The word "hokum" is believed to have descended from the English term "hokey-pokey," denoting both ridicule and the ridiculous; for more than a century "hokey-pokey" has also been used, on both sides of the Atlantic, to describe low-grade ice cream sold on the streets. Hokum can mean flattery, insincerity, derision, deception, nonsense, cheapness, or any sort of stage gimmickry used to elicit a response from jaded audiences. Musically, hokum conveys and deserves most if not all of these meanings. Between the years 1929 and 1937 several different Chicago-based blues/jazz ensembles made records as
the Hokum Boys or
the Famous Hokum Boys. During the summer of 1929 pianist
Alex Hill and guitarists Dan Roberts and
Alex Robinson made records for the Paramount label under the name of
the Hokum Boys. By early autumn the group consisted of pianist
Jimmy Blythe, guitarist Bob Alexander, and a banjoist named
Bob Robinson who also played clarinet. In November and December 1929 Ikey Robinson made a series of records for OKeh, first with
Jimmy Blythe, then with
Alex Hill. Throughout the second half of 1929 these men collaborated with pianist
Leroy Carr and guitarist
Scrapper Blackwell and made a number of recordings that were issued under the name of
the Famous Hokum Boys. The
Famous Hokum Boys name was adopted (or hijacked) by
Big Bill Broonzy, first in 1930 and 1931, then again between 1935 and 1937 when he made records with various tough customers including
Washboard Sam,
Black Bob,
Casey Bill Weldon, clarinetist
Arnett Nelson, bass saxophonist
Bill Settles, and a trumpeter named
Mr. Sheiks. The only member of the original
Hokum Boys to participate in
Broonzy's
Hokum sessions was
Bob Robinson. Various labels have made a point of reissuing every recording known to have been made by these entertaining little bands. ~ arwulf arwulf