“I Wish I Were Twins”—Coleman Hawkins

"I Wish I Were Twins" was a 1934 song composed by Joseph Meyer (1894-1987). Meyer's compositions were very popular and have featured in over 120 movies and Broadway shows.

The lyrics to this song were written by Eddie DeLange (1904-1949) and Frank Loesser (1910-1969).

In this 1935 movie segment Coleman Hawkins introduces and plays "I Wish That I Were Twins."

Coleman Randolph Hawkins (1904-1969), a Missourian, was a musician who, more than anyone else, made the tenor saxophone a jazz instrument. He began playing the saxophone when he was just nine years old. Before that he played piano and cello.

After a succesful early career in America, Coleman Hawkins started to tour Europe as a soloist between 1934 and 1939.

In 1935 he made several records in The Netherlands with De Ramblers and Freddy Johnson and as the Coleman Hawkins Quintet.

He also made this promotion movie for Polygoon, a Dutch news reel which was shown weekly in the Dutch cinema's. It was filmed at an art society in The Hague which has the Latin name "Pulchri Studio" -- meaning "For the study of beauty."

In this short movie Coleman Hawkins is accompanied by Dutch pianist Leo de la Fuente (1902-1944).

De la Fuente was a jazz pioneer from Amsterdam who founded the first Dutch jazz formation called James Meijer's Jazz Band. It was a 5-piece band that played syncopated dance music.

Beginning in 1925, Leo de la Fuente made several recordings in Holland, Germany and England before during the Second World War the Jewish piano player and his family were deported to Poland, where they were exterminated by the Germans.

Hawkins returned to the United States in 1939.