William Johnson Coleman (August 4, 1904 in Paris, Kentucky, United States – August 24, 1981 in Toulouse, France) was an American jazz trumpeter.
In 1909, Coleman's family moved from Kentucky to Cincinnati. His first musical explorations were on clarinet and C melody saxophone, but he eventually settled on trumpet. As a young man he worked as a messenger for the Western Union telegraph company. He studied with Cincinnati trumpeter Theodore Carpenter, and played in an amateur band led by trombonist J.C. Higginbotham.
Coleman began professional work in Cincinnati with bands led by Clarence Paige and Wesley Helvey (both bands his teacher Carpenter worked in) then with Lloyd and Cecil Scott. In December 1927, he traveled with the Scott brothers to New York City, and continued to work with them until the late summer of 1929, when he joined the orchestra of pianist Luis Russell. His first recording session was with Russell on September 6, 1929, and he soloed on the tune "Feelin' the Spiri...
