• Letter from Coleman Hawkins to Renée Gertler

  • Reference number
  • NJA/C/DIA/COR/105
  • Title
  • Letter from Coleman Hawkins to Renée Gertler
  • Programme artist(s)
  • Programme venue(s)
  • Programme location(s)
  • Date of creation
  • 12/08/1935
  • Level
  • Item
  • Quantity
  • 1 Item
  • Description
  • Hawkins is just back from a trip on the boat belonging to one of the directors at Scheveningen. He's having so much fun he's beginning to forget Kopenhagen [sic]. He may be going on a car trip over to Ostend & Brussels on Tuesday or Wednesday and coming back that evening. He's listened to Ellington's recordings of 'Show Boat Shuffle' and 'In a Sentimental Mood' - they're 'very good' and he thinks Rex (Stewart) is playing on them and is a 'lot cleaner and smoother' and that's what Hawkins likes. hawkins doesn't like 'rough loud playing'. He was playing records in his hotel with Freddie Johnson and they played Fletcher Henderson's 'Big John's Special' and they 'came to the conclusion that 'Mouse' played much better than Allen on the record'. Johnson played the track over and over and came to the conclusion that 'there was nothing for Henry to do after Mouse got through. I think what he played was quite nice and sensible myself.' Hawkins thinks that what 'Jeff' (Hilton Jefferson?) played 'is completely wrong with the harmony the brass is making'. Hawkins and Johnson had 'lots of fun laughing at the different things on different disksd. We were laughing at the 'corn' Buster played.' Hawkins will send Renee some snapshots they took at Scheveningen which contain 'some of the boys I was playing with at Palais de Dance'. Hawkins is waiting for the tie Renee has made for him - this would be the second tie she's made for him.,,
    Subject notes (people): 'Duke' (Ellington); 'Rex' (Stewart); Freddy Johnson; 'Fletcher' (Henderson); 'Mouse' (Irving Randolph); Henry 'Red' Allen; 'Jeff' (Hilton Jefferson?); 'Buster' (Bailey). Subject notes (places): Scheveningen; Kopenhagen [sic]; Ostend; Brussels; Den Haag. Subject notes (recordings & songs): Duke Ellington's 'Show Boat Shuffle' and 'In a Sentimental Mood'; Fletcher henderson's 'Big John's Special'.,
    ,
    Format notes: Four sheets, last sheet double sided - to form five pages. Paper from Hotel Americain, Wagenstraat 49, Den Haag. Dated 12 Aug. 1935.
  • Format
  • Letter
  • Copy Status
  • Original
  • Access considerations
  • Related Material
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  • NJA keywords
  • Recording duration
  • Physical Description
  • Physical condition
  • Storage location
  • Loughton Archive-2
  • Name of creator
  • Hawkins, Coleman
  • Language
  • English
  • Colour
  • Out of copyright
  • No
  • Copyright expiry date
  • 31/12/2039
  • Copyright owner
  • Hawkins, Coleman
  • Copyright holder birth date
  • 21/11/1904
  • Copyright holder death date
  • 19/05/1969
  • Publisher
  • Place of publishing
  • Book Type
  • ISBN
  • Restricted access until
  • Access Status
  • Open
  • Web link
  • Accession number