Toot-toot-tootsie – Free Jazz Lead Sheet
C Major – 1922
About this song:
The song “toot-toot-tootsie” likely refers to the 1922 popular tune *Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo’ Bye!)*. It was written by Gus Kahn, Ernie Erdman, and Dan Russo and first published in 1922.
The first well-known recordings were by Al Jolson and the Orpheum Theater Orchestra; the tune was also popularized by acts like Sophie Tucker and Eddie Cantor. Lyrically, the song is a jaunty farewell to a beloved, mixing playful repetition with sentimentality (“toot, toot, tootsie, goodbye”). Musically, it features a bright, syncopated melody typical of early 20th‑century Tin Pan Alley songs, with a catchy chorus and simple harmonic structure that made it easy to adapt for dance bands and jazz ensembles.
