087 Steve Bowie on Cootie Williams

About this episode

Marc talks with Steve Bowie about the life and career of trumpet player Cootie Williams.

On this episode, Marc talks with Steve Bowie, author of "Concerto for Cootie: The Life and Times of Cootie Williams," released in October of 2025. It's an in-depth look at the saga of a revered trumpet player who was a vital member of Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman's groups, as well as spending 20 years as a band leader of his own. He was a massively popular artist who consistently filled venues and won jazz awards, but he never had a crossover hit and subsequently his story has been somewh...

People in this episode

Host: Marc Masters

Guest: Steve Bowie

Topics covered

• Cootie Williams
• jazz history
• trumpet players
• Duke Ellington
• Benny Goodman
• music biography

Keywords

• Cootie Williams
• jazz
• trumpet
• Duke Ellington
• Benny Goodman
• music history
• biography

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman

Books & works: Concerto for Cootie: The Life and Times of Cootie Williams

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