Coker, Henry (L.)

Coker, Henry (L.), jazz trombonist; b. Dallas, Tex., Dec. 24, 1919; d. Los Angeles, Nov. 23, 1979. His big buttery sound was a part of Basie's band in the 1950s. Raised in Omaha, Nebr., Coker played piano from an early age; he studied music at Wiley Coll., Tex. Coker's first regular work was with trumpeter John White's Band (1935). He was with Nat Towles' Band from 1937-39 and then worked in Honolulu, Hawaii, with drummer Monk McFay and others until 1941. He was in Pearl Harbor Hospital with a …