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Famous Like Me > Composer > W > Cootie Williams

Profile of Cootie Williams on Famous Like Me

 
Name: Cootie Williams  
   
Also Know As:
   
Date of Birth: 24th June 1910
   
Place of Birth: Mobile, Alabama, USA
   
Profession: Composer
 
 
From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia

Charles Melvin ("Cootie") Williams (July 24, 1910 - 1985) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter.

He rose to prominence as a member of Duke Ellington's orchestra, with which he performed from 1929 to 1940. He also recorded his own sessions during this time, both freelance and with other Ellington sidemen. In 1940 he joined Benny Goodman's orchestra, then in 1941 formed his own orchestra, in which over the years he employed Charlie Parker, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Bud Powell, Eddie Vinson, and other important young players.

He began to play more rhythm and blues in the late 1940s. In the 1950s he toured with small groups and fell into obscurity. In 1962 he rejoined Ellington and stayed with the orchestra till 1974, after Ellington's death.

Cootie Williams was renowned for his use of the plunger mute, and is reputed to have inspired Wynton Marsalis's use of it.

This content from Wikipedia is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Cootie Williams