The Cat's Pajamas (1922)
Novelty
Last updated: 23.01.24
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Composer: H. Jentes Suppliers: dbe15.gif
Editor: Geoff Grainger Septet D/A/T/T/T/B/GB(B)
Publisher: Ditty Box Enterprises Publication: DBE 1017
Print-on-demand. Please send an Enquiry Form if you are interested in this item. It may be re-printed if justified by demand.  

Length: approx. 3½ mins. Sounds best with the bass doubled.
The Cat's Pajamas (sic( is a good representative of the "novelty" compositions of the period which were more-or-less intended for professional pianists, recordings, pianolas and the like and also the then brand-new radio rather than performance by amateurs on their home pianos. The title itself was an early 1920's catch-phrase generally meaning inventiveness or stylish (pyjamas then being new) combined with the word cat which referred to flappers and the early jazz musicians. Indeed this piece itself can be said to be the cat's pyjamas! Its form is ABBCCA written entirely in Eb-major with a 4-bar introduction which doubles as an interlude between the CC- and A-strains. This adaptation for recorder septet is not amongst the easiest to master but well worth the effort. The 3rd tenor is a bit of a dogsbody with invitations to back up the basses and conduct a little bar-counting. He or she may be left out without much detriment. On the other hand, the composer note says, "It is optional with the player to use octaves instead of tenths or ninths". Here the editor feels that the ensemble leader thus has the freedom to experiment and the hapless 3rd tenor be given a more demanding task.
A tempo of 150 crotchets/min. is suggested.
The Cat's Pajamas was published by Jack Mills Inc., New York, USA.

  Composer Sequencer
     
audiomidi15.gif H. Jentes James Pitt-Payne
  Composer Performer Instruments
       
audiodbemp315.gif H. Jentes Midi Ragtime Recorder Ens. D/A/T/T/T/B/GB(B)
     Title Attribution Instruments Source Remarks
           
pdf15.gif Cat's Pajamas (1922), The H. Jentes (music) Piano IMSLP wvicon.gif