Art Hickman
Encyclopedia
Arthur G. Hickman was a drummer, pianist, and band leader whose orchestra is sometimes seen as an ancestor to Big band
music. It fits into what are termed "sweet bands", something like that of Paul Whiteman
. His orchestra is also credited, perhaps dubiously, with being among the first jazz
bands. One who disputed this notion was Hickman himself. At first he even disputed that "jazz" was music at all, alternatively calling it a kind of bubbling water or just noise. Although born in Oakland, he lived in San Francisco, California
for most of his life.
His father had various jobs, but his mother had been in vaudeville
. He had little to no musical training, but by 1913 he played piano and or drums for a San Francisco hotel. By 1914 he was leading a band which would sometimes be deemed a "jazz band", but he rejected the term as late as 1920 and possibly even later. He strongly associated jazz with African American
s, sometimes disparagingly and other times in a flattering way, and he was not one. In 1917 he had one of his biggest successes with the song "Rose Room
", which was named after the hotel room. By the 1920s he had one of the, if not the, best paid band in the United States
. He also was one of the first dance bands to have a saxophone section. In 1926 he did the Ziegfeld Follies
.
He had intended to do a history of jazz, and also had other projects, but by 1929 he was suffering from Banti's syndrome
. In 1930 he died.
English musician Ben Black
was among those who worked in his orchestra.
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
music. It fits into what are termed "sweet bands", something like that of Paul Whiteman
Paul Whiteman
Paul Samuel Whiteman was an American bandleader and orchestral director.Leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman's recordings were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz"...
. His orchestra is also credited, perhaps dubiously, with being among the first jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
bands. One who disputed this notion was Hickman himself. At first he even disputed that "jazz" was music at all, alternatively calling it a kind of bubbling water or just noise. Although born in Oakland, he lived in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
for most of his life.
His father had various jobs, but his mother had been in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
. He had little to no musical training, but by 1913 he played piano and or drums for a San Francisco hotel. By 1914 he was leading a band which would sometimes be deemed a "jazz band", but he rejected the term as late as 1920 and possibly even later. He strongly associated jazz with African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s, sometimes disparagingly and other times in a flattering way, and he was not one. In 1917 he had one of his biggest successes with the song "Rose Room
Rose Room
"Rose Room", also known as "In Sunny Roseland", is a 1917 jazz standard by Art Hickman and Harry Williams. The name of the song's lyricist is unknown, and it is usually performed as an instrumental...
", which was named after the hotel room. By the 1920s he had one of the, if not the, best paid band in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He also was one of the first dance bands to have a saxophone section. In 1926 he did the Ziegfeld Follies
Ziegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
.
He had intended to do a history of jazz, and also had other projects, but by 1929 he was suffering from Banti's syndrome
Banti's syndrome
Banti's syndrome is a chronic congestive enlargement of the spleen resulting in premature destruction of the red blood cells by the spleen...
. In 1930 he died.
English musician Ben Black
Ben Black
Ben Black was an English composer of popular song and an impresario.Born in Dudley, England, Black worked as music director in Paramount Pictures' cinemas across the US, before moving on to theatrical production in his own right...
was among those who worked in his orchestra.
External links
- Article by Bruce Vermazen
- http://www.archeophone.com/product_info.php?products_id=54Art Hickman's Orchestra: The San Francisco Sound, Volume 1 (Archeophone RecordsArcheophone RecordsArcheophone Records, LLC, based in Champaign, Illinois, specializes in preserving recordings of the acoustic era of the recording industry by remastering phonograph cylinders and gramophone records from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and releasing them on compact disc...
6003)] - Big Band database