Art Hickman and his Orchestra started out at the St. Francis Hotel (335 Powell Street) in San Francisco in 1913. In those early years of Jazz he was even described by the press as the originator of Jazz, which was clearly not the case and which Hickman also denied. In 1916 the jazz craze started up in New York City with the success of the Original Dixieland Jass Band.
The popularity of this style of music continued to grow and in 1919 the Hickman Orchestra went to New York to play at the Biltmore Hotel and record with Columbia. The trip was very successful for the band and they returned briefly to San Francisco in 1920, but they were soon offered a part in Ziegfeld Follies. The Follies was one of the hottest show business tickets in those days and the Hickman returned to New York and were part of the show for five months in 1920.
In 1921 Hickman sent a smaller group to London, England to play under the name of Art Hickman’s New York London Five. Hickman did not accompany band on this trip. Returning to California the band played residencies at hotels in San Francisco and Los Angeles. In 1926 Hickman Orchestra joined another Ziegfeld show, this time in Palm Beach, Florida, but in the midst all of this success, Hickman’s health began to fail and he had to turn down gigs.
In 1929 he was hospitalized and he died in 1930 of Banti’s disease. The style of Jazz that Art Hickman’s Orchestra played had a lot in common with the early music of Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra (who also started out in San Francisco). Both groups saw themselves elevating the music beyond the wild and crazy sounds of Original Dixieland Jass Band and Ted Lewis and in the words of Whiteman, “trying to make a lady out of Jazz”.
Some of the information in this article is based on the great research that Bruce Vermazen has done on the Art Hickman Orchestra. You are encouraged to read Bruce’s definitive article about Hickman by clicking here. Additional thanks to Bruce for his help with some of the recordings on this page.
| Title | Recording Date | Recording Location | Company |
| A Young Man’s Fancy (Music Box Song) From “What’s In A Name?” (Milton Ager) |
7-10-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A2970 |
| Alone With You Earl Burnett, Director (John Alden) |
6-13-1924 | Los Angeles, California | Victor 19498-A |
| Along The Way To Damascus (Wallace) |
9-15-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2917 |
| Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere (Kortlander) |
9-18-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A3325 |
| Avalon (Introducing: “The Japanese Sandman”) (Richard A. Whiting / Al Jolson / Rose) |
10-1-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A3322 |
| Burmese Belles (Platzman) |
9-17-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2841 |
| Cairo (Freed / Weeks) |
9-18-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2858 |
| Cherry Cherokee (Moret) |
2-7-1921 | San Francisco, California | Columbia A3402 |
| Come Back To Georgia (Art Hickman / Ben Black) |
9-25-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2938 |
| Cuban Moon (Introducing: “When Alexander Blues The Blues”) (Spencer) (Squires) |
7-21-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A2982 |
| Dance It Again With Me (Wallace) |
9-15-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2899 |
| Dancing Honeymoon (Grant) |
9-18-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2880 |
| Darling (Introducing: “Love Flower”) (Schonberg / Silvers) |
10-21-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A3334 |
| Day Dreams (King) |
2-14-1921 | San Francisco, California | Columbia A3387 |
| Down The Lane With You Again (waltz) | 4-29-1927 | Clift Hotel, San Francisco, California |
Victor 20687 |
| Dream House From “Monkey Business” (Earl Foxe / Lynn Cowan) |
4-19-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21392-A |
| Dream Of Me (Art Hickman / Frank Black / Jerome) |
2-7-1921 | San Francisco, California | Columbia A3409 |
| Fee Fi Fo Fum (Motzan / Olman) |
9-18-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2880 |
| Goodbye, Pretty Butterflies (Cooke / Olman) |
2-7-1921 | San Francisco, California | Columbia A3458 |
| G’wan With It Earl Burnett, Director (Kerr / Burtnett / Hickman) |
6-10-1924 | Los Angeles, California | Victor 19399-B |
| Happiness (I Find My Happiness, Dear, With You) (Meyer) |
2-21-1921 | San Francisco, California | Columbia A3428 |
| Hesitating Blues (Introducing: “Beale Street Blues” (W.C. Handy) |
9-20-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2813 |
| Hokum (Ted Fiorito) |
2-21-1921 | San Francisco, California | Columbia A3402 |
| Hold Me (Introducing: “Midnight Maid”) (Art Hickman / Ben Black) |
9-26-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2899 |
| Hold Me In Your Arms Again | 4-26-1927 | Clift Hotel, San Francisco, California |
Victor 20687 |
| Honey Lou (Rose) |
2-21-1921 | San Francisco, California | Columbia A3440 |
| Honeymoon Home (Introducing: “In A Little Front Parlor”) (Carlo / Sanders) (Whiting) |
2-21-1921 | San Francisco, California | Columbia A3440 |
| I Call You Sunshine (Silver) |
2-14-1921 | San Francisco, California | Columbia A3428 |
| I Could Have Had You (But I Let You Get By) (Gumble) |
9-18-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A3347 |
| I Spoiled You (Harris) |
2-14-1921 | San Francisco, California | Columbia A3391 |
| I Still Believe In You | 4-29-1927 | Clift Hotel, San Francisco, California |
Victor 20685 |
| If A Wish Could Make It So (Introducing: “We’ve Got Something”) from “Tickle Me” (Stothart) |
9-3-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A3301 |
| If I Stay Too Long From Carolina | 6-13-1924 | Los Angeles, California | Victor |
| I’ll Just Go Along | 4-26-1927 | Clift Hotel, San Francisco, California |
Victor 20688 |
| In Old Manila (Earl) |
7-21-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A2982 |
| In The Gloaming (waltz) (A.F. Harrison) |
9-17-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2970 |
| I Want Your Love (Most Of All) Vocal Refrain by L. Van Berg Earl Burnett, Director (Horne / Tander) |
3-3-1925 | Los Angeles, California | Victor 19618-A |
| June (Introducing: “Look What They’ve Done With Your Dog-Gone Dangerous Eyes”)(Art Hickman / Ben Black) (Kalmar / Ruby) |
10-22-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A3343 |
| La Veeda (John W. Alden) |
7-9-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A2972 |
| Little Devil Earl Burnett, Director (Johnson / Fredricks / Bibo / Lyman) |
3-8-1925 | Los Angeles, California | Victor 19732-A |
| Mandalay (Burtnett / Lyman / Arnhiem) |
6-13-1924 | Los Angeles, California | Victor 19379-A |
| Maybe You’ll Be The One Who’ll Be The One To Care (Joe McKiernan) |
4-19-1928 | New York, New York | Victor 21392-B |
| Missy (Introducing: “Bamboola”) (Stanton / Wenrich) |
10-22-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A3334 |
| Molly-O (Art Hickman / Frank Black) |
2-21-1921 | San Francisco, California | Columbia A3458 |
| My Baby’s Arms from “Follies of 1919” (McCarthy / Tierney) |
9-19-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2811 |
| Near Me (Introducing: “Broadway Rose”) (Timberg / Fisher) |
2-14-1921 | San Francisco, California | Columbia A-3409 |
| Nestle In Your Daddy’s Arms (Herscher / Burke) |
2-21-1921 | San Francisco, California | Columbia A3391 |
| Nightingale (Introducing: “Drifting Along On A Blue Lagoon”) (Rose / Magine) |
10-25-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A3335 |
| Nobody Knows (And Nobody Seems To Care) (intro. “I’ve Lost My Heart In Dixieland”) (Irving Berlin) |
11-8-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2839 (Hickman Trio) |
| On The Streets Of Cairo (Hulten) |
9-18-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2811 |
| Patches (Roberts / Callahan) |
9-26-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2814 |
| Patsy (Patricia) Earl Burnett, Director (Coburn / Burtnett / Winfree) |
6-10-1924 | Los Angeles, California | Victor 19399-A |
| Peggy (Moret / Williams) |
9-19-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2812 |
| Rainbow Of My Dreams (Wallace) |
9-17-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2841 |
| Rose Of Mandalay (Claar) |
9-15-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2917 |
| Rose Room (Harry Williams / Art Hickman) |
9-20-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2858 |
| Roses For Remembrance Vocal Refrain by Dudley Chambers (Kahn / Curtis) |
4-28-1927 | Clift Hotel, San Francisco, California |
Victor 20633-A |
| Ships That Pass In The Night Earl Burnett, Director (Wallace Smith) |
3-6-1925 | Los Angeles, California | Victor 19732-B |
| Siren Of A Southern Sea (Brashen / Weeks) |
2-7-1921 | San Francisco, California | Columbia A3387 |
| Song Of The Orient (Rosenthal) |
6-11-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A2955 |
| Sweet And Low (waltz) (Johnson) |
9-17-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2814 |
| Sweet Little Stranger (Introducing: “When The Right Little Girl Comes Along”) (Hanley) |
10-25-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A3335 |
| Take It Easy (White) |
9-16-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2938 |
| Tell Me Why (Rose) |
9-20-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2812 |
| Tell Me, Little Gypsy (Introducing: “Bells” from Ziefeld Follies of 1920) (Irving Berlin) |
7-9-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A2972 |
| The Japanese Sandman (Introducing: “Avalon”) (Richard A. Whiting / Al Jolson / Rose) |
10-1-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A3322 |
| The Love Nest (Introducing: “Mary” (from “Mary”) (Otto Harbach / Louis A. Hirsch) |
6-11-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A2955 |
| The Winding Trail | 4-29-1927 | Clift Hotel, San Francisco, California |
Victor 20633-B |
| This Time Is The Last Time (You’re Ever Goin’ To Two-Time Me) |
3-6-1925 | Los Angeles, California | Victor 19734 |
| Those Draftin’ Blues (Introducing: “St. Francis Blues”/”Tishomingo Blues”) (Maceo Pinkard / Art Hickman / Spencer Williams) |
9-20-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2813 |
| Twilight (The Stars And You) Earl Burnett, Director (Nacio Herb Brown) |
3-3-1925 | Los Angeles, California | Victor 19575-A |
| When We Are Together Earl Burnett, Director (Rose / Owens / Coburn) |
3-2-1925 | Los Angeles, California | Victor 19618-B |
| Whispering (Melvin Schonberger / John Schonberger) |
9-1-1920 | New York, New York | Columbia A3301 |
| Wonderful Pal (Introducing: “Sweet Baby”) (Maceo Pinkard) |
11-8-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A2839 (Hickman Trio) |
| You And I (Art Hickman / Ben Black) |
9-19-1919 | New York, New York | Columbia A3325 |
| You’re The Only One | 3-8-1925 | Los Angeles, California | Victor 19734 |
| Artist | Instrument |
| Nora Bayes | Vocal |
| Walter Beban | Alto Saxophone |
| Ben Black | Banjo |
| Earl Burtnett | Piano, Director |
| Dudley B. Chambers | Vocal |
| Frank Crumit | Vocal |
| Clyde Doerr | Alto Saxophone |
| Steve Douglas | Violin |
| Frank Ellis | Piano |
| Roy Fox | Cornet |
| Art Hickman | Leader, Drums, Piano |
| Fred Kaufman | Trombone |
| Victor King | Banjo |
| Charles W. Marshall | Vocal |
| John Preston | Vocal |
| Bert Ralton | Alto Saxophone |
| Walter Rosner | Trumpet, Alto Saxophone, Director |
| Bela Spiller | Tuba or Sousaphone |
| Leonard M. van Berg | Vocal |
