When Cootie Left the Duke, Pt. II (Podcast #17-010)

Cootie Williams starts his own big band after a year long stint with Benny Goodman.
Continue reading

band award

 

“I didn’t drink at all until I got my band.” – Cootie Williams



 

BG



 



 

house of joy     Started

 



Dizzy



 

DAR

CW record

 



The recordings heard on this podcast episode:



 

CW Savoy

 

‘Round Midnight (CD: “Big Bands at The Savoy, Cootie Williams & Luis Russell”  JUCD 2064)

Recorded 12 February 1945 at the Savoy Ballroom, NYC

Cootie Williams, Harold “Money” Johnson, Ermit V. Perry, George Treadwell – trumpet; Ed Burke, Bob Horton – trombone; Charlie Parker, Frank Powell – alto sax; Lee Pope, Sam Taylor – tenor sax; Ed de Verteuil – baritone sax; Arnold Jarvis – piano; Leroy Kirkland – guitar; Carl Pruitt – bass; Sylvester Payne – drums.


 

CW Classics 1941-1944

(CD: “Cootie Williams and his Orchestra 1941-1944” Classics 827)

Recorded 1 April 1942 in Chicago

Fly Right (Epistrophy)

When My Baby Left Me 

Cootie Williams, Milton Fraser, Joe Guy, Louis Bacon – trumpets; Jonas Walker, Robert Horton, Sandy Williams – trombone; Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson – alto sax, vocal; Bob Dorsey, Greely Walton – tenor sax; John Williams – baritone sax; Kenny Kersey – piano; Norman Keenan – bass; Butch Ballard – drums.

Recorded 4/6 January 1944 in New York City

You Talk a little trash

Honeysuckle Rose

Cootie Williams – trumpet, vocal; Ed Burke, Bob Horton, George Stevenson – trombone; Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson – alto sax, vocal; Charlie Holmes – alto sax; Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Lee Pope  – tenor sax; Bud Powell – piano; Norman Keenan – bass; Sylvester “Vess” Payne – drums.

Now I Know

Red Blues

Cootie Williams, Harold “Money” Johnson, Ermit V. Perry, George Treadwell – trumpet; Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson – alto sax, vocal; Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis – tenor sax; Ed de Verteuil – baritone sax; Bud Powell – piano; Norman Keenan – bass; Sylvester “Vess” Payne – drums.

Recorded 22 August 1944 in New York City

Somebody’s Gotta Go 

 ‘Round Midnight

Cootie Williams, Lamar Wright, Ermit V. Perry, George Treadwell, Tommy Stevenson – trumpet; Ed Burke, Bob Horton, Ed Glover – trombone; Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson – alto sax, vocal; Frank Powell – alto sax; Lee Pope, Sam Taylor – tenor sax; Ed de Verteuil – baritone sax; Bud Powell – piano; Leroy Kirkland – guitar; Carl Pruitt – bass; Sylvester “Vess” Payne – drums.


 

CW Savoy

(CD: “Big Bands at The Savoy, Cootie Williams & Luis Russell”  JUCD 2064)

Roll ‘Em

Floogie Boo

Recorded 12 February 1945 at the Savoy Ballroom, NYC

Cootie Williams, Harold “Money” Johnson, Ermit V. Perry, George Treadwell – trumpet; Ed Burke, Bob Horton – trombone; Charlie Parker, Frank Powell – alto sax; Lee Pope, Sam Taylor – tenor sax; Ed de Verteuil – baritone sax; Arnold Jarvis – piano; Leroy Kirkland – guitar; Carl Pruitt – bass; Sylvester Payne – drums.


 

CW Classics 1945-1946

(CD: “Cootie Williams and his Orchestra 1945-1946” Classics 981)

Recorded 19 July 1945 in New York City

House of Joy

Cootie Williams, Harold “Money” Johnson, Ermit V. Perry, George Treadwell – trumpet; Ed Burke, Bob Horton – trombone; Rupert Cole, Frank Powell – alto sax; Lee Pope, Sam Taylor – tenor sax; Ed de Verteuil – baritone sax; Arnold Jarvis – piano; Leroy Kirkland – guitar; Jimmy Glover – bass; Sylvester Payne – drums.

Recorded 29 January 1946 in New York City

He Should’a flip’d when he flop’d 

Cootie Williams, Bob Merrill, Ermit V. Perry, George Treadwell, Billy Ford, Gene Redd – trumpet; Ed Burke, Bob Horton, Edward “Jack Raggs” Johnson – trombone; Rupert Cole, John Jackson– alto sax; Everett Gaines, Sam Taylor – tenor sax; Bob Ashton – baritone sax; Arnold Jarvis – piano; Sam “Christopher” Allen – guitar; Norman Keenan – bass; Butch Ballard – drums, Johnny Mercer – vocal.


 

CW Classics 1946-1949

(CD: “Cootie Williams and his Orchestra 1946-1949” Classics 1105)

I Can’t Get Started

Recorded 1947 in New York City (no precise date given)

Cootie Williams, Bob Merrill, Ermit V. Perry, Otis Gamble, Billy Ford, Clarence “Gene” Redd – trumpet; Ed Burke, Edward Johnson, Julius “Hawkshaw” Watson – trombone; Rupert Cole, Daniel Williams – alto sax; Chuck Clarke, Edwin Johnson – tenor sax; Bob Ashton – baritone sax; Arnold Jarvis – piano; Norman Keenan – bass; Butch Ballard – drums.

Save the Bones for Henry Jones

I Should O’ Been Thinkin’ Instead of Drinkin’

Recorded July 1947 in New York City

Cootie Williams, Bob Merrill – trumpet, vocal; Ermit V. Perry, Otis Gamble, Billy Ford, Clarence “Gene” Redd – trumpet; Ed Burke, Edward Johnson, Julius “Hawkshaw” Watson – trombone; Rupert Cole, Daniel Williams – alto sax; Chuck Clarke, Edwin Johnson – tenor sax; Bob Ashton – baritone sax; Arnold Jarvis – piano; Norman Keenan – bass; Butch Ballard – drums.


 

0000120517

It’s Something You Ought To Know (Paul Gonsalves – “Ellingtonia Moods and Blues,” RCA Victor / RCA63562)

Recorded 29 February 1960, New York City

Paul Gonsalves- tenor sax; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Ray Nance – cornet; Mitchell “Booty” Wood – trombone; Jimmy Jones – piano; Al Hall – bass; Oliver Jackson – drums.



 

When Cootie Left the Duke, Pt. I (Podcast #17-009)

After 11 years with Duke Ellington, Cootie Williams leaves to join Benny Goodman. Continue reading

benny goodman sextet

A Benny Goodman recording session, with Georgie Auld – tenor sax, Benny Goodman – clarinet, Artie Bernstein – bass, Cootie Williams – trumpet, Charlie Christian – guitar.

“It was 1929 when Cootie came into the band, and he soon became one of our most outstanding soloists. He began to use the plunger mute, one of our major tonal devices, and he used it very well, right up to one night eleven years later, when he took me for a ride all around Chicago in his car. He wanted to tell me that he had a very lucrative offer to go with Benny Goodman for a while. “Well, okay,” I said.”

–Duke Ellington, Music Is My Mistress


bg sextet close up

Charlie Christian, Cootie Williams, Georgie Auld, Benny Goodman


Bill Crow’s lengthy article on his stint with Benny Goodman during his 1962 tour of the USSR, To Russia Without Love, gives an insightful insider’s look at Goodman’s notorious personality.



The recordings heard on this podcast episode:



 

Highlights

Concerto for Cootie (CD: “Highlights of the Great 1940-1942 Band” Avid AMSC1143)

Recorded 15 March 1940, Chicago

Wallace Jones, Cootie Williams, Rex Stewart – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwicke, Ben Webster, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Jimmie Blanton – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.


 

raymond scott

When Cootie Left the Duke (CD: “Toonerville Trolley” Jasmine JASMCD 2605)

Recorded 6 January 1941, Chicago

Jack Walker, Graham Young, Jack Hall – trumpet; Charles MCamish, Pete Lofthouse – trombones; Benny Lagasse, Charles Spero, Frank Callador, Stanley Webb – reeds; Don Tiff – piano; Art Ryerson – guitar; Mike Ruben – bass; Carl Maus – drums.

(Note: At the time the podcast was recorded, I had not been able to determine the identity of the trumpet soloist on this track. Thanks to the efforts of Jean-Marie Juif, we now know it was Jack Hall. Thanks, Jean-Marie!)


 

charlie christian(CD: “Charlie Christian – The Genius of the Electric Guitar” Columbia / Sony Legacy
88697930352)

Wholly Cats

Royal Garden Blues

Benny’s Bugle

Recorded 7 November 1940, New York City
Cootie Williams – trumpet; Benny Goodman – clarinet; Georgie Auld – tenor sax; Count Basie – piano; Charlie Christian – guitar; Artie Bernstein – bass; Harry Jaeger – drums.

Breakfast Feud

Recorded 19 December 1940, New York City

Cootie Williams – trumpet; Benny Goodman – clarinet; Georgie Auld – tenor sax; Kenny Kersey – piano; Charlie Christian – guitar; Artie Bernstein – bass; Harry Jaeger – drums.


 

hawkins

(CD:” Classic Coleman Hawkins Sessions 1922-1947 Mosaic Records 251)

Recorded 16 January 1941, New York City

Bugle Call Rag

 

 

One O’Clock Jump

 

The Metronome All-Star Band

Harry James, Ziggy Elman, Cootie Williams – trumpet; Tommy Dorsey, J.C. Higginbotham – trombone; Benny Goodman – clarinet; Toots Mondello, Benny Carter – alto sax; Coleman Hawkins, Tex Beneke – tenor sax; Count Basie – piano; Charlie Christian – guitar; Artie Bernstein – bass; Buddy Rich – drums.


 

bg mosaic(CD: “Classic Columbia and Okeh Benny Goodman Orchestra Recordings (1939-1958) Mosaic Records 240) 

Fiesta In Blue 

Recorded 27 March 1941, New York City

Jimmy Maxwell, Billy Butterfield, Irving Goodman, Cootie Williams – trumpet; Lou McGarity, Cutty Cutshall- trombone; Benny Goodman – clarinet; Gus Bivona, Les Robinson – alto sax; Georgie Auld, Pete Mondello – tenor sax; Skip Martin – baritone sax; Johnny Guarnieri – piano; Mike Bryan – guitar; Artie Bernstein – bass; Dave Tough – drums

Moonlight On The Ganges

Recorded 18 December 1940, New York City

Jimmy Maxwell, Irving Goodman, Alec Fila, Cootie Williams – trumpet; Lou McGarity, Cutty Cutshall – trombone; Benny Goodman – clarinet; Gus Bivona, Skip Martin – alto sax; Bob Snyder –  alto and  baritone sax; Georgie Auld, Jack Henderson – tenor sax; Bernie Leighton – piano; Mike Bryan – guitar; Artie Bernstein – bass; Harry Jaeger – drums.

Let The Door Knob Hitcha 

Recorded 14 January 1941, New York City

Jimmy Maxwell, Irving Goodman, Alec Fila – trumpet; Cootie Williams – trumpet & vocal; Lou McGarity, Cutty Cutshall – trombone; Benny Goodman – clarinet; Gus Bivona, Skip Martin, Bob Snyder – alto sax; Georgie Auld, Jack Henderson – tenor sax; Teddy Wilson – piano; Mike Bryan – guitar; Artie Bernstein – bass; Dave Tough – drums.

Superman 

Recorded 18 December 1940, New York City

Jimmy Maxwell, Irving Goodman, Alec Fila, Cootie Williams – trumpet; Lou McGarity, Cutty Cutshall – trombone; Benny Goodman – clarinet; Gus Bivona, Skip Martin – alto sax; Bob Snyder –  alto and  baritone sax; Georgie Auld, Jack Henderson – tenor sax; Bernie Leighton – piano; Mike Bryan – guitar; Artie Bernstein – bass; Harry Jaeger – drums.


 

0000120517

It’s Something You Ought To Know (Paul Gonsalves – “Ellingtonia Moods and Blues,” RCA Victor / RCA63562)

Recorded 29 February 1960, New York City

Paul Gonsalves- tenor sax; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Ray Nance – cornet; Mitchell “Booty” Wood – trombone; Jimmy Jones – piano; Al Hall – bass; Oliver Jackson – drums.