Dolo Coker
Encyclopedia
Charles Mitchell “Dolo” Coker (November 16, 1927 – April 13, 1983 was a jazz pianist and composer
who recorded four albums for Xanadu Records
and extensively as a sideman, for artists like Sonny Stitt
, Gene Ammons
, Lou Donaldson
, Art Pepper
, Philly Joe Jones
, and Dexter Gordon
.
while in Philadelphia.
He was also a member of the Frank Morgan
Quartet (with Flip Greene on bass and Larance Marable
on drums).
Coker did not record his own album as a leader until 1976, when he recorded his debut Dolo! with Blue Mitchell
, Harold Land
, Leroy Vinnegar
and Frank Butler
. That following day he recorded California Hard
for Xanadu Records
, with Art Pepper
replacing Harold Land on sax. Following California Hard were Third Down and All Alone. He continued to work as a sideman for other artists until he died of cancer at the age of fifty-five on April 13, 1983.
Coker's nickname is sometimes misspelt "Dodo" in sleeve notes and books on jazz.
With Frank Butler
With Teddy Edwards
With Harry "Sweets" Edison and Eddie Davis (saxophonist)
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
who recorded four albums for Xanadu Records
Xanadu Records
Xanadu Records was a jazz music record label specializing in bebop throughout the 1970s and 1980s founded by Don Schlitten, recording and issuing recordings by some legendary names in jazz music.-Discography:...
and extensively as a sideman, for artists like Sonny Stitt
Sonny Stitt
Edward "Sonny" Stitt was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. He was also one of the best-documented saxophonists of his generation, recording over 100 albums in his lifetime...
, Gene Ammons
Gene Ammons
Eugene "Jug" Ammons also known as "The Boss," was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, and the son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons.-Biography:...
, Lou Donaldson
Lou Donaldson
Lou Donaldson is a jazz alto saxophonist. He was born in Badin, North Carolina. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker.His first recordings were...
, Art Pepper
Art Pepper
Art Pepper , born Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr., was an American alto saxophonist and clarinetist.About Pepper, Scott Yanow of All Music stated, "In the 1950s he was one of the few altoists that was able to develop his own sound despite the dominant influence of Charlie Parker" and: "When Art Pepper...
, Philly Joe Jones
Philly Joe Jones
Joseph Rudolph Jones was a Philadelphia-born United States jazz drummer, known as the drummer for the Miles Davis Quintet.Philly Joe Jones was often confused with another influential jazz drummer, Jo Jones...
, and Dexter Gordon
Dexter Gordon
Dexter Gordon was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and an Academy Award-nominated actor . He is regarded as one of the first and most important musicians to adapt the bebop musical language of people like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell to the tenor saxophone...
.
Biography
Charles Mitchell “Dolo” Coker was born in Hartford, CT on November 16, 1927, raised in both Philadelphia, PA and Florence, SC. The first musical instruments Coker played in childhood were the C-melody and alto saxophones, learning them at a school in Camden, SC. By the age of thirteen he was starting to play piano. Coker moved to Philadelphia, where he studied piano at the Landis School of Music and at Orenstein's Conservatory. Coker also played some shows on piano for Jimmy HeathJimmy Heath
James Edward Heath , nicknamed Little Bird, is an American jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger. He is the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath.-Biography:...
while in Philadelphia.
He was also a member of the Frank Morgan
Frank Morgan (musician)
Frank Morgan was a jazz saxophonist with a career spanning more than 50 years. He mainly played alto saxophone but also played soprano saxophone. During the 1950s he was known as a Charlie Parker successor and recorded several bebop albums.Morgan's father was a guitarist with the vocal group The...
Quartet (with Flip Greene on bass and Larance Marable
Larance Marable
Larance Marable is a West Coast jazz hard bop drummer born in Los Angeles, California, probably best known today for his work with Charlie Haden in his Quartet West. However, Marable also had a strong career first as a bop musician in the 1950s working with the likes of Dexter Gordon and Charlie...
on drums).
Coker did not record his own album as a leader until 1976, when he recorded his debut Dolo! with Blue Mitchell
Blue Mitchell
Richard Allen Mitchell was an American jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and funk trumpeter, known for many albums recorded as leader and sideman for Riverside, Blue Note and then Mainstream Records.-Biography:...
, Harold Land
Harold Land
Harold de Vance Land was an American hard bop and post-bop tenor saxophonist. Land developed his hard bop playing with the Max Roach/Clifford Brown band into a personal, modern style. His tone was strong and emotional, yet displayed a certain fragility that made him easy to...
, Leroy Vinnegar
Leroy Vinnegar
Leroy Vinnegar was an American jazz bassist.Born in Indianapolis, the self-taught Vinnegar established his reputation in Los Angeles during the 1950s and 1960s. His trademark was the rhythmic "walking" bass line, a steady series of ascending or descending notes, and it brought him the nickname...
and Frank Butler
Frank Butler (musician)
Frank Butler was an American jazz drummer. Butler was born in Kansas City, Missouri, but later moved west and was associated in large part with the West Coast school...
. That following day he recorded California Hard
California Hard
California Hard is a jazz album by pianist and composer Dolo Coker, recorded in 1976. Two of the six pieces were written by Coker. The album was reissued as a CD in 1994, with one bonus track .-Track listing:...
for Xanadu Records
Xanadu Records
Xanadu Records was a jazz music record label specializing in bebop throughout the 1970s and 1980s founded by Don Schlitten, recording and issuing recordings by some legendary names in jazz music.-Discography:...
, with Art Pepper
Art Pepper
Art Pepper , born Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr., was an American alto saxophonist and clarinetist.About Pepper, Scott Yanow of All Music stated, "In the 1950s he was one of the few altoists that was able to develop his own sound despite the dominant influence of Charlie Parker" and: "When Art Pepper...
replacing Harold Land on sax. Following California Hard were Third Down and All Alone. He continued to work as a sideman for other artists until he died of cancer at the age of fifty-five on April 13, 1983.
Coker's nickname is sometimes misspelt "Dodo" in sleeve notes and books on jazz.
As leader
- Dolo! (1976; Xanadu RecordsXanadu RecordsXanadu Records was a jazz music record label specializing in bebop throughout the 1970s and 1980s founded by Don Schlitten, recording and issuing recordings by some legendary names in jazz music.-Discography:...
) - California HardCalifornia HardCalifornia Hard is a jazz album by pianist and composer Dolo Coker, recorded in 1976. Two of the six pieces were written by Coker. The album was reissued as a CD in 1994, with one bonus track .-Track listing:...
(1976; Xanadu Records) - Third Down (1977; Xanadu Records)
- All Alone (1978; Xanadu Records)
As sideman
With Art PepperArt Pepper
Art Pepper , born Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr., was an American alto saxophonist and clarinetist.About Pepper, Scott Yanow of All Music stated, "In the 1950s he was one of the few altoists that was able to develop his own sound despite the dominant influence of Charlie Parker" and: "When Art Pepper...
- IntensityIntensity (Art Pepper album)Intensity is a 1960 jazz album by saxophonist Art Pepper playing with Dolo Coker, Jimmy Bond and Frank Butler. The album was released in 1963....
(1963)
With Frank Butler
Frank Butler (musician)
Frank Butler was an American jazz drummer. Butler was born in Kansas City, Missouri, but later moved west and was associated in large part with the West Coast school...
- Wheelin' and Dealin (1978) (with Joe FarrellJoe FarrellJoseph Carl Firrantello , known as Joe Farrell, was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. He is best known for a series of albums under his own name on the CTI record label and for playing in the initial incarnation of Chick Corea's Return to Forever.-Biography:Farrell was born in Chicago...
, Teddy EdwardsTeddy EdwardsTheodore Marcus "Teddy" Edwards was an American jazz tenor saxophonist based on the West Coast of the US. Some consider him to be one of the most influential jazz saxophonists.-Biography:...
, and Monty BudwigMonty BudwigMonty Rex Budwig was a West Coast jazz double bassist. He was born in Pender, Nebraska. He began playing bass during high school, continuing in the military band while he was enlisted in the Air Force....
)
With Teddy Edwards
Teddy Edwards
Theodore Marcus "Teddy" Edwards was an American jazz tenor saxophonist based on the West Coast of the US. Some consider him to be one of the most influential jazz saxophonists.-Biography:...
- Feelin's (1974) (with Conte CandoliConte CandoliSecondo "Conte" Candoli was an American jazz trumpeter based on the West Coast. He played in the big bands of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, and Dizzy Gillespie, and in Doc Severinsen's NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show. He played with Gerry Mulligan, and on Frank Sinatra's TV specials...
, Ray BrownRay Brown (musician)Raymond Matthews Brown was an American jazz double bassist.-Biography:Ray Brown was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and had piano lessons from the age of eight. After noticing how many pianists attended his high school, he thought of taking up the trombone, but was unable to afford one...
, Frank Butler, and Jerry Steinholtz)
With Harry "Sweets" Edison and Eddie Davis (saxophonist)
Eddie Davis (saxophonist)
Edward Davis , who performed and recorded as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.-Biography:...
- Simply Sweets (1977)