Ukulele Ike's (Cliff Edwards) Comic Song Book for the Ukulele
New York: Robbins-Engel, Inc., 1925. Presumed First Edition, First printing thus. Wraps. Format is approximately 6 inches by 9 inches.[2], 15, [1] pages. Decorative cover has at the center the head and shoulders of a Negro with a checkered cap, large bow tie, and a ukulele in both hands. A photograph of Cliff Edwards in at the lower left corner. Cover is partial separated. Cover has some wear and soiling. First page starts out "W. C. Handy's Famous Comic Blues For the Ukulele. In presenting this folio we are not only filling a long-felt want--but are giving you the only book of its kind that ever has been, or ever will be published. ...For the first time in Mr. Handy's career the following famous blues are incorporated in book form, in a manner at once simple yet highly interesting for students and exponents of the ukulele:--St. Louis Blues, Beale Street Blues, Yellow Dog Blues, Aunt Hagar's Blues, Joe Turner Blues, and Ole Miss Blues. The additional numbers were written by Mr. Handy in collaboration with Mr. Walter Hirsch, who also compiled, revised and edited this folio. Acknowledgment of our appreciation is also made hereby for Mr. David Berend's unique and extraordinarily ukulele arrangements. William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was a composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. Handy was the first to publish music in the blues form, thereby taking the blues from a regional style to a new level of popularity. He combined stylistic influences from various performers. He took influence from the dances held by Mississippi blacks, which typically had music in the G major key. He picked the same key for "Saint Louis Blues" Clifton Avon "Cliff" Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971), nicknamed "Ukulele Ike", was an American musician, singer and actor, who enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standards and novelty tunes. He had a number one hit with "Singin' in the Rain" in 1929. He also did voices for animated cartoons later in his career, and he is best known as the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Walt Disney's Pinocchio (1940) and Fun and Fancy Free (1947), and Dandy (Jim) Crow in Walt Disney's Dumbo (1941). Edwards, more than any other performer, was responsible for the soaring popularity of the ukulele. Millions of ukuleles were sold during the decade, and Tin Pan Alley publishers added ukulele chords to standard sheet music. Edwards always played American Martin ukuleles, favoring the small soprano model in his early career. In his later years, he moved to the larger tenor ukulele, which was becoming popular in the 1930s. In 2002, Edwards' 1940 recording on Victor, Victor 26477, "When You Wish Upon a Star", was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2000, Edwards was awarded as a Disney Legend for voice-acting. Robbins-Engel published arrangements for the silent cinema from 1920 to 1927. From 1927 to 1935 it was known as Robbins Music Corp. He was a songwriter’s best friend. Though not a tunesmith himself, Jack Robbins published many of the most popular songs of the 20th century. Consider: “Blue Moon,” “Deep Purple,” “Don’t Blame Me,” “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “Ebb Tide,” “I Got it Bad and That Ain’t Good,” “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows,” and “Little Brown Jug." They are among the many songs from A-Z in his prodigious catalog of classics. According to the Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, “Robbins was an astute assessor of talent, particularly that of band leaders who could produce and promote music. This attribute helped to jump-start the career of Paul Whiteman, among others, for Robbins encouraged Victor to sign the bandleader after he discovered him in 1926. Robbins published music during a time that is viewed as the golden age of sheet music. The Worcester publisher set a number of sales records for the period. For example, the tune, “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue,” was played and sung by countless people across the generations of the 20th century. Today, many of these pieces are, as the T&G reported, "recognized classics of popular music in America.” As the ‘talkies’ replaced silent pictures, Robbins was quick to recognize the new markets for songwriters, becoming one of the first music publishers to work out deals with Hollywood. One of his first projects was the 1929 musical, The Broadway Melody. Condition: Fair.
Keywords: W. C. Handy, Blues, Ukulele, African-American, Stereotype, Beale Street, Yellow Dog, Aunt Hagar's, Joe Turner, Ole Miss
[Book #83121]
Price: $55.00