McKinney's Cotton Pickers

By 1923 William McKinney had stepped away from the drum chair to lead and oversee a large ensemble. His organization took the name McKinney's Cotton Pickers in 1926. A notable acquisition followed the next year when arranger, alto saxophonist, and vocalist Don Redman left Fletcher Henderson to join the fold.

In his capacity as musical director, Redman shaped a unit able to match both Henderson and the ascending Duke Ellington. By the time the orchestra entered the studio in 1928 the roster included Langston Curl, Claude Jones, George Thomas, and Dave Wilborn, yet the most striking qualities remained the forward-looking charts, disciplined section work, and collective instrumental command. Guest appearances on select dates featured Joe Smith, Sidney DeParis, Coleman Hawkins, Fats Waller, and Lonnie Johnson, with James P. Johnson joining for one session. Among the strongest sides were "Four or Five Times," "It's Tight like That," "It's a Precious Little Thing Called Love," and four pieces Redman introduced that later became standards: "Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You," "Baby Won't You Please Come Home," "I Want a Little Girl," and "Cherry."

Don Redman's departure in 1931 to establish his own orchestra dealt a serious blow. Benny Carter stepped in as musical director, and the presence of Doc Cheatham, Hilton Jefferson, and returning members Quentin Jackson, Rex Stewart, and Prince Robinson could not prevent the group from holding only one more recording session. The economic pressures of the Depression finally dismantled the band; after extensive personnel shifts in 1934 the classic edition dissolved. McKinney later assembled fresh editions of the Cotton Pickers, none of which left a comparable mark.