In 1943, the country was coping with a recording ban launched by the American Federation of Musicians in mid-1942. With live music under assault by new technology ranging from records and radio to the jukebox, the union decided to pull the plug on members making records until record companies agreed to pay into a fund to support unemployed musicians.
Technically, it wasn't a strike, since that would have been illegal during World War II. Instead, it was referred to as a ban. Musicians weren't full-time employees of record companies, so the union cleverly dodged the law by simply deciding not to let members be hired to make recordings.
During this period, bands kept in shape by touring relentlessly, and the better ones made short films. One of those bands was led by trumpeter Cootie Williams, who had played most famously with Duke Ellington from 1929 to 1940 and then with Benny Goodman before forming his own band in 1941.
By 1943, Williams was especially popular in urban markets where defense factories operated around the clock during World War II and a jumpier form of dance music was becoming popular among younger listeners. These bands took the blues of the South and gave the form a bigger beat.
Williams was fascinating. He delivered plenty of punch and swing, but he also was one of the forefathers of rhythm and blues. Let's listen to Cootie in the 1940s:
Here's Cootie Williams with his orchestra in 1943 in its sole filmed performance showcase. Watch for the young alto saxophonist Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson singing a blues vocal. He was cool, even then...
Here's Williams with Leonard Feather's Esquire All Stars in December 1943...
Here's Williams on 'Round Midnight, in 1944 (with Bud Powell on piano), the first recording of the song, composed by Thelonious Monk but co-credited to Williams who likely made it mandatory if the song was going to be recorded by him...
Here's Williams's band playing You Talk a Little Trash in 1944...
Here's the band in the studio in 1945 and '46...
Here's Williams in 1946, playing Jumping to Conclusions Part 1...
Here's Cootie playing I Can't Get Started in 1947...
And here's Cootie in 1949 with Willis "Gator Tail" Jackson on tenor saxophone...