Whats the origin of “Tin Pan Alley”?
Dear Straight Dope: What is the origin of the term “Tin Pan Alley”? — Matt Goolsby, North Liberty, IA While a “wash tub” bass may be familiar to aficionados of old time jug bands, you’re probably wondering how you get music out of a tin pan. At least music that sounds better than your two-year-old sitting in the kitchen floor with a wooden spoon and your dutch oven. Easy–you just “tickle its ivories.” As far back as the early 1880’s the term “tin pan” was slang for the old, out-of-tune upright piano that was banged on night and day in a gin joint by some guy wearing garters on his sleeves. So it’s not surprising that someone coined the phrase “Tin Pan Alley” around 1900 to describe the area of music publishing houses in New York City that were then clustered around 28th St. between 5th Ave. and Broadway. The name is usually attributed to Monroe Rosenfeld and Harry von Tilzer, two colorful characters from the early days of the street. Supposedly Rosenfeld invented it while in von Tilze
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