About this time of the rolling year - as the anniversary of the famous dance at the Crystal Ballroom, Fargo, North Dakota falls, thoughts turn to the fact that days before this occasion, Cootie Williams left the Duke Ellington orchestra for Benny Goodman's.During this time, Cootie also played as part of the Benny Goodman Sextet and, briefly in this setting with Charlie Christian. Here, by way of reminiscence of that period when 'Cootie left the Duke' is an air shot of the Goodman sextet and, for the record, a list of the sides Cootie made with the full Goodman band.
The Benny Goodman Sextet Fields Requests on 'America in Swingtime'
This WNYC American Music Festival program from February 19, 1941 captures the Benny Goodman Sextet in a rare and wonderful moment.
This sextet represents Goodman pretty close to his prime, featuring the brief, golden collaboration with Charlie Christian. What's even more valuable is that it documents Cootie Williams's time with the band. Williams had just left Duke Ellington and within the year would start his own group. The rest of the band consists of George Auld (saxophone), Artie Bernstein (bass), Johnny Guarnieri (piano), and Dave Tough (drums).
We come upon the band just as they're finishing a rendition of "Rose Room." The host, Ralph Burton, prompts Benny to play something "from the old days." He obliges with "Flying Home," featuring Charlie Christian's innovative electric guitar. There's a little awkward interplay as Burton requests "a blues," but is tongue-tied when Goodman wants to know in what key. Williams then launches into one of his great growling solos. Next, Burton requests "a pop tune" and the band plays "The Sheik of Araby." Then Goodman announces, "Georgy Auld wants to play a little bit of 'Body and Soul' all by himself." Burton praises Swing as "the folk music of America's cities." Finally, the sextet takes us home with a rousing version of "Gone With What Wind?" As the outro music swells, Burton thanks the King of Swing for dropping by and pronounces his group "the real McCoy."
The above quotations and the image of the audio player are taken from the WNYC website. It isn't possible to embed the performance of Cootie Williams with the benny Goodman sextet but click on the link below to be taken to the original site.
And here is a discography complete with all the sides Cootie recorded with the full Goodman band 1940-41, the seventy-fourth anniversary of their first session falling a week Thursday.
All these sides are available in Mosaic Records' The Columbia and Okeh Benny Goodman Orchestra Sessions.
All these sides are available in Mosaic Records' The Columbia and Okeh Benny Goodman Orchestra Sessions.
Benny Goodman and his Orchestra with Cootie Williams
Jimmy Maxwell, Irving Goodman, Alec Fila, Cootie Williams (tp), Lou
McGarity, Red Gingler (tb),
Benny Goodman (cl), Gus Bivona, Skip Martin, (as),
Bob Snyder (as, bari), Georgie Auld, Jack Henderson
(ts), Fletcher Henderson
–1, Bernie Leighton –2 (p), Mike Bryan (g), Artie Bernstein (b), Harry Jaeger
(d).
NYC, November 13, 1940
CO
29064-5 Henderson Stomp (FH-arr)
–1 previously unissued
XCO 29065-3 Benny Rides
Again (ES-arr) –2 BD T-1009 (LP)
XCO 29065-1 Benny
Rides Again (ES-arr) –2 Col 55001 (12” 78)
Henderson
Stomp 2:23
(Fletcher Henderson)
Benny Rides
Again 4:40
(Eddie Sauter)
Benny Rides
Again (alt tk.-3) (N)
4:58
(Eddie Sauter)
Cutty Cutshall (tb) replaces Gingler.
NYC,
November 29, 1940
CO 29179-2 Frenesi (FH-arr) Col 35863
Note: According to the AFM logs
and Columbia ledgers, there are 3 trumpets at this session
with Cootie Williams
replacing Irving Goodman on Frenesi only.
Frenesi (2:51
(A. Dominguez-L. Whitcup)
NYC, December 18, 1940
XCO
29256-2 Superman
(ES-arr) Col PG 33405 (LP)
XCO
29256-3 Superman (ES-arr) Col GL 523 (LP) /
previously unissued
XCO 29256-1 Superman
(ES-arr) Col 55002 (12” 78)
CO 29258-3 Moonlight On The Ganges (ES-arr) BD
T-1004 (LP)
CO 29258-2 Moonlight
On The Ganges (ES-arr) previously unissued
CO
29258-1 Moonlight On The
Ganges (ES-arr) Phon (Sd) 7612 (LP)
Note: Composites of matrices CO
29256-3 (from the start of the record toward the end of Cootie
Williams’ solo)
and -1 (from Georgie Auld’s solo to the end of the record) were spliced
together to
form the release on the Columbia LP Benny Goodman Presents Arrangements By Eddie
Sauter (GL 523). The
previously unissued material from -3 starts at Georgie Auld’s solo.
Composites of matrices CO
29258-3 (from the start of the record through the first half of Benny’s solo)
and -1 (from the second half of Benny’s solo to the end of the record) were
spliced together for a
“new” take on that same Columbia LP.
Blu-Disc T-1004 incorrectly
states -4 as the take that was used for Moonlight On The Ganges.
Superman 4:31
(Eddie Sauter)
Superman (alt tk.-2)
4:33
(Eddie Sauter)
Superman (alt tk.-3)
4:34
(Eddie Sauter)
Moonlight On
The Ganges (-1) 3:10
(Ewing-Tilsley-Trevor)
Moonlight On
The Ganges (-3)
3:10
(Ewing-Tilsley-Trevor)
Moonlight On
The Ganges (-2)
3:13
(Ewing-Tilsley-Trevor)
Fletcher Henderson (p) replaces Leighton for this title only from this
session.
NYC, December 20, 1940
CO 29275-3 Somebody Stole My Gal
(FH-arr) BD T-1009 (LP)
CO 29275-1
Somebody
Stole My Gal
(FH-arr) Col 35916
Somebody
Stole My Gal
2:46
(Leo Wood)
Somebody Stole My Gal (alt tk.-3) 2:53
(Leo Wood)
Jimmy
Maxwell, Irving Goodman, Alec Fila (tp), Cootie Williams (tp, vcl), Lou
McGarity,
Cutty Cutshall (tb), Benny Goodman (cl), Gus Bivona, Skip Martin,
Bob Snyder (as), Georgie Auld,
Jack Henderson (ts), Teddy Wilson (p), Mike
Bryan (g), Artie Bernstein (b), Dave Tough (d).
NYC,
January 14, 1941
CO 29502-2 Let The Door Knob Hitcha (CW-vcl)
(MG-arr) Phon (Sd) 7612 (LP)
CO 29502-3 Let The Door
Knob Hitcha (CW-vcl) (MG-arr) BD T-1009 (LP)
CO
29502-1 Let The Door Knob Hitcha (CW-vcl)
(MG-arr) Col 35962
Let The Door
Knob Hitcha 3:05
(M. Gibson-B.
Goodman)
Let The Door
Knob Hitcha (alt tk.-2)
3:05
(M. Gibson-B. Goodman)
Let The Door
Knob Hitcha (alt tk.-3) 3:04
(M.
Gibson-B. Goodman)
Hymie Schertzer (as) replaces Martin and Count Basie (p) replaces Wilson.
NYC, January 21, 1941
CO
29529-4 I’m Not Complainin’
(ESa-arr) previously unissued
CO 29529-2 I’m Not
Complainin’ (ESa-arr) Phon (Sd) 7612 (LP)
CO
29529-1 I’m Not Complainin’ (ESa-arr) Col
36022
Skip Martin (as) and Teddy Wilson (p) replace Schertzer and
Basie.
same session
CO 29530-1 Time On My Hands (ES-arr) Col 36180
I’m Not Complainin’ 2:30
(E. Sampson-A. Stillman)
I’m Not
Complainin’ (alt tk.-4) 2:30
(E.
Sampson-A. Stillman)
I’m Not
Complainin’ (alt tk.-2) 2:30
(E.
Sampson-A. Stillman)
Time On My Hands 3:02
(Adamson-Gordon-Youmans)
Jimmy Maxwell, Irving Goodman, Alec Fila, Cootie Williams (tp), Lou
McGarity, Cutty Cutshall
(tb), Benny Goodman (cl), Gus Bivona, Les Robinson
(as), Georgie Auld, Pete Mondello (ts),
Bob Snyder (bari), Johnny Guarnieri
(p), Mike Bryan (g), Artie Bernstein (b), Dave Tough
(d).
NYC, February 19, 1941
CO
29775-4 Scarecrow (BH-arr) Phon (Sd) 7615
(LP)
CO 29775-3 Scarecrow (BH-arr) Time Life
STLJ05 (LP)
CO 29775-2 Scarecrow (BH-arr) BD
T-1009 (LP)
CO 29775-1 Scarecrow
(BH-arr) Col 36180
Scarecrow 3:01
(Benny Goodman)
Scarecrow (alt tk.-4) 2:59
(Benny Goodman)
Scarecrow (alt tk.-3) 2:59
(Benny Goodman)
Scarecrow (alt tk.-2) (3:02
(Benny Goodman)
Skip Martin (as) replaces
Robinson.
NYC, March 4, 1941
CO
29863-3 Take It (voc ens.) (MG-arr) BD T-1009 (LP)
CO
29863-2 Take It (voc ens.) (MG-arr) Phon (Sd) 7615
(LP)
CO 29863-1 Take It (voc ens.) (MG-arr) Col
36067
CO 29865-1 Solo Flight (JM-arr) –1
Col 36684
CO 29865-2 Solo Flight (JM-arr) –1
Col CL 652 (LP) –1 Charlie Christian (el-g) replaces Bryan
Take It 3:10
(Margie Gibson)
Take It (alt tk.-3) 3:10
(Margie Gibson)
Take It (alt tk.-2) 3:13
(Margie Gibson)
Solo Flight 2:46
(Goodman-Christian-Mundy)
Solo Flight (alt tk.-2) 2:46
(Goodman-Christian-Mundy)
Jimmy Maxwell, Billy Butterfield, Irving Goodman, Cootie Williams (tp),
Lou McGarity,
Cutty Cutshall (tb), Benny Goodman (cl), Gus Bivona, Les
Robinson (as), Georgie Auld,
Pete Mondello (ts), Skip Martin (bari), Johnny
Guarnieri (p), Mike Bryan (g), Artie Bernstein (b),
Dave Tough
(d).
NYC, March 27, 1941
CO
30070-1 Intermezzo (ES-arr) –1 Col 36050
CO
30071-2 Fiesta In Blue (JM-arr) Phon (Sd) 7615 (LP)
CO
30071-1 Fiesta In Blue (JM-arr) Col 36755
CO
30072-3 Cherry (JM-arr) Phon (Sd)
7616 (LP)
CO 30072-2 Cherry (JM-arr)
BD T-1009 (LP)
CO 30072-1 Cherry
(JM-arr) Har 1061
–1 omit Cootie Williams (tp) and
one of the reeds doubles on bass clarinet.
Note: Goodman initially blocked
the release of Cherry because he felt Harry James’ hit version
for Columbia was
a better arrangement. The master take on Harmony was released in 1946.
Intermezzo 3:05
(H. Provost-R. Hemming)
Fiesta In
Blue (alt tk.-2) 3:09
(B.
Goodman-J. Mundy)
Fiesta In
Blue 3:11
(B. Goodman-J.
Mundy)
Cherry 2:57
(Don Redman)
Cherry (alt tk.-3) 2:56
(Don Redman)
Cherry (alt tk.-2) 2:57
(Don Redman)
Jimmy Maxwell, Billy Butterfield, Irving Goodman, Cootie Williams (tp),
Lou McGarity,
Cutty Cutshall (tb), Benny Goodman (cl), Les Robinson, Jimmy
Horvath (as), Georgie Auld,
Pete Mondello (ts), Skip Martin (bari), Teddy
Wilson (p), Mike Bryan (g), Artie Bernstein (b),
Jo Jones
(d).
NYC, May 6, 1941
CO
30420-2 Something New (Negra Soy) (ES-arr) Phon
(Sd) 7616 (LP)
CO 30420-1 Something New (Negra Soy)
(ES-arr) Col 36209
CO 30421-1 Air Mail Special
(JM-arr) Col 36254
CT 104 Don’t Be That Way (ESa-arr) Phon
(Sd) 7616 (LP)
Note: Don’t Be That Way is noted in the Columbia logs as “For Mr.
Wallerstein – test 104”
and was a gift to then Columbia president Ted
Wallerstein. The “CT” prefix stands for “Columbia Test”
Something
New (Negra Soy)
3:28
(A. Gamse-N. Manendez)
Something
New (Negra Soy) (alt tk.-2) (3:26
(A. Gamse-N.
Manendez)
Air Mail
Special
2:54
(Goodman-Christian-Mundy)
Don’t Be
That Way
2:58
(Goodman-Sampson-Parish)
Jimmy Maxwell, Billy Butterfield, Cootie Williams (tp), Lou McGarity,
Cutty Cutshall (tb),
Benny Goodman (cl), Les Robinson, Gene Kinsey (as),
Georgie Auld, Pete Mondello (ts),
Skip Martin (bari), Mel Powell (p), Charlie
Christian (g), Walter Yost (b), Sid Catlett (d).
NYC, June 11, 1941
CO 30648-1 Tuesday
At Ten (SM-arr) Phon (Sd) 7616 (LP)
CO
30648-2 Tuesday At Ten (SM-arr) Col 36254
CO
30651-1 La Rosita (ES-arr) Col 36284
Note: Discographies list the
bassist as Walter Iooss.
Tuesday At
Ten 3:25
(Skip Martin)
Tuesday At
Ten (alt tk.-1) 3:23
(Skip
Martin)
La Rosita 2:55
(G. Haenschen-L. O’Keefe)
Jimmy Maxwell, Billy Butterfield, Al Davis, Cootie Williams (tp), Lou
McGarity, Cutty Cutshall
(tb), Benny Goodman (cl), Clint Neagley, Skip Martin
(as), Vido Musso, George Berg (ts),
Chuck Gentry (bari), Mel Powell (p), Tom
Morgan (g), John Simmons (b), Sid Catlett (d).
Chicago,
August 1, 1941
CCO 3927-3 The Count (MLW-arr) previously
unissued
CCO 3927-2 The Count
(MLW-arr) -
CCO 3927-1 The Count
(MLW-arr) Col 36379
CCO 3928-4 Pound Ridge
(?SM-arr) previously unissued
CCO 3928-2 Pound Ridge (?SM-arr)
Col 36421
CCO 3928-3 Pound Ridge
(?SM-arr) previously unissued
CCO 3928-1 Pound Ridge
(?SM-arr) Phon (Sd) 7616 (LP)
The Count 3:12
(T. Gordon-B. Moten)
Pound Ridge 2:56
(Benny Goodman)
Chicago, August 20, 1941
CCO
3951-2 The Birth Of The Blues (ES-arr) Col 36359
CCO
3980-4 Clarinet A La King (ES-arr) previously
unissued
CCO 3980-3 Clarinet
A La King (ES-arr) -
CCO
3980-2 Clarinet A La King
(ES-arr) Phon (Sd) 7616 (LP)
CCO 3980-1 Clarinet A La King (ES-arr) Col
PG 33405 (LP)
The Birth Of
The Blues
3:11
(Brown-DeSylva-Henderson)
Jimmy Maxwell, Billy Butterfield, Al Davis, Cootie Williams (tp), Lou
McGarity, Cutty Cutshall
(tb), Benny Goodman (cl), Clint Neagley, Skip Martin
(as), Vido Musso, George Berg (ts),
Chuck Gentry (bari), Mel Powell (p), Tom
Morgan (g), Marty Blitz (b), Jo Jones
(d).
NYC, September 25, 1941
CO
31364-? The Earl (MP-arr) BD T-1014 (LP)
CO
31364-1 The Earl (MP-arr) -1 V-Disc 425 A, Navy V
205 A
CO 31364-2 The Earl (MP-arr) -1 OK 6474
-1 omit Jo Jones
The Earl 2:32
(Mel Powell)
The Earl (alt tk.-?) 2:18
(Mel Powell)
The Earl (alt tk.-1) 2:32
(Mel Powell)
Sid Catlett (d) replaces Jo
Jones.
NYC, October 2, 1941
CO 31390-1 Caprice
XXIV Paganini (SM-arr) Col 36411
CO 31393-2 Clarinet A La King
(ES-arr) OK 6544
CO 31402-2 I’m Here
(MP-arr) Phon (Sd) 7617 (LP)
CO 31402-1 I’m Here
(MP-arr) Col 36411
Caprice XXIV
Paganini 2:46
(Eddie Sauter)
Clarinet A
La King (mtx. 31393-2)
2:52
(Benny Goodman)
Clarinet A
La King (mtx. 3980-4) 3:02
(Benny
Goodman)
Clarinet A
La King (mtx. 3980-3) 3:01
(Benny
Goodman)
Clarinet A
La King (mtx. 3980-2) 2:58
(Benny
Goodman)
Clarinet A
La King (mtx. 3980-1) 2:57
(Benny
Goodman)
I’m Here 2:51
(Mel Powell)
I’m Here (alt tk.-2) 2:53
(Mel
Powell)
( NYC, October 8, 1941
no
matrix Roll ‘Em (Pt.1)
(MLW-arr) BD T-1014 (LP)
no matrix Roll ‘Em (Pt.2) (MLW-arr)
Roll ‘Em (Pt.1)
2:51
(Mary Lou Williams)
Roll ‘Em
(Pt.2) 3:33
(Mary Lou Williams)
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