McKinney's Cotton Pickers
McKinney's Cotton Pickers were an American jazz band, founded in Detroit, Michigan, United States in 1926, and led by William McKinney, who expanded his Synco Septet to ten players. Cuba Austin took over for McKinney on drums, with the latter becoming the band's manager. Between 1927 and 1931, they were one of the most popular African American bands. Many of their records for Victor were bestsellers. In 1927, Fletcher Henderson's arranger and saxophone player Don Redman was invited to become the Cotton Pickers' musical director and he assembled a band. John Nesbitt helped Redman with arrangements and rehearsals. The band in 1928 included Cuba Austin (drums and vocals), Langston Curl (trumpet), Ralph Escudero (tuba), Claude Jones, Redman (clarinet, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, vocals), Todd Rhodes (piano, celeste), Prince Robinson (clarinet, tenor saxophone), Milton Senior (trombone), George Thomas (clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, vocals) and Dave Wilborn (banjo, vocals). Other band members included George Bias (vocals), Benny Carter (clarinet, alto saxophone), Doc Cheatham (trumpet), Bill Coti (vocals), Ed Cuffee (trombone), Lois Deppe (vocals), Jimmy Dudley (clarinet, tenor saxophone), Robert Inge (clarinet, (alto saxophone), Quentin Jackson (trombone), Moxey-Hilton Jefferson (clarinet, alto saxophone), James P. Johnson (piano), Buddy Lee (trumpet), Donald King (vocals), Frank Marvin (vocals), Theodore McCord (clarinet, tenor saxophone), Jim Napier (vocals), Rex Stewart (cornet), and Billy Taylor (tuba). Towards the end of 1929, multiple soloists who were not regular members of the band sat in for a series of recordings. These included Leonard Davis (trumpet), Sidney de Paris (trumpet), Coleman Hawkins (clarinet, tenor saxophone), Fats Waller (piano, celeste), Joe "Fox" Smith (trumpet, cornet), and Kaiser Marshall (drums). In 1931, Redman left to form a band and was replaced by Benny Carter. The Cotton Pickers disbanded in 1934, unable to make money during the Great Depression. Manager of the band was Jean Goldkette who arranged for the group to record "Birmingham Bertha" for him in July 1929. A New McKinney's Cotton Pickers was organized in the early 1970s by David Hutson, using the arrangements by Don Redman. The band recorded several albums and featured banjoist Dave Wilborn, who was the only surviving original member. The new group recorded music with Detroit trombonist Al Winters, as well as other leading members of Detroit's jazz scene during the era of the 1970s though the 1990s. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Founded 1926
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1931
Roles Represented in DAHR: Musical group
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-50 of 56 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-57139 | 10-in. | 11/7/1929 | Peggy | McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-57140 | 10-in. | 11/7/1929 | Wherever there's a will, baby | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; Don Redman | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-58543 | 10-in. | 1/31/1930 | I'll make fun for you | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; George Thomas | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-58544 | 10-in. | 1/31/1930 | Words can't express | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; George Thomas | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-58545 | 10-in. | 1/31/1930 | If I could be with you one hour to-night | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; George Thomas | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-58546 | 10-in. | 2/3/1930 | Honeysuckle rose | McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-58547 | 10-in. | 2/3/1930 | Then someone's in love | McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-59140 | 10-in. | 2/3/1930 | Zonky | McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-59141 | 10-in. | 2/3/1930 | Trav'lin' all alone | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; George Thomas | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal chorus | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-63195 | 10-in. | 11/5/1930 | I want your love | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; Dave Wilborn | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-63196 | 10-in. | 11/5/1930 | Hello | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; Dave Wilborn | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-64002 | 10-in. | 7/28/1930 | Just a shade corn | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; Dave Wilborn | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-64003 | 10-in. | 7/28/1930 | Baby won't you please come home | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; George Thomas | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-64004 | 10-in. | 7/29/1930 | Okay, baby | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; George Thomas | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-64005 | 10-in. | 7/29/1930 | Blues sure have got me | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; Don Redman | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-64006 | 10-in. | 7/30/1930 | Hullabaloo | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; Dave Wilborn | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-64007 | 10-in. | 7/30/1930 | I want a little girl | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; George Thomas | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-64008 | 10-in. | 7/31/1930 | Cotton picker's scat | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; George Thomas | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal chorus | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-64055 | 10-in. | 12/17/1930 | To whom it may concern | Lois Deppe ; McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-64056 | 10-in. | 12/17/1930 | You're driving me crazy | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; Dave Wilborn | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-64058 | 10-in. | 12/18/1930 | Come a little closer | Quentin Jackson ; McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-64605 | 10-in. | 11/3/1930 | Talk to me | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; Don Redman | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-64606 | 10-in. | 11/3/1930 | Rocky road | McKinney's Cotton Pickers ; Don Redman | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-64607 | 10-in. | 11/4/1930 | Laughing at life | McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group | |
Victor | BVE-64608 | 10-in. | 11/4/1930 | Never swat a fly | McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | Musical group |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "McKinney's Cotton Pickers," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103735.
McKinney's Cotton Pickers. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103735.
"McKinney's Cotton Pickers." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: McKinney’s Cotton Pickers
Discogs: McKinney's Cotton Pickers
Britannica: McKinney's Cotton Pickers
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: McKinney's Cotton Pickers - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82097355
Wikidata: McKinney’s Cotton Pickers - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1915262
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/138522043
MusicBrainz: McKinney’s Cotton Pickers - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/16f74a5b-bb94-4025-93e4-ca56ece9f947
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