Louis Hooper

Louis Stanley Hooper (May 18, 1894, North Buxton, Ontario - September 17, 1977, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) was a Canadian jazz pianist.

Hooper was raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan and attended the Detroit Conservatory, where he played locally in dance orchestras in the 1910s. He then moved to New York City around 1920; he recorded with Elmer Snowden and Bob Fuller frequently in the middle of the decade, and performed with both of them in Harlem as well as with other ensembles. Hooper served for some time as the house pianist for Ajax Records and accompanied many blues singers on record, including Martha Copeland, Rosa Henderson, Lizzie Miles, Monette Moore, and Ethel Waters. He participated in the Blackbirds revue of 1928.

In 1932, Hooper returned to Canada, where he played in Mynie Sutton's dance band, the Canadian Ambassadors. He did local work solo and in ensembles for the next two decades, then was brought back into the limelight by the Montreal Vintage Music Society in 1962. Hooper released an LP of ragtime piano tunes in 1973 entitled Lou Hooper, Piano. He taught at the University of Prince Edward Island late in his life and appeared regularly on CBC television in Halifax.

His papers, which include unpublished compositions and an autobiography, are now held at the National Library of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 18, 1894 (North Buxton, Ontario), Died September 17, 1977

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1924 - 1934

Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, composer, songwriter

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-33825 10-in. 10/28/1925 Ridiculous blues Charleston Trio Instrumental trio composer  
Victor BS-86446 10-in. 12/14/1934 Ridiculous blues Sepia Serenaders Instrumental trio composer  
Columbia 140411 10-in. 3/3/1925 Black cat blues Bob Fuller Clarinet solo, with banjo and piano composer  
Columbia 140412 10-in. 3/3/1925 Too bad Jim Bob Fuller Clarinet solo, with banjo and piano composer  
Columbia W140951 10-in. 9/17/1925 I'm a back bitin' mama Maggie Jones Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with jazz/dance trio instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W140952 10-in. 9/17/1925 Dallas blues Maggie Jones Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with jazz/dance trio instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W140964 10-in. 9/18/1925 South Street blues Maggie Jones Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with jazz/dance trio instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W140965 10-in. 9/18/1925 Never drive a beggar from your door Maggie Jones and her Band Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with jazz/dance trio instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141037 10-in. 9/23/1925 Grand opera blues Bob Fuller Clarinet solo, with banjo and piano composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141038 10-in. 9/23/1925 Pig Alley stomp Bob Fuller Clarinet solo, with banjo and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141056 10-in. 9/29/1925 Single woman's blues Maggie Jones Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141057 10-in. 9/29/1925 Never tell a woman friend Maggie Jones Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia 141142 10-in. 10/16/1925 Uncle Remus stomp Three Monkey Chasers Instrumental trio composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia 141143 10-in. 10/16/1925 Montmartre giggles Three Monkey Chasers Instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141153 10-in. 10/19/1925 Take it easy Monette Moore Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141154 10-in. 10/19/1925 Get it fixed Monette Moore Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141688 10-in. 2/17/1926 After all these years Ethel Waters Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141689 10-in. 2/17/1926 Throw dirt in your face Ethel Waters Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141690 10-in. 2/17/1926 I'm saving it all for you Ethel Waters Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141704 10-in. 2/19/1926 Refrigeratin' papa Ethel Waters Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141740 10-in. 3/2/1926 Let's talk about my sweetie Rosa Henderson Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141741 10-in. 3/2/1926 Mama is waitin' for you Rosa Henderson Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141823 10-in. 3/18/1926 It don't do nothing but rain Art Gillham Male vocal solo, with tuba and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141897 10-in. 3/31/1926 Some baby—my gal George W. Williams Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141898 10-in. 3/31/1926 Levee blues George W. Williams Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141902 10-in. 4/2/1926 You can't proposition me Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W141903 10-in. 4/2/1926 Hit me but don't quit me Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W143480 10-in. 2/16/1927 The black snake moan Martha Copeland Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W143481 10-in. 2/16/1927 Mine's just as good as yours Martha Copeland Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W143689 10-in. 3/19/1927 Soul and body (He belongs to me) Martha Copeland Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia W143690 10-in. 3/19/1927 Sorrow Valley blues Martha Copeland Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia 146557 10-in. 6/19/1928 Ridiculous blues Bob Fuller Clarinet solo, with banjo and piano composer  
OKeh 74057 10-in. Mar. 1926 Sunset blues Buddy Christian's Creole Five ; Louise Vant Jazz/dance ensemble, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
OKeh 74059 10-in. Mar. 1926 Sugar house stomp Buddy Christian's Creole Five Jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, piano  
OKeh W80644 10-in. 3/18/1927 Slow up, papa Lizzie Miles Female vocal solo, with violin and cornet instrumentalist, piano  
OKeh W80645 10-in. 3/18/1927 Grievin' mama blues Lizzie Miles Female vocal solo, with violin and cornet instrumentalist, piano  
OKeh W400777 10-in. 6/11/1928 Lame duck blues Three Blues Chasers Jazz/dance trio instrumentalist, piano  
OKeh W400778 10-in. 6/11/1928 Nothin' but blues Three Blues Chasers Jazz/dance trio instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick E1540-E1542 10-in. 10/29/1925 House party stomp Three Jolly Miners Instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick E1543-E1545 10-in. 10/29/1925 Grand opera blues Three Jolly Miners Instrumental trio composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick E2108-E2110 10-in. 1/12/1926 Chicago back step Three Jolly Miners Instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano, composer  
Brunswick E2111-E2113 10-in. 1/13/1926 F minor blues Three Jolly Miners Instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick E2435-E2436 10-in. 2/15/1926 Pig Alley stomp Three Jolly Miners Instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick E2437-E2438 10-in. 2/15/1926 Ridiculous blues Three Jolly Miners Instrumental trio composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick E2713-E2715 10-in. 3/31/1926 Do it Mr. So-So Rosa Henderson Female vocal solo, with instrumental quartet instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick E2716-E2718 10-in. 3/31/1926 Fulton Street blues Rosa Henderson Female vocal solo, with instrumental quartet instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick 512W-514W 10-in. 3/9/1925 Charleston clarinet blues Three Jolly Miners Jazz/dance trio composer  
Brunswick 515W-518W 10-in. 3/9/1925 Freakish blues Three Jolly Miners Jazz/dance trio composer  
Brunswick 577W-579W 10-in. 3/20/1925 Get it fixed Rosa Henderson Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance trio instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick 580W-582W 10-in. 3/20/1925 Low down daddy blues Rosa Henderson Female vocal solo, with clarinet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick 583W-585W 10-in. 3/20/1925 Poplar Bluff blues Rosa Henderson Female vocal solo, with trombone and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick 912W-914W 10-in. 6/20/1925 Too bad Jim! Three Jolly Miners Jazz/dance trio composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick 915W-917W 10-in. 6/20/1925 Black cat blues Three Jolly Miners Jazz/dance trio composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick 1078W-1079W 10-in. 8/8/1925 Lake George blues Three Jolly Miners Jazz/dance trio, with clarinet solo instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick 1080W-1081W 10-in. 8/8/1925 Louisville blues Three Jolly Miners Jazz/dance trio, with clarinet solo instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick 1240W-1242W 10-in. 8/27/1925 Plain old blues Three Jolly Miners Jazz/dance trio, with clarinet solo instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick 1243W-1245W 10-in. 8/27/1925 Ketch your breath Three Jolly Miners Jazz/dance trio, with clarinet solo instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick 1377W-1378W 10-in. 9/21/1925 Old man's Charleston Three Jolly Miners Jazz/dance trio composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick 1379W-1380W 10-in. 9/21/1925 Texas shuffle Three Jolly Miners Jazz/dance trio composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick 1511W-1513W 10-in. 10/17/1925 An' I don't mean if! Rosa Henderson ; Three Jolly Miners Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick 1514W-1516W 10-in. 10/17/1925 You can't be like my last man was Rosa Henderson Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio songwriter, instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza/ARC 5652 10-in. 9/29/1924 The basement blues Rosa Henderson Female vocal solo, with cornet, trombone, and piano instrumentalist, piano  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hooper, Louis," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/110982.

Hooper, Louis. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/110982.

"Hooper, Louis." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/110982

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