"Booty" Wood

Another of the musicians who excelled on mutes in the Ellington band, Booty Wood provided humorous, effective, and exuberant trombone solos with the plunger, and several solid unmuted ones. He began his professional career in the late '30s and worked with Tiny Bradshaw and Lionel Hampton in the early '40s. Wood played in a Navy band with Clark Terry, Willie Smith, and Gerald Wilson, then reteamed with Hampton after his discharge. He joined Arnett Cobb's small band in 1947 and 1948, played with Erskine Hawkins from 1948 to 1950, and with Count Basie in 1951. Wood left music for a while before joining Ellington in 1959 and working with him until 1960. He rejoined in 1963, but only stayed briefly. Wood returned a third time in the early '70s. He also worked with Earl Hines in 1968, and with Mercer Ellington in the '70s. Wood recorded with the Count Basie Orchestra from 1979 to the mid-'80s. He can be heard on Ellington's and Basie's reissued CDs, as well as some Hampton discs. ~ Ron Wynn