Swing in Nazi Berlin - James Kok Tanzorch., 1934

James Kok (born 1902 in Czerniowce, Poland-Bukovina -- died 1976 in Berlin, Germany) (né: Jakub Artur Kok). Jewish-Romanian by birth, he went to Germany in the late 1920's, where in 1929 he organized a small band which he later enlarged to 15 pieces (with excellent musicians: Fritz Schulze, piano and Erhard Bauschke, clarinet).
It was one of the 'hottest' bands then in Berlin, playing mostly English or American „schlager" of the time. He performed in the most fashionable cafes or Tanzpalaste of old Berlin: "Moka Efti", "Atlantis" etc. His great inspiration was the Casa Loma Orchestra. In 1935, Kok publicly expressed sympathy for the music of England's Jack Hylton Orchestra, and because of his outspoken public support of the British Orchestra (anything English or American was unpopular with the Nazis) he attracted the attention of the "Reichsmusikkammer" (Reichs-music-board).
This incident led to the discovery of his „half-Jewish" (as they called it) origin and resulted in banning his orchestra from performing or recording. In 1935, Kok, although very popular, left Germany to England, handing his baton to Erhard Bauschke (who, in spite of stall playing the forbidden Swing tunes, made his orchestra in the Nazi-Berlin again one of the most popular and remembered-thru-the history jazz bands in Germany).
After WWII James Kok lived in Switzerland - to come back and to die in „his Berlin", in 1976.

Recording:
James Kok Tanz Orch., v. Max Mensing - Und die ganze Welt spricht von Nanette, Grammophon 1934

Category:

Music

Tags:

• James
• Kok
• Swing
• Moka
• Efti
• verboten
• Germany
• Hitler
• Grothe
• UFA
• Film

[winslow17xRay]

This guy - these guys! - swing!! I have heard, elsewhere, this band's tune Parade Der Xylophonisten, which certainly gives Red Norvo a run (so to speak) for his money.

[baronvonhirsch]

Beautiful.

[jonjamg]

@winslow17xRay James Kok was the virtuoso and band's inspiration! When he left and "Funny" took over, the band slumped into approved music and even awful propaganda! I can only imagine how some of the band must have thought about when they played like this!

[bassboomboing]

exterminate!

[Micelli1947]

Really nice music and pictures, THANKS for posting. Hard to believe these guys played that kinda of music back in those days, truely amazing!!

[ErnieHollerhagen]

If anybody wants to have a firsthand practical look how a Nazi mind functions, he can take the commentaries by miguelmouta, lasstreffenduopfer and others as an example.

[PerSjm]

@miguelmouta No, I don´t like baseball caps. I like those black hats you can see on orthodox jews.

[miguelmouta]

@jfm487  Those chucruts never made a bit of decent XX century music . Cause they are unhappy people, as allways germans are. (Thats the reason for their escape fantasies in werk and science) .

[miguelmouta]

@PerSjm Sorry,no excuses for the german people ( from that time and its descendants). I´ll beat that is you the one whose enjoy baseball caps.

[miguelmouta]

@Lasstreffenduopfer Nice ! Then your Kids should be marching the bloody nazi gay parade !

[FalconSupreme]

Die Musik schwingt so richtig toll und ich liebe die alten Bilder Berlins um den 30ern. Das es die noch gibt. Soll man richtig plegen !