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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZWILLIAMS, Cootie(b Charles Melvin Williams, 24 July '10, Mobile AL; d 15 Sep. '85, Long Island NY) Trumpet, bandleader. Played in school band, with the Young Family Band one summer at age 14 with Lester Young; went to Florida with Ed Hall and worked in Eagle Eye Shields' band, then to NYC with Alonzo Ross's Deluxe Syncopators; worked briefly with Chick Webb and Fletcher Henderson, then replaced Bubber Miley in Duke Ellington's band '29 and soon learned how to growl, a distinctive, important sound in that band with both muted and open horn, featured on 'Echoes Of Harlem' '36, 'Concerto For Cootie' '40 (later 'Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me'), many more. He played on Ellington small-group sessions led by Barney Bigard and Johnny Hodges; also led his own Ellington small- group dates and made four sides as the Gotham Stompers (ten men from Ellington and Webb bands plus Ivie Anderson vocals) '37-- 40, all once compiled on Swedish Tax label as Cootie and His Rug Cutters, and the Boys from Harlem, some on Australian Swaggie; also freelance small-group dates with Lionel Hampton and Teddy Wilson ('37 Wilson track 'Carelessly' with Billie Holiday has a typically wonderful muted solo). Left Duke '40 to go with Benny Goodman; this shocked the jazz world, and Raymond Scott wrote 'When Cootie Left The Duke'; but he loved playing with Goodman's sextet and Goodman could pay more. He played on 'Wholly Cats', 'Royal Garden Blues', 'Breakfast Feud', 'On The Alamo', 'Gilly (Gone With What Draft)' etc with Charlie Christian, often Count Basie on piano; also with the big band ('Superman', etc), left Goodman after a year to form his own big band until the late '40s: it made wonderful music but was only moderately successful. Years later in an interview apropos problem drinkers in Duke's band he remarked that he had never been a drinker until leading his own band drove him to it. His band occasionally incl. Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Eddie Davis, drummer Ben Thigpen; first recorded Thelonious Monk's 'Epistrophy' (Kenny Clarke and Cootie getting co-credit), then called 'Fly Right', recorded '42 but not issued until three- disc anthology The Sound Of Harlem on CBS. On big-band and sextet records '44 for Majestic/Hit labels, Cootie again took a credit on Monk's ''Round Midnight' (aka ''Round About Midnight'), remade 'Echoes Of Harlem', and the band had its biggest hits: 'Tess' Torch Song' (vocal by Pearl Bailey) and 'Cherry Red Blues' (vocal by Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson). From late '40s he toured with combos, sometimes just rhythm, and rejoined Duke '62. From early '70s he rarely played in section but as featured soloist, sometimes absent due to ill health (high blood pressure); stayed with Mercer Ellington after Duke's death and can be heard as late as Teresa Brewer At Carnegie Hall '78. Compilations on Topaz Jazz, Classics etc; also septet album '57 and big band Cootie Williams In Hi-Fi '58 on RCA. |