Berlin und Berliner Geschichten

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 …