Doc Cook

Charles L. Cooke (September 3, 1891 – December 25, 1958), known as Doc Cook, was an American jazz bandleader and arranger. Cook was a Doctor of Music, awarded by the Chicago Musical College in 1926.

Born in Louisville, he first worked as a composer and arranger in Detroit before moving to Chicago around 1910. Cook became resident leader of the orchestra at Paddy Harmon's Dreamland Ballroom in Chicago from 1922 to 1927, acting as conductor and musical director.

The ensemble recorded under several names, such as Cookie's Gingersnaps, Doc Cook and his 14 Doctors of Syncopation, and Doc Cook's Dreamland Orchestra. Among those who played in Cook's band were Freddie Keppard, Jimmie Noone, Johnny St. Cyr, Zutty Singleton, Joe Poston, Andrew Hilaire, and Luis Russell. After 1927 Cook's orchestra played in Chicago at the Municipal Pier and the White City Ballroom.

In 1930, Cook moved to New York City and worked as an arranger for Radio City Music Hall and RKO, working there into the 1940s. On Broadway, he had a number of important orchestration credits, including The Hot Mikado (1939) and the first U.S. production of The Boy Friend in collaboration with Ted Royal in 1954. A proponent of ragtime, he also worked frequently with Eubie Blake, supplying the arrangements for the 1952 revival of Shuffle Along.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 3, 1891 (Louisville), Died December 25, 1958

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1914 - 1939

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

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 35 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-15835 10-in. 3/26/1915 Blame it on the blues Victor Military Band Band composer  
Victor B-28132 10-in. 6/15/1923 The girl of the olden West Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with harp, piano, and orchestra composer  
Victor BS-035719 10-in. 4/8/1939 "I," the living "I" Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo arranger  
Victor BS-035720 10-in. 4/8/1939 Let the punishment fit the crime Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo arranger  
Columbia 77112 10-in. 6/6/1917 You're a great big lonesome baby M. J. O'Connell Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Columbia 79667 10-in. Feb. 1921 Goodbye, pretty butterflies Art Hickman's Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 37090 12-in. ca. 1914 I linger Joan Sawyer's Persian Garden Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 37187 12-in. 2/24/1915 I want to linger Prince's Band Band composer  
Columbia 37230 12-in. 3/20/1915 Blame it on the blues Prince's Band Band composer  
Columbia 49976 12-in. 7/6/1921 Mississippi cradle Prince's Dance Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia W142414 10-in. 7/10/1926 Here comes the hot tamale man! Doc Cook ; Dreamland Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W142415 10-in. 7/10/1926 Brown sugar Doc Cook ; Dreamland Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W142416 10-in. 7/10/1926 High fever Doc Cook ; Dreamland Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W142417 10-in. 7/10/1926 Spanish mamma Doc Cook ; Dreamland Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W142981 10-in. 12/2/1926 Sidewalk blues Doc Cook ; Dreamland Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W142982 10-in. 12/2/1926 The sermon Doc Cook ; Dreamland Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer, leader  
Columbia W144317 10-in. 6/11/1927 Alligator crawl 14 Doctors of Syncopation ; Doc Cook Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W144318 10-in. 6/11/1927 Willie the weeper 14 Doctors of Syncopation ; Doc Cook Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W144334 10-in. 6/15/1927 Brainstorm 14 Doctors of Syncopation ; Doc Cook Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W144335 10-in. 6/15/1927 Slue-foot 14 Doctors of Syncopation ; Doc Cook Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W145859 10-in. 3/30/1928 Hum and strum (Do, do, do, that's what I do) 14 Doctors of Syncopation ; Doc Cook Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio leader  
Columbia W145860 10-in. 3/30/1928 I'm a broken-hearted blackbird 14 Doctors of Syncopation ; Doc Cook Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W145861 10-in. 3/30/1928 I got worry (Love is on my mind) 14 Doctors of Syncopation ; Doc Cook Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W145862 10-in. 3/30/1928 The treat by the gang 14 Doctors of Syncopation ; Doc Cook Jazz/dance band leader  
OKeh 9768 10-in. 6/22/1926 Messin' around Cookie's Gingersnaps Jazz/dance band, with talking songwriter, leader  
(Results 1-25 of 35 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Cook, Doc," accessed March 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105546.

Cook, Doc. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105546.

"Cook, Doc." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105546

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