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Will Marion Cook

William Mercer Cook (January 27, 1869 – July 19, 1944), better known as Will Marion Cook, was an African-American composer, violinist, and choral director. Cook was a student of Antonín Dvořák. In 1919 he took his New York Syncopated Orchestra to England for a command performance for King George V of the United Kingdom, and tour. Cook is probably best known for his popular songs and landmark Broadway musicals, featuring African-American creators, producers, and casts, such as Clorindy, or The Origin of the Cake Walk (1898) and In Dahomey (1903). The latter toured for four years, including in the United Kingdom and United States.

Cook served as musical director of the George Walker-Bert Williams Company, working with the comedy partners on Clorindy, In Dahomey, and several other musical successes.

Birth and Death Data: Born January 27, 1869 (Washington, D.C.), Died July 19, 1944 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1899 - 1941

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, arranger, leader

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Berliner 4296 7-in. Before Apr. 1899 Who dat say chicken in dis crowd? Imperial Quartet Male vocal quartet composer  
Berliner 015 7-in. 4/15/1899 Darktown is out tonight Len Spencer Male vocal solo lyricist, composer  
Berliner 027 7-in. 3/29/1899 Darktown is out tonight Metropolitan Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Berliner 035 7-in. 4/3/1899 Darktown is out tonight Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo lyricist, composer  
Berliner 0311 7-in. 7/7/1899 Who dat said chicken Len Spencer Male vocal solo composer  
Berliner 0911 7-in. 1/26/1900 Who dat say chicken in dis crowd? Metropolitan Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Berliner 01208 7-in. Apr. 1900 Who dat say chicken in dis crowd? (Medley) Sousa's Band Band composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]137 7-in. 7/14/1900 Who dat say 'chicken'? Voss First Regiment Band Band composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]253 10-in. 10/4/1902 Darktown is out to-night Metropolitan Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]253 7-in. 9/29/1900 Darktown is out to-night Metropolitan Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]289 7-in. 9/28/1900 Who dat say chicken in dis crowd? Metropolitan Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]362 7-in. 10/3/1900 Who dat say chicken in dis crowd? Sousa's Band Band composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1661 10-in. 10/8/1902 On Emancipation Day Vess L. Ossman Banjo solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1661 7-in. 10/8/1902 On Emancipation Day Vess L. Ossman Banjo solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1710 10-in. 10/25/1902 On Emancipation Day Vess L. Ossman ; Len Spencer Male vocal solo, with banjo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1710 7-in. 10/25/1902 On Emancipation Day Vess L. Ossman ; Len Spencer Male vocal solo, with banjo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1798 10-in. 11/20/1902 Molly Green J. W. Myers Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1798 7-in. 11/20/1902 Molly Green J. W. Myers Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor A-1583 7-in. 7/11/1904 Mandy Lou Billy Murray Male vocal solo composer  
Victor B-1583 10-in. 7/11/1904 Mandy Lou Billy Murray Male vocal solo composer  
Victor B-2522 10-in. 5/4/1905 It's allus de same in Dixie Haydn Quartet ; Billy Murray Male vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-2873 10-in. 11/8/1905 Mandy Lou Haydn Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-6066 10-in. 3/31/1908 Bon-bon buddy Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-8180 10-in. 8/26/1909 The red, red rose Albert Campbell ; Haydn Quartet Male vocal quartet and soloist, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-8258 12-in. 9/28/1909 Red, red rose Arthur C. Clough ; Haydn Quartet Male vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-9687 10-in. 12/6/1910 Whoop 'er up Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-9960 10-in. 2/17/1911 Lovie Joe Elizabeth Brice Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-10844 10-in. 7/31/1911 Down de Lovers' Lane Peerless Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-12860 12-in. 1/30/1913 New Orleans Minstrels, no. 27 Victor Minstrel Company Minstrels, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-15265 10-in. 10/8/1914 Exhortation Reed Miller Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-15504 10-in. 12/15/1914 Swing along Victor Male Chorus Male vocal chorus, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor B-16474 10-in. 9/13/1915 Swing along Imperial Quartet Male vocal quartet, unaccompanied lyricist, composer  
Victor B-16752 10-in. 11/5/1915 Swing along Orpheus Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor BVE-37387 10-in. 2/1/1927 Swing along Henry Burr Octet Male vocal octet, with piano lyricist, composer  
Victor BVE-38135 10-in. 3/3/1927 I'm coming, Virginia Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal chorus lyricist  
Victor BVE-38414 10-in. 3/30/1927 Down de lover's lane Paul Robeson Bass vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor BVE-39226 10-in. 6/7/1927 I'm coming Virginia Eddie Peabody Banjo solo, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor CVE-49096 12-in. 1/28/1929 Minstrel show of 1929 Victor Minstrels Minstrels, with orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-50570 10-in. 3/29/1929 Sweetie dear Jules Verne Allen Male vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) lyricist  
Victor PBS-061632 10-in. 9/11/1941 I'm coming, Virginia Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Ford Leary Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and mixed vocal ensemble composer  
Victor BVE-Test-186 10-in. 7/11/1929 Jump back, honey Show Boat Four Vocal quartet, with piano lyricist, composer  
Victor [Trial 1915-03-02-02] Not documented 3/2/1915 Swing along Metropolitan Grand Quartet Vocal quartet, with piano lyricist, composer  
Victor [Trial 1928-05-10-01] 10-in. 5/10/1928 I'm coming, Virginia Bee Palmer Female vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia 947 10-in. ca. 1902 My little Gypsy maid J. W. Myers Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 947 7-in. ca. 1902-Oct. 1905 My little Gypsy maid J. W. Myers Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 1028 10-in. approximately 1902 On Emancipation Day Len Spencer Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 1028 7-in. ca. 1902 On Emancipation Day Len Spencer Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 1712 10-in. ca. 1903 My little Irish canary Edward M. Favor Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 4946 10-in. 10/12/1910 Whoop 'er up (with a whoop, la la) Ada Jones Female vocal solo, with organ composer  
Columbia 4997 10-in. approximately 1910 Lovie Joe Arthur Collins Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 39274 10-in. 3/12/1914 Swing along Afro-American Folk Song Singers Male vocal chorus, with piano lyricist, composer  
Columbia 39275 10-in. 3/12/1914 The rain song Afro-American Folk Song Singers Male vocal chorus, with piano lyricist, composer  
Columbia 39325 10-in. 4/14/1914 Exhortation Reed Miller Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 46302 10-in. 12/24/1915 Exhortation The Right Quintette Male vocal quintet, with piano composer  
Columbia 46303 10-in. 12/24/1915 Rain song The Right Quintette Male vocal quintet, with piano composer  
Columbia 46304 10-in. 12/24/1915 Swing along The Right Quintette Male vocal quintet, with piano lyricist, composer  
Columbia 140043 10-in. 9/17/1924 Swing along Binghamton Kiwanis Quartet Male vocal quartet, with piano lyricist, composer  
Columbia W142649 10-in. 9/18/1926 I'm coming, Virginia Ethel Waters Singing Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo ("blues singer") and vocal ensemble lyricist, leader, arranger  
Columbia 144806 10-in. 9/28/1927 I'm coming, Virginia Original Indiana Five Jazz/dance band lyricist  
Columbia W144821 10-in. 10/3/1927 I'm coming, Virginia The Singing Sophomores Male vocal quartet, with piano lyricist  
Brunswick 8201-8202 10-in. approximately June 1922 Swing along Criterion Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Brunswick E25288-E25289 10-in. 11/25/1927 I’m coming, Virginia Variety Four Male vocal quartet, with piano lyricist  
Brunswick C180-C181 10-in. 4/20/1926 Swing along! Umbrian Glee Club Male vocal chorus, with piano composer, lyricist  
Brunswick C182-C183 10-in. 4/20/1926 Exhortation (A Negro sermon) Umbrian Glee Club Male vocal chorus, with piano composer  
Brunswick C186-C187 10-in. 4/20/1926 Rain song Umbrian Glee Club Male vocal chorus, with piano composer  
Brunswick [C1032-C1034c] 10-in. 7/8/1927 I’m coming, Virginia Jules Herbuveaux ; Palmer House Victorians Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take [C1032-C1034c]-4) lyricist  
Brunswick C1077-C1080 10-in. 7/28/1927 I’m coming, Virginia Jules Herbuveaux Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take C1080) lyricist  
Brunswick C1288-C1289 10-in. 10/11/1927 I’m coming, Virginia Variety Four Male vocal quartet, with piano lyricist  
Edison 3971 10-in. 7/15/1915 My lady's lips am like de honey Walter Van Brunt Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 4420 10-in. 1/14/1916 Swing along! Orpheus Male Chorus Male vocal chorus, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Edison 10723 10-in. 12/15/1925 Exhortation James Doherty Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 11901 10-in. 9/20/1927 I'm coming, Virginia Al Friedman Orchestra ; The Rollickers [Edison] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet lyricist  
Gramophone 0EA7694 10-in. 5/9/1939 Down de Lovers' Lane Lawrence Brown ; Paul Robeson Bass vocal solo, with piano composer  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Cook, Will Marion," accessed June 5, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106040.

Cook, Will Marion. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 5, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106040.

"Cook, Will Marion." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 5 June 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106040

External Sources

Wikipedia: Will Marion Cook

Discogs: Will Marion Cook

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Cook, Will Marion - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88663576

Wikidata: Will Marion Cook - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q739583

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/39645389

MusicBrainz: Will Marion Cook - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/1c34168d-4282-46a9-aec4-8b62d8823e7e

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

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