Sundays with Duke #30: Cootie’s Big Moment

As we step into the 1940s, Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra is firing on all cylinders!

Billy Strayhorn had joined the fold in 1939, bringing his brilliant compositional mind; Jimmy Blanton was redefining what the bass could be; and in early 1940, the great tenor saxophonist Ben Webster arrived to complete one of the most storied editions of the band. Duke had also split from Irving Mills and begun a new chapter with Victor Records.

A Trumpet Triumph

We open this run of classics with a showcase for a star who had already been lighting up the band for years — Cootie Williams — in the immortal Concerto for Cootie.

Here’s the Victor recording from March 1940:

What a spectacular spotlight for one of the true trumpet giants.

The Ellington orchestra kept the piece in its book for radio broadcasts and personal appearances, even after Cootie left the band, though they didn’t return to it in the studio for quite some time.

Ray Rises to the Occasion

For example, here’s Ray Nance taking the lead on a 1944 broadcast excerpt:

Ray, of course, stepped into Cootie’s chair — and this shows just how capably he carried the mantle.

Title Trouble

The melody soon took on a second life when Bob Russell added lyrics and it became the popular song Do Nothin’ ’Til You Hear from Me. To my ears, though, that’s a separate tune; the original remains Concerto for Cootie!

Things get interesting with this 1945 aircheck of Cootie performing essentially the original arrangement with his own band — but it’s announced as Do Nothin’ ’Til You Hear from Me:

Whatever the title, the music still hits!

Cootie's "New" Take

Cootie later revisited the piece for his 1958 RCA Victor album Cootie Williams in Stereo:

I often see this listed as New Concerto for Cootie, though the label itself doesn’t include the “new.” And now the composer credit has shifted to Cootie rather than Duke — another twist in the tune’s long life.

Cat Comes Calling

And just for fun, here’s a fascinating contrast: a 1958 French recording by former Ellington trumpeter Cat Anderson:

A completely different energy — and a joy to hear.

We’ll dig a bit more into the Do Nothin’ ’Til You Hear from Me variation tomorrow. But for sheer impact, it’s hard to top the original.