One of the most definitive and sui generic sounds of the trumpet has been that from Cootie Williams, who helped define the original “jungle” sound of Duke Ellington’s Orchestra. This four disc, 92 song anthology covers the famed horn man from his pre-Ellington days through his most famous time with the Duke, then venturing out on his own before returning to the fold. It’s an boxed set that shows an era of musicians that relied on creating a unique and immediately identifiable voice more than displaying mindless mega-chops.
The earliest material has Williams in 1928 with Jimmy Johnson’s Orchestra, just before launching into Ellington’s original Jungle Band and Orchestra with the charter team that included legendary artists like Harry Carney/bari, Johnny Hodges/as, Barney Bigard/cl, Sonny Greer/dr, and Joe Nanton/tb among others. Williams was one of the first players to use the plunger to create the “wah wah” effect that is still used to this day, but his had an identifiable growl to it as on “Ring Dem Bells” “Caravan”, “The New East St. Louis Toodle-O” and “Rockin’ In Rhythm” while his open horn on “Solitude” is gloriously tender. He also excelled with the Harmon mute, deftly displayed on ”Peckin”, while he blasts into the stratosphere on the wild “Tootin’ Through The Roof”.
Williams’ tour de force has to be 1940s “Concerto For Cootie” where he alternates styles and tones as if he were having a conversation with himself. At this point, Williams famously departed the Duke to join with Benny Goodman’s Orchestra and hit the ground running with hard swinging big band pieces like “Superman” and “Benny Rides Again” while a septet with Goodman, Count Basie and electric guitar pioneer Charlie Christian resulted in a classic “Wholly Cats”. During this time, he started getting into bebop and wrote his most famous composition with Thelonious Monk, “Round Midnight”, featured here in a big band format.
Williams later formed his own band which focused on bop and blues like “West End Blues” and “Fly Right” with an all star session with the likes of Coleman Hawkins and Art Tatum created a loose and swinging “Mop Mop”. Williams’ own ensembles delved into a mix of swing and R&B with Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson for rollicking “Mood For Coot” , with Dinah Washington jumping in for “Resolution Blues”. By the 1950s Williams reunited with various Ellingtonians, playing either jumping blues or returning to the Ellington songbook for “Caravan” and “New Concerto For Cootie” and “ It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing” before closing things out with the Duke for a 1962 session in fantastically full form on “September 12th Blues”.
At one time, Williams was the premier trumpet player of his time. This collection reminds us of an era when artists had their own style, and didn’t try to copy anyone except themselves. Check it out!