William McKinney was a drummer who by 1923 had retired from playing in favor of conducting and managing a big band. In 1926 his outfit became known as
McKinney's Cotton Pickers, and the following year they scored a major coup by hiring arranger/altoist/vocalist
Don Redman away from
Fletcher Henderson. As the band's musical director,
Redman put together an outfit that competed successfully with
Henderson and the up-and-coming
Duke Ellington. The lineup of musicians by the time they started recording in 1928 included
Langston Curl,
Claude Jones, George Thomas, and
Dave Wilborn, but it was the advanced arrangements, the tight ensembles, and the high musicianship of the orchestra on the whole that was most impressive. There were a few special all-star sessions with such players as Joe Smith,
Sidney DeParis,
Coleman Hawkins,
Fats Waller, and
Lonnie Johnson making appearances, and
James P. Johnson sat in on one date. Among the more rewarding recordings overall were "Four or Five Times," "It's Tight like That," "It's a Precious Little Thing Called Love," and four future standards that
Redman introduced: "Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You," "Baby Won't You Please Come Home," "I Want a Little Girl," and "Cherry."
It was a major blow in 1931 when
Don Redman departed to form his own band.
Benny Carter took over as musical director, but despite the presence of such fine players as
Doc Cheatham,
Hilton Jefferson, and holdovers
Quentin Jackson,
Rex Stewart, and
Prince Robinson, there would only be one final recording session. The Depression eventually did the band in and after much turnover in 1934, the classic group broke up.
McKinney organized later versions of the
Cotton Pickers but without making an impression. ~ Scott Yanow