Claude Hopkins

( Naar de Nederlandse vertaling.)

As I found two film fragments with some typically 1930s entertainment I remembered Claude Hopkins. Claude Hopkins, bandleader, piano player, born in 1903 in Alexandria V.A. died op the 19th of February 1984. I saw him in concert at the Traditional Jazz Festival in Breda (a city in the southern part of the Netherlands), May 1978 at the night concert in the Turfschip.

How'm I Doin'? - 152202-1 Claude Hopkins and his Orchestra Recorded New York City 24th of May, 1932

To be honest - I don't remember very much about this concert, except of course the great concert of the Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra, the smash hit of the festival. We visited that concert, 29 years ago, with my brother and sister in law and in a previous blog I raked up a rather strange meeting with an American visitor of the festival, Mr. Bill Bacon. Well read about it in that blog. The concert with Claude Hopkins was sceduled somewhere at the end of the night, together with two other giants of the past Dickie Wells and Earle Warren. Dicky Wells (1907 - 1985 ) was a trombone player who played with Benny Carter, Fletcher Henderson and Teddy Hill in the 1930s before he joined Count Basie's Band. Earle Warren ( 1915 -1994 ) was an alto saxophone player, who also played at Basie's Band.

Barber Shop Blues ( 1933)

Claude Hopkins ( 1903 - 1984) played the piano as accompanist during the 1920s, and was Josephine Bakers musical director in Europe. One of the members of that band was Sidney Bechet. In the late 1920s he returned to the US and had his own bands. In 1930 he took over the Charlie Skeete band and made it a tremendous popular band at the Savoy Ballroom and other dance halls in New York during the 1930s. Thanks to radio programs Claude Hopkins band became one of the most popular black bands in the US. His first recordings with his own band were in 1932 and the 78rpm recording of How'm I Doin' in my collection is from that first session. In 1940 the group was broken up and Claude Hopkins led a big band and had some smaller groups. In the 1950s and 1960s he played with Henry Red Allen and Herman Autrey - two other jazz musicians known from the 1930s. In the 1960s he became a member of the Jazz Giants, directed by Wild Bill Davison, who played also during that night concert with the Classic Jazz Collegium.

By Request ( 1935)

As I wrote before; I have but few remembrances about this concert. I remember that Claude Hopkins was an old brittle man (although he was only 75 years old) that had to be brought to his piano chair. It was said that he had his own doctor with him to watch over his health. I don't remember anything about his piano playing, and also the other to veteran players didn't left a deep impression on me. I found a small tribute to this concert in my library at the Roaring Jazz Crooner Chronicle of June 1978, reading The Americans were evidently overtired from their long trip accross the ocean and only Earle Warren kept the concert going. Is that all left from this concert? No pictures, nothing written remembrances?

The two film fragments I found, both contain the Claude Hopkins Orchestra, but the accent is on the entertainment. Enjoy both dancing acts.

Claude Hopkins and his Orchestra play "Nagasaki" ( 1933 )with dancing by the Four Step Brothers and a very hot version of "Loveless Love". Soloists include Ovie Alston (trumpet), Fernando Arbello (trombone) and Bobby Sands (reeds). Edmond Hall is also in the band but doesn't solo. ( Barber Shop Blues)

In a nightclub setting, in 1935, Claude Hopkins and his Orchestra play a medley of tunes, incl. "Shine" with dancing by Tip, Tap and Toe ( what a great name for dancing group !!) ( By Request)

If you have pictures or remembrances made during this night concert of Claude Hopkins, Dickie Wells and Earle Waren, please share it with us !!

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

To my last contribution


MY TURNTABLE
charlie hunter-leon parker/duo = stuff that dreams are made of (2) = ton van bergeyk/fingerpicking guitar solos (1973-79) = dinah washington/for those in love = claude hopkins and his orchestra/how'm i doin'- 152202-1 (78) = freddie hubbard/skylark (lp) = rein de graaff-dick vennik quartet/modal soul (lp) = illinois jacquet/memories of you - quadromania(4)

Keep Swinging Oscar Aleman Flexible Records Choro Music Hit of the week - Durium

Nederlands ( To the English translation )

Omdat ik twee filmfragmenten vond met daarin typisch vermaak uit de jaren dertig met het orkest van Claude Hopkins moest ik weer denken aan dat nachtconcert in het Turfschip in Breda (Oude Stijl Jazz Festival), nu 29 jaar geleden, waar Claude Hopkins, bandleider en pianist, geboren in Alexandria V.A. in 1903 en overleden op 19 februari 1984, optrad.

How'm I Doin'? - 152202-1 Claude Hopkins and his Orchestra, Opgenomen New York City 24 mei 1932

Eerlijk gezegd - ik herinner me niet zo heel veel meer van dit nachtconcert, behalve dan het legendarische concert van de Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra en de ontmoeting met die wat vreemde Amerikaanse bezoeker Bill Bacon, waarover ik een jaar geleden in een eerdere weblog schreef. Het concert met Claude Hopkins stond gepland aan het eind van het nachtconcert, samen met twee andere legenden uit het verleden: Dickie Wells en Earle Warren. Dicky Wells (1907 - 1985 ) was in de dertiger jaren trombonist bij Benny Carter, Fletcher Henderson en Teddy Hill en kwam eind jaren dertig in het orkest van Count Basie terecht, waar hij bijna zijn hele carriere lang onderdeel van bleef uitmaken. Net als Earle Warren ( 1915 -1994 ) overigens, die altsax speelde in Basie's Band.

Barber Shop Blues ( 1933)

Claude Hopkins ( 1903 - 1984) speelde in de jaren twintig piano als begeleider en werd de musical director in Europa voor Josephine Baker. In die band zat o.a. Sidney Bechet. Eind jaren twintig leidde hij een eigen band en in 1930 nam hij het orkest van Charlie Skeete over. Het Claude Hopkins Orchestra werd enorm populair in de New Yorkse danszalen als de Savoy Ballroom gedurence de jaren dertig. Dit kwam ook door de wekelijkse radiouitzendingen waardoor Claude Hopkins band de populairste zwarte band van Amerika werd. Zijn eerste opnamen met het orkest onder eigen naam dateren van mei 1932 en de 78 toerenplaat met How'm I Doin', die ik in mijn verzameling heb, dateert van deze eerste sessie. In 1940 wordt het orkest opgeheven en leidt Claude Hopkins een big band en een eigen kwintet. In de jaren vijftig en zestig treedt hij op met Henry Red Allen en Herman Autrey - twee andere musici, die hun sporen in de dertiger jaren verdiend hadden. Eind jaren zestig treedt hij toe tot de Jazz Giants, onderleiding van Wild Bill Davison, die overigens ook optrad tijdens dit nachtfestival met The Classic Jazz Colllegium.

By Request ( 1935)

Zoals ik al eerder zei: ik heb maar weinig herinnering meer aan dit concert. Ik herinner me Claude Hopkins als een oude breekbare man (toch nog maar 75), die naar de pianokruk geholpen moest worden. Hij schijnt z'n eigen privédokter bij zich gehad te hebben. Van zijn pianospel herinner ik me niet veel meer, net zoals van het spel van de andere twee veteranen. Gelukkig zijn er dan nog geschreven verslagen zou je denken, maar het enige wat ik hier thuis kon vinden was een verslag in de Roaring Jazz Crooner Chronicle van juni 1978, waarin ik lees: De Amerikanen waren kennelijk oververmoeid van de langdurige reis en alleen Earle Warren hield het gebeuren overeind. Meer niet - zelfs geen foto's. Laten we hopen dat dit concert toch nog ergens fotografisch vastgelegd is. De twee filmfragmenten die ik vond laten het Claude Hopkins Orchestra horen, maar het accent bij dit soort filmpjes ligt op het entertainment er om heen.
.

Claude Hopkins and his Orchestra spelen "Nagasaki" ( 1933 ) met dans door de Four Step Brothers en een hotte versie van "Loveless Love". Soloisten zijn Ovie Alston (tp), Fernando Arbello (tb) en Bobby Sands (cl s). Edmond Hall is ook aanwezig maar heeft geen solo. (Barber Shop Blues)

In een nachtclubachtige omgeving speelt het orkest van Claude Hopkins een medley met o.a. "Shine" met dans door Tip, Tap and Toe ( wie verzint dat !!) ( By Request - 1935)

Wie eeeft er nog foto's of herinneringen aan dit concert van Claude Hopkins - Earl Warren en Dickie Wells?


Keep swinging

Hans Koert



keepswinging@live.nl

Naar mijn laatste bijdrage !

MIJN DRAAITAFEL

charlie hunter-leon parker/duo = stuff that dreams are made of (2) = ton van bergeyk/fingerpicking guitar solos (1973-79) = dinah washington/for those in love = claude hopkins and his orchestra/how'm i doin'- 152202-1 (78) = freddie hubbard/skylark (lp) = rein de graaff-dick vennik quartet/modal soul (lp) = illinois jacquet/memories of you - quadromania(4)

Keep Swinging Oscar Aleman Flexible Records Choro Music Hit of the week - Durium

Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra

This is my 183rd Keep swinging blog, which means that my webblog has been published today for more then a half year.
Hope you liked it and I hope to share my passion with you in the next blogs.

The concert of the Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra at the night concert of the Oude Stijl Jazz Festival in Breda ( The Netherlands) on the 6th of May, 1978, was a great event. The concert took part in one of the large concert halls in Het Turfschip in Breda.

On stage eight persons dressed as if they were dropped here as a part of an exhibition about the Roaring Twenties. The band, its official Czech name is ORIGINALNI PRAZSKY SYNKOPICKY ORCHESTR, was unknown to most people in the audience. When the concert started everybody was amazed by the 1920s sound the band produced. 


   

I still remember the moment when the tune Five Foot Two .....  was played and Ondrej Havelka started to sing the first lines of the theme. It was as if everybody in the audience got the same experience on the same time: this band were the California Ramblers alive, a rebirth from 1925. The screaming and yelling of the audience has been saved on the LP that was released of this event. Each tune they performed gave the same thrill. Sweet Henry, as played by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake was such another thrill and when the band played I'm Not worrying it was as if Clarence Williams in person entered the stage.
The enthusiasm of the audience was overwelming. The end of the concert was rather chaotic. When Pavel Klikar announced that the band would play its last number, the audience didn't except that and it had to play two or three extra tunes. You can hear the desperation in Klikar's voices when he says: Really really at last ..... as they runed out of repertoire.
The way the Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra performed was historically thought out in detail. The dress, the hair cut, the announcements, the instruments and the sound. The band members played their instruments like it was usual in the 1920s. No drums, for example. A (snare) drum, although used in those days on stage, was never used in accoustic recordings as its sound would upset the recordings. That's why these bands often used woodblocks or a cymbal for rhythm. But not the Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra.
Another remarkable instrument used is the violophon, the violin that uses a horn to amplify the sound. .
I remember that, I guess it was a year later at the same Oude Stijl Jazz Festival, when the band had to return of course, the musicians of the band where not content with the sound that was reproduced through the amplifiers, as it still had a kind of stereo-effect. It should be a pure mono-sound.
The 1978 concert was released on a Jazz Crooner LP ( JC 068578 ) and is now a collector's item too.
The complete information of the LP is:
ORIGINALNI PRAZSKY SYNKOPICKY ORCHESTR : Pavel Klikar dir-co-p, Thomas Velinsky tb, Frantisek Rubas cl-ss-bs, Jan Stolba cl-as, Zbynek Maly v-violophon, Jiri Gilik p, Jiri Sicha banj, Ondrej Havelka vo.
Recorded Breda, 6 May 1978
1 - Chinaman Blues
2 - Five Foot Two Eyes Of Blue
3 - I'm Not Worrying
4 - Sweet henry
5 - Up The Country Blues
6 - Mama Is Going To Slow You down
7 - Rough Bottom
8 - Harmonica Blues
9 - Love Found You for Me
10 - Salty dog
11 - I'd Rather Be The Girl In Your Arms
12 - Alice Blue Gown
13 - When Our Grammophone Plays Black Bottom
Released as JAZZ CROOMER vol. 11 ( JC 068578 )The Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra returned the next year to the festival and made a tour along some other venues. They also perfomed in Germany and other countries. Some more LPs were released ( like WAM 780.065 ) and also a CD, Jazz & Hot Dance Music 1923-31 ( Panton 81 0331).
As promissed I'll share some of these recordings with the loyal daily visitors of this blog who contacted me and I hope to share my passion, my knowledge and enthusiasm about jazz music as played between 1917 and 2017 in my daily Keep swinging blog: http://keepswinging.blogspot.com ( please book mark it, forward it to your friends, link it or use the RSS-function, which gives you the possibility to see automatically on your screen each new contribution that has been posted.
Enjoy the tune Five Foot Two Eyes Of Blue by clicking on the title bar or on the tune title.
Thanks to Jørgen too, who even visits my blogs even two or three times a day and replace me when I am unable to make my daily contribution. - I hope a present I promised him, will arrive today ( or tomorrow, or the day after ..... )
Keep swinging
Hans Durium Koert
keepswinging@live.nl