Cootie Williams and His Orchestra
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Biography
Cootie Williams and His Orchestra was an American big band led by Cootie Williams, a prominent trumpeter. After leaving Duke Ellington's orchestra in 1940, Williams joined Benny Goodman before forming his own ensemble at the end of 1941. The band initially featured Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson as vocalist and included notable musicians like Bud Powell and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Their early recordings for Merritt Records in 1942 included "Sleepy Valley" and an early version of Thelonious Monk's "Epistrophy". Despite a recording ban, the orchestra gained visibility through appearances in films like Vodvil (1943). In 1944, they released hits such as "Tessâs Torch Song" and "Cherry Red Blues", which reached number 19 and number 23 on the Pop Charts respectively. The band's success continued with recordings for Hit/Majestic Records, including "âRound Midnight" and "Somebodyâs Gotta Go". Williams' orchestra disbanded in 1947, marking a significant era in jazz history bridging swing and bebop.
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Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- Theme & Wild Fire
- You're the One for Me Sweetheart
- Someone I Knew
- Tess's Torch Song (If I Had a Man)
- Salt Lake City Bounce
- Epistrophy
- Somebody's Gotta Go
- Record Ban Blues by Cootie Williams and His Orchestra
- That's the Lick
- Let 'Em Roll by Cootie Williams and His Orchestra
- Vibraphobia
- Echoes of Harlem
- Piney Brown's Gone
- House of Joy
- Mood for Coot
- Jitterbug Serenade
- Blues Garden Blues
- Royal Garden Blues
- Ain't Got No Blues Today
- Wrong Neighborhood
- Down On The Riminent
- When My Baby Left Me
- Rhapsody in Bass
- Feeling In A Mellow Mood
