Willie Cook

Willie Cook (November 11, 1923 – September 22, 2000) was an American jazz trumpeter.

Cook was born in Tangipahoa, Louisiana, on November 11, 1923. He grew up in Chicago and learned to play violin before settling on trumpet as a teenager. He joined King Perry's band in the late 1930s, then joined Jay McShann's band early in the 1940s. His later credits include performing and recording with Johnny Hartman, Earl Hines, Jimmie Lunceford, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, B.B. King, and Count Basie. He joined Ellington's band in October 1951 as lead trumpeter and stayed for a decade. He moved to Sweden in 1982 after spending time in the country touring. He died of heart failure in Maria Regina Hospice in Stockholm on September 22, 2000.

Birth and Death Data: Born Tangipahoa, Died September 22, 2000 (Stockholm)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1943 - 1949

Roles Represented in DAHR: trumpet

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor D8VB-4148 10-in. 12/29/1948 Guarachi guaro Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D8VB-4149 10-in. 12/29/1948 Duff capers Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra ; Dizzy Gillespie ; Dizzy Gillespie Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D8VB-4150 10-in. 12/29/1948 Lover, come back to me Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra ; Dizzy Gillespie ; Dizzy Gillespie Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D8VB-4151 10-in. 12/29/1948 I'm be boppin' too Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D9VB-0471 10-in. 4/14/1949 Swedish suite Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D9VB-0473 10-in. 4/14/1949 I should care Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra ; Johnny Hartman Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D9VB-0474 10-in. 4/14/1949 That old black magic Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra ; Johnny Hartman Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D9VB-1011 10-in. 5/6/1949 Jump did-le ba Joe Carroll ; Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with scat singing instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D9VB-1795 10-in. 7/6/1949 If love is trouble Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra ; Johnny Hartman Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D9VB-1796 10-in. 7/6/1949 In the land of Oo-Bla-Dee Joe Carroll ; Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Mercury 202 10-in. 1/14/1946 I can't get started with you Gus Chappell Orchestra ; Dinah Washington instrumentalist, trumpet  
Mercury 203 10-in. 1/14/1946 When a woman loves a man Dinah Washington instrumentalist, trumpet  
Mercury 204 10-in. 1/14/1946 Joy juice Gus Chappell Orchestra ; Dinah Washington instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 71527 12/1/1943 Say forward I'll march Jay McShann Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 71528 10-in. 12/1/1943 Wrong neighborhood Jay McShann Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 71529 10-in. 12/1/1943 Hometown blues Jay McShann Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 71530 10-in. 11/1/1943 Save me some Jay McShann Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Cook, Willie," accessed December 12, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/309615.

Cook, Willie. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 12, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/309615.

"Cook, Willie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 12 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/309615

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