Comments on: Rights to Mr. Armstrong's music?

Question: Rights to Mr. Armstrong's music?

partner — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 12:41:05 -0800

How to I find the copyright owner of "Louis Armstrong´s 50 Hot Choruses For Cornet" which was published by the Melrose Brothers, Chicago in 1927? I tried to contact the Armstrong Museum in Queens, NY to no avail. Thanks in advance for the help.

By: Oktober

Oktober — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 12:52:12 -0800

Whether it's still under copyright or not turns on whether it was renewed when its initial term expired in 1955.

By: windykites

windykites — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:20:41 -0800

I don't know how you find the owner but I would be willing to bet that it's public domain by now.

By: sarah_pdx

sarah_pdx — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:39:38 -0800

You might try contacting a small music publisher.

I know of one www.ejazzlines.com, that does a lot of jazz arrangements. I believe they do a good job of making sure royalties get back to the original artists. If they don't know the specific status of the piece you're looking at, they might know how to find out.