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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 (Results 51-73 of 73 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
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  
(Results 51-73 of 73 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Cook, Will Marion," accessed June 2, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106040.

Cook, Will Marion. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 2, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106040.

"Cook, Will Marion." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 2 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

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