Henry Coker

Henry Coker (December 24, 1919 – November 23, 1979) was an American jazz trombonist.

Coker was born in Dallas. He studied music at Wellesley College before making his professional debut with John White in 1935. From 1937 to 1939 he played with Nat Towles's territory band, then moved to Hawaii to play with Monk McFay. After Pearl Harbor Coker returned to California, playing with Benny Carter (1944–46), Illinois Jacquet (1945), Eddie Heywood (1946–47), and Charles Mingus (late '40s). Coker fell ill from 1949 to 1951 and played little, and after his recovery he worked with Sonny Rollins and then joined Count Basie's band, playing and recording with him from 1952 to 1963.

Coker did work as a studio musician in the 1960s, then toured with Ray Charles from 1966 to 1971. He did freelance and film/television studio work in the mid-1970s, rejoining Basie briefly in 1973 and Charles in 1976. Osie Johnson wrote a tribute to him entitled "Cokernut Tree" in 1955. Coker appeared on J.J. Johnson's Trombones Incorporated session, featuring ten trombonists.

He died in Los Angeles, aged 59.

Coker had two sons: Scott Cameron Coker, who resides in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Craig Henry Coker (August 15, 1960 – January 10, 2013).

With Count Basie

• The Count! (Clef, 1952 [1955])
• Basie Jazz (Clef, 1952 [1954])
• Dance Session (Clef, 1953)
• Dance Session Album#2 (Clef, 1954)
• Basie (Clef, 1954)
• Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings (Clef, 1955) with Joe Williams
• April in Paris (Verve, 1956)
• The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards with Joe Williams
• Metronome All-Stars 1956 (Clef, 1956) with Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Williams
• Hall of Fame (Verve, 1956 [1959])
• Basie in London (Verve, 1956)
• One O'Clock Jump (Verve, 1957) with Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald
• Count Basie at Newport (Verve, 1957)
• The Atomic Mr. Basie (Roulette, 1957) aka Basie and E=MC²
• Basie Plays Hefti (Roulette, 1958)
• Sing Along with Basie (Roulette, 1958) - with Joe Williams and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
• Basie One More Time (Roulette, 1959)
• Breakfast Dance and Barbecue (Roulette, 1959)
• Everyday I Have the Blues (Roulette, 1959) - with Joe Williams
• Dance Along with Basie (Roulette, 1959)
• String Along with Basie (Roulette, 1960)
• Not Now, I'll Tell You When (Roulette, 1960)
• The Count Basie Story (Roulette, 1960)
• Kansas City Suite (Roulette, 1960)
• The Legend (Roulette, 1961)
• Back with Basie (Roulette, 1962)
• Basie in Sweden (Roulette, 1962)
• On My Way & Shoutin' Again! (Verve, 1962)
• This Time by Basie! (Reprise, 1963)
• More Hits of the 50's and 60's (Verve, 1963)
• Pop Goes the Basie (Reprise, 1965)

With Kenny Clarke

• Telefunken Blues (Savoy 1955)

With Frank Foster

• No Count (Savoy 1956)

With Osie Johnson

• Osie's Oasis (Period 1955)
• Johnson's Whacks (Period 1955)

With Thad Jones

• Mad Thad (Period 1956)

With Trombones

• Trombones and Flute with Frank Wess (Savoy 1957)

With Dizzy Gillespie

• The Greatest Trumpet of Them All (Verve, 1957)

With Freddie Green

• Mr. Rhythm (RCA Victor, 1955)

With Tadd Dameron

• Fontainebleu (Prestige, 1956)

With Frank Wess

• North South East ... Wess (Savoy 1956)