Coker, Henry (L.)

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Coker, Henry (L.)

Coker, Henry (L.), jazz trombonist; b. Dallas, Tex., Dec. 24, 1919; d. Los Angeles, Nov. 23, 1979. His big buttery sound was a part of Basie’s band in the 1950s. Raised in Omaha, Nebr., Coker played piano from an early age; he studied music at Wiley Coll., Tex. Coker’s first regular work was with trumpeter John White’s Band (1935). He was with Nat Towles’ Band from 1937-39 and then worked in Honolulu, Hawaii, with drummer Monk McFay and others until 1941. He was in Pearl Harbor Hospital with a broken ankle in 1942 before being repatriated to U.S. Coker played with Benny Carter from c. 1944 until 1946 and also did studio work with Eddie Heywood (1946–47) and Benny Carter (1948). He played regularly with Illinois Jacquet in late 1940s and early 1950s and was with Count Basie from February 1952 until 1963, then did extensive studio work in N.Y. He played regularly with Ray Charles’ Orch. from 1966 until 1971, then freelancing in Calif, until his death.

—John Chilton, Who’s Who of Jazz/Lewis Porter