Cootie Williams – Concerto For Cootie: Selected Recordings 1926-62 – 4CD

Charles Melvin “Cootie” Williams was a jazz trumpeter, born in Mobile Alabama in 1911, who enjoyed a lengthy career as a sideman and bandleader, and was especially renowned for his associations with Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. This collection takes its title “Concerto For Cootie” from a tune Duke Ellington composed in his honour. This collection is designed as a companion to a new biography of Cootie written by noted US writer and jazz researcher Steve Bowie which is being published by the University Press of Mississippi at the end of 2024. Mr. Bowie has researched, compiled and annotated this 93-track 4-CD collection, which comprises recordings made by Cootie across the first three decades and more of his career, and which represent his most important and most highly-regarded performances and collaborations. While well known for his solos with plunger muted trumpet, this collection also highlights Williams' range and versatility and virtuosity in his open trumpet and lead work. Inevitably, it features recordings made with many of the greatest names in jazz, swing and R&B, including not only Ellington and Goodman, but Charlie Christian, Charlie Parker, Pearl Bailey, Bud Powell, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Rex Stewart, Johnny Hodges and many more. There have been very few products of this substance devoted specifically to Cootie Williams, so this will be a welcome addition offering an insight into his music and a varied and fascinating showcase for his huge contribution to the genre.

Track Listing:

CD1:
Jimmy Johnson And His Orchestra: 1. Mournful Tho'ts -   2. Chicago Blues -   The Jungle Band: 3. Paducah -   Duke Ellington And His Orchestra: 4. Hot Feet -   The Jungle Band: 5. Jazz Convulsions -   Six Jolly Jesters: 6. Oklahoma Stomp -   Duke Ellington And His Orchestra: 7. Ring Dem Bells -   The Jungle Band: 8. Rockin' In Rhythm -   Duke Ellington and his Cotton Club Orchestra: 9. Echoes Of The Jungle -   Duke Ellington And His Orchestra: 10. It’s Glory -   11. Bugle Call Rag -   12. Solitude -   Barney Bigard and his Jazzopaters: 13. Frolic Sam -   14. Caravan -   Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra: 15. The New East St. Louis Toodle-O -   Cootie Williams and his Rug Cutters: 16. Digga Digga Do -   17. Blue Reverie -   18. Tiger Rag -   The Gotham Stompers: 19. Alabamy Home -   Teddy Wilson And His Orchestra: 20. Carelessly -   Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra: 21. Stompology -   Johnny Hodges and his Orchestra: 22. Peckin' -   Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra: 23. Harmony In Harlem -   Cootie Williams and his Rug Cutters: 24. Echoes Of Harlem -

CD2:
Cootie Williams and his Rug Cutters: 1. Chasin' Chippies -   2. Delta Mood -   3. The Boys From Harlem -   4. Mobile Blues -   5. Boudoir Benny -   6. Ain't The Gravy Good -   Johnny Hodges and his Orchestra: 7. Savoy Strut -   Cootie Williams and his Rug Cutters: 8. Night Song -   9. Black Beauty -   10. Black Butterfly -   Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra: 11. Tootin' Through The Roof -   12. Concerto For Cootie -   13. Harlem Air-Shaft -   14. Rumpus In Richmond -   15. In A Mellotone -   Benny Goodman And His Sextet: 16. Wholly Cats -   Benny Goodman And His Orchestra: 17. Benny Rides Again -   18. Superman -   19. Let The Door Knob Hitcha -   20. Good Enough To Keep (Air Mail Special) -   Benny Goodman And His Sextet: 21. Fiesta In Blue -   Benny Goodman And His Orchestra: 22. West End Blues -   Cootie Williams and his Orchestra: 23. Ain't Misbehavin' -   24. G-Men -

CD3:
Cootie Williams and his Orchestra: 1. Fly Right (Epistrophy) -   Leonard Feather's All Stars: 2. Mop Mop -   Cootie Williams and His Sextette: 3. Honeysuckle Rose -   Cootie Williams and his Orchestra: 4. Now I Know -   5. Tess's Torch Song (I Had A Man) -   6. Red Blues -   7. Roll 'Em -   Cootie Williams and His Sextette: 8. You Talk A Little Trash -   Cootie Williams and his Orchestra: 9. Air Mail Special -   10. Round Midnight -   Cootie Williams and His Sextette: 11. Floogie Boo -   Cootie Williams and his Orchestra: 12. Juice Head Baby -   13. House Of Joy -   14. Mood For Coot -   15. Echoes Of Harlem -   16. He Should'a Flip'd When He Flop'd -   17. Wrong Neighborhood -   18. Ain't Got No Blues Today -   19. I Can't Get Started -   20. Save The Bones For Henry Jones -   21. Typhoon -   Dinah Washington and Cootie Williams Orchestra: 22. Resolution Blues -   Cootie Williams and his Orchestra: 23. Let 'Em Roll -   Eddie Mack with Cootie Williams and Orchestra: 24. Divorce Me C.O.D. Blues -

CD4:
Cootie Williams: 1. Lean, Baby -   2. Rinky Dink -   Cootie & Rex: 3. Alphonse And Gaston -   4. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues -   Ronnie Gilbert: 5. You've Been A Good Old Wagon -   Cootie Williams: 6. Caravan -   7. Nevertheless I'm In Love With You -   8. New Concerto For Cootie -   Charlie Shavers & Coleman Hawkins: 9. Cootie's Blues (Cootie's Big Time Blues) -   Stewart-Williams & Co.: 10. Bess, You Is My Woman Now -   Cootie Williams: 11. Night Train -   Cootie Williams & Wini Brown: 12. Lover -   13. Around Midnight -   Cootie Williams: 14. It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing -   15. Some Of These Days -   Duke Ellington: 16. September 12th Blues -