McKinney's Cotton Pickers 1928-1931

Out of the Great Lakes region during the late 1920s came a hot and sweet little big band that operated under the name of McKinney's Cotton Pickers. What made them swing even before that word had come into common usage was the guidance and musicianship of Don Redman, a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and arranger who learned his craft while a member of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. In 1998 Saar Records brought out a core sample of 25 well-chosen recordings made by this band between July 1928 and September 1931. Listen carefully to the piano players. Most of the time, the ivories were tickled by Todd Rhodes, later famous as leader of a rocking rhythm & blues band. Tracks 13 through 19 are enlivened by the presence of Thomas "Fats" Waller, composer of "Zonky" (track 20). The pianist on "Baby Won't You Please Come Home" (track 21) is none other than James P. Johnson, Waller's mentor and composer of many jazz standards including "Old Fashioned Love," "If I Could Be with You," "Carolina Shout," and "Charleston." Redman was by far the classiest and most interesting vocalist; other singers were Jean Napier, banjo/guitarist Dave Wilborn, reedman George Thomas and trombonist Quentin "Butter" Jackson (years later a featured soloist with Duke Ellington), who chortles his way through "Do You Believe in Love at First Sight?" By the time that song was recorded, Redman had broken with the group and was putting together his own orchestra. Not even the expert leadership of Benny Carter could sustain the Cotton Pickers and like many worthy organizations they were not to survive the trials of the Great Depression. ~ arwulf arwulf|