I carefully close the ragged scrapbook to seek my own "Musician's Scrapbook."  I was looking for a clipping from the Ohio State Journal dated Tuesday, January 21,1958 that closes the book on Stomp Gordon. "Archie A. ‘Stomp’ Gordon, a 26 year-old Columbus musician, was found dead in a parked car on New York's City's Madison Avenue late Sunday night. The body was not identified until early Monday morning. Police found the piano player slumped over the wheel of his station wagon... the body was taken to Bellevue Morgue where it was identified by one of the members of the five-piece orchestra he had taken to New York. New York medical examiners said an autopsy disclosed Gordon died of pneumonia and a liver ailment.”
   It is unknown when or how but it has been said Stomp picked up a heroin habit. "Horse" was the rage of jazzy players during the 1940's and 50's when Charlie Parker was influencing the scene with his revolutionary sax playing and other bad habits. It is said that Stomp at the time of his death was carrying the legacy of being the Fats Waller of his generation, making his music wild fun and pushing entertainment far past its boundaries.
   Well, I've discovered Stomp again and since he left his scrapbook and traffic tickets to me for safe keeping, I'd like to bring him back onstage once again for people to enjoy. "Whomp, bebop, boom, bam. I'm a killer diller, yes I am!"