
719 views Jun 18, 2019

Jennings Wolfe
43 subscribers

Chet Atkins:


Chet Atkins - Alabama Jubilee (1956).
29,784 views Jan 28, 2012

Kevin Allen
37.2K subscribers

Chet Atkins - Alabama Jubilee (1956).

Sue Keller:


Alabama Jubilee - Steinway Centennial - Sue Keller
40,818 views Apr 2, 2013

Ragtime Press
25.9K subscribers

sheet music: https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/scriptorium/sheetmusic/a/a29/a2961/a2961-1-72dpi.html
Alabama Jubilee (Yellen & Cobb, 1915) played by Sue Keller. The piano is an extremely rare 1876 Steinway Centennial Grand owned by piano technician Marc Weinert. Live at EJ Buck & Sons PianoWorld party in Lowell, MA on Saturday, March 23, 2013



Finally, the Ferko String Band:


The Ferko String Band - Alabama Jubilee (1955)
67,753 views Aug 1, 2011

CatsPjamas1
54.9K subscribers

Charted at #14 on Billboard Hot 100 in June 1955 and #20 on the UK Singles chart. The Ferko String Band also charted at #44 with "You Are My Sunshine" in August 1955. Original Billboard review: "With all the noise and infectious spirit of a carnival, the band gives an appealing performance of a tune on which there is certain to be consideable competition in the next few weeks. This version, at present, stands a good chance of coming out on top." Billboard rating: 80 out of 100.

This song had earlier charted at #2 in September 1915 for Arthur Collins and Byron Harlan. Red Foley charted at #28 in December 1951 with his version (#3 on the Country chart).

Written by George L. Cobb and Jack Yellen.

B-side is "Sing a Little Melody".

The tune also shows up in conjunto or tejano as an acordeon tune known as "El Circo."


El CIRCO
440,942 views Feb 5, 2010

jdhhacordeon
10.3K subscribers

Polka Norteña-Texana De Tony De La Rosa

Sun Dec 25, 2022: On this day, December 25, 1942, George Linus Cobb died.

Sat Dec 25, 2021: On this day, December 25, 1942, George Linus Cobb died.
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