HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Ulrik & Gerda Neumann

Birth of Modern Jazz: Ulrik Neumann

Ulrik Neumann

Danish guitarist, Ulrik Neumann, was a peripheral figure in early Scandinavian jazz due his partnerships with violin virtuoso, Svend Asmussen, and singer, Alice Babs. Tom Lord, who lists only jazz-relevant sessions, has him on 46 of them, largely with Asmussen. Newton was better known, however, via television as a comedy performer who also played guitar, his repertoire one of light and happy tunes. Born on 23 October of 1918 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Neumann's first sessions arrived per Lord on 6 November of 1935 in Copenhagen when he was yet seventeen years old with Kai Ewans (clarinet), Asmussen (violin), Niels Foss (bass) and Erik Kragh (drums) to square away titles like 'Sleepy Time Gal' (Epic LN 3210 / 1955) and 'Tiger Rag' (HMV AL 1327 / 1935). The next summer in 1936 Neumann kept rhythm on a couple of tracks with Ewans and a touring Benny Carter: 'Blue Interlude' (HMV X4699) and 'Memphis Blues' (HMV X4698).

Among Neumann's most important musical associates was his older sister, actress and singer, Gerda Neumann born on 14 December 1915. Gerda's own recording debut had been two days earlier than Ulrik's on 4 November 1935 toward 'Elsk mig i December' ('Love Me in December') / 'Lonely Villa' issued on HMV X 4555 in 1936. Her next session was with Ulrik and Asmussen, et al, on an unidentified date in 1936 toward 'Min Vuggesang' / 'Den danske Sommer' on HMV X 4588. Hansen & Aagaard are able to give a date of 23 July 1936 toward 'Medley: Lost-Goody Goody' / 'All in a Day' on HMV X 4678. Ulrik plays guitar on all samples below. He sings on the majority.

Birth of Modern Jazz: Gerda Neumann

Gerda Neumann

Source: Stichting Groenegraf

'My Blue Heaven' Ulrik Neumann

Ulrik's 4th recording to issue

6 Nov 1935 in Copenhagen Matrix OCS-251-2 HMV AL 1327 / X 4570

Trumpet: Oluf Carlsen Clarinet: Kai Ewans Violin: Svend Asmussen

Bass: Niels Foss Drums: Drums

Music: Walter Donaldson Lyrics: George A. Whiting For the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927

'Blue Interlude' Ulrik Neumann w the Kai Ewans Orchestra

25 Aug 1936 in Copenhagen Matrix OCS-435-2 HMV X 4699

Trumpet: Axel Skouby / Olof Carlsson / Kurt Pederson

Trombone: Peter Rasmussen / Palmer Traulsen

Clarinet / alto sax: Kai Ewans / Aage Voss / Poul Christiansen / Benny Carter (trumpet)

Clarinet / tenor sax: Knut Knutsson / Henry Hagemann-Larsen

Piano: Christian Jensen Bass: Kelof Nilsson Drums: Erik "Spjaet" Kragh

Music: Walter Donaldson Lyrics: George A. Whiting For the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927

'Memphis Blues' Ulrik Neumann w the Kai Ewans Orchestra

29 Aug 1936 in Copenhagen Matrix OCS-450-2 HMV X 4698

Trumpet: Axel Skouby / Olof Carlsson / Kurt Pederson

Trombone: Peter Rasmussen / Palmer Traulsen

Clarinet / alto sax: Kai Ewans / Aage Voss / Poul Christiansen / Benny Carter (trumpet)

Clarinet / tenor sax: Knut Knutsson / Henry Hagemann-Larsen

Piano: Christian Jensen Bass: Kelof Nilsson Drums: Erik "Spjaet" Kragh

Composition: W.C. Handy / George Norton

'Jeg Hørte En Sang I En Taxi' Gerda Neumann backed by the Kai Ewans Orchestra

'I Heard a Song in a Taxi'

6 Nov 1936 HMV X 4754

Trumpet: Axel Skouby / Olof Carlsson Trombone: Peter Rasmussen

Alto sax: Kai Ewans / Evald Andersen Tenor sax: Otto Banner-Jansen

Violin: Svend Asmussen

Piano: Christian Jensen Guitar: Ulrik Neumann

Bass: Kelof Nilsson Drums: Erik "Spjaet" Kragh

Composition: Carl Viggo Meincke/Henderson

'That Old Feeling' Gerda Neumann

Sep 1937 in Paris OLA 1964-1 HMV X 4956

Guitar: Ulrik Neumann

Composition: Sammy Fain / Lew Brown

'Den lille lysegrønne Sang' Gerda Neumann

'The Little Green Light Song'

Sometime 1940 OLA OCS 1625 1 HMV X 6608

Guitar: Ulrik Neumann

Music: Aage Stentoft Lyrics: Børge Müller

In 1940 Neumann appeared in the film, 'En ganske almindelig pige', with Gerda. As I've not discovered the sequence of songs in that film, I've listed them alphabetically in excerpts below. Having worked in films since 1936, Gerda's career was a brief one, she dying in a plane crash in Denmark on 26 January 1947. Other of Neumann's family were Christina (Stina) Sorbon whom he married 9 March of 1946 to raise two children, actress and singer, Ulla Neumann, and guitarist, Mikael Neumann.

'Tordenskjold' Gerda Neumann backed by the Charles Redland Orchestra

'Thunder Shield'

20 March 1940 in Stockholm OLA OCS 1624-1 HMV X 6608

Trumpet: Herbert Welander

Alto sax: Redland (clarinet) / Harry Eriksson / John Hasse

Tenor sax: Rudolf Eriksson Piano: Thore Swanerud

Guitar: Ulrik Neumann / Olle Sahlin

Bass: Gösta Månsson Drums: Sture Åberg

Composition: J. Thomassen For the film 'En ganske almindelig pige'