Ben E. King: Stand by Me

Singer/songwriter Ben E. King is one of the best performers of the smooth soul singer set. King, who was born Benjamin Earl Nelson in Henderson, North Carolina, in 1938, got his start in music with a revamped version of the Drifters in 1958.

As the lead singer of this new incarnation of the Drifters, King lent his velvet pipes to the hits “There Goes My Baby” (which he co-wrote), “Save the Last Dance for Me,” and “This Magic Moment.”

Due to a contract dispute with Drifters manager George Treadwell, King left the group and embarked on a solo career in 1960. King would soon find solo success with a number of classic hits, including the Phil Spector-produced “Spanish Harlem” and “Stand by Me.” Both of these songs are among the finest pop records made in the decade. King would score a number of lesser hits in the early sixties with the songs “Young Boy Blues,” “I (Who Have Nothing),” and “Here Comes the Night.”

King’s classic hits can be found on the compilations "Stand by Me: The Best of Ben E. King and the Drifters" (1986), “Stand By Me (The Ultimate Collection)” (1987), and “Anthology” (1993).

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Julia Lee: Gotta Gimme Whatcha Got

Julia Lee was among the best female jazz singers and pianists of the thirties and forties. Lee was born in Boonville, Missouri, in 1902, and grew up in Kansas City.

Lee began her career in the twenties as a pianist with several bands, including the band of her brother, George Lee. She made her recording debut in 1927 as a pianist for Jesse Stone. In 1935, Lee embarked on her own solo career and made her first recordings for Capitol Records in 1945.

During the forties, Lee scored several R&B hits, including “Gotta Gimme Whatcha Got,” “Snatch and Grab It,” “King Size Papa,” and “My Man Stands Out.” She was accompanied on these recordings by the likes of Red Nichols, Jay McShan, Benny Carter, and Red Norvo.

Lee’s classic recordings can be found on the following albums: Classics Julia Lee 1927-1946” (1995) and "Classics Julia Lee 1947" (1995) and  King Size Papa: The Julia Lee Collection 1927-52

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Anthony Braxton: Saxophone Improvisation

Anthony Braxton is among the most learned of jazz musicians and is currently a professor of music at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He is also a jazz composer, saxophonist, flautist, pianist, and clarinetist. Braxton was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1945.

Early in his career, Braxton became involved with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and recorded his debut album, “3 Compositions of New Jazz,” in 1968. The album was a free jazz excursion that is probably too far removed from mainstream music to be of interest to those who are not free jazz fans.

In 1971, Braxton recorded the album “For Alto,” which consisted of Braxton's solo on alto saxophone without accompaniment. The album is a double-disc offering of free jazz sax solos that, while lauded by critics, is definitely not for everyone.

Braxton has been extremely prolific over the years, and he has recorded dozens of albums of free jazz and avant-garde jazz since the mid-Sixties. Braxton has also recorded with numerous fellow musicians such as Chick Corea, George Lewis, Fred Frith, and John Zorn.

Among the best albums from Braxton’s extensive catalogue are those mentioned above and the following: “Saxophone Improvisation Series F” (1972), “Trio and Duet, (1975), “Performance 9/1/79” (1981), “Quartet (London) 1985” (1988), “Six Monk’s Compositions” (1987) (1988), “Seven Compositions (Trio) 1989” (1990), “Dortmund (Quartet) 1976” (1991), “Willisau (Quartet) 1991” (1992), “Quartet (Coventry) 1985” (1993), “Creative Orchestra (Kohl) 1978” (1995), “Quintet (Basel) 1977” (2001), “23 Standards (Quartet) 2003” (2004), and “9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006” (2007).

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Roy Eldridge: Little Jazz

Most jazz critics consider Roy "Little Jazz" Eldridge the successor of Louis Armstrong in the evolution of jazz trumpet players. Armstrong is almost universally considered the greatest jazz trumpeter in history; however, Eldridge is viewed as the musician who took the hot New Orleans style of Armstrong and turned it into something new.

Eldridge was notable for his rough and speedy technique, particularly when playing high notes on the trumpet. A now almost forgotten trumpeter, Jabbo Smith, who rivalled the virtuosity of Armstrong in the late twenties, was a huge influence on Eldridge, as was Armstrong.

In terms of jazz cornet/trumpet greatness, the progression is loosely as follows: Buddy Bolden-Freddie Keppard, Oliver-Louis Armstrong-Roy Eldridge-Dizzy Gillespie-Miles Davis-Clifford Brown.

Eldridge was born to a musical family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1911. As a child, Eldridge became a drummer in the band of his brother, Joe, before his brother convinced him to pick up the trumpet. By the age of 20, he had started his own band in Pittsburgh and then left that band to join the band of Horace Henderson, brother of the great New York bandleader, Fletcher Henderson. Shortly thereafter, in 1930, Eldridge moved to New York City.

In New York, Eldridge found work with a number of dance bands, and by 1935, as a member of the Teddy Hill Orchestra, Eldridge made his first recordings. Eldridge would eventually land a gig with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra from 1935 to 1936, becoming Henderson’s star soloist by lending his hot solos to the Henderson classics, “Christopher Columbus” and “Blue Lou.”

Eldridge later moved on to work with white bands led by Gene Kroupa, and later, Artie Shaw. The presence of an African-American musician in a white band was a rarity in the segregated America of the 1930s. In the post-war era, Eldridge became one of the leading musicians who toured under the banner of “Jazz at the Philharmonic.” He also freelanced with the bands of Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Benny Goodman.

Eldridge’s best recordings include "Drummer Man" (1956) with Gene Krupa, “Rockin' Chair” (1956), "Little Jazz Giant" (1989), and some compilations dedicated to his music. 

Eldridge died in 1989.

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Badfinger: Straight Up

Badfinger was a superb pop/rock band that formed in Abertawe, England, in 1969. The band was initially notable as the first band signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records. The music that Badfinger produced reminded many of the Beatles, and the band’s presence on the Apple label had many dismiss them as Beatles wannabes.

Badfinger recorded the excellent album "Straight Up" (1971), which saw the band fulfill the promise that they had shown in getting signed to Apple.  The album contained the classic tracks and minor hits “Day After Day” and “Baby Blue.”

The Straight Up album is one of the earliest examples of what would later be coined “power pop,” with the amplified guitar sound, perfect vocal harmonies, and catchy melodies. Power pop bands such as Big Star and The Raspberries would follow in their wake.

Badfinger’s story would end sadly, as the group would never shake their image as a second-rate Beatles clone. The members would wind up in financial hardship, driving leader Pete Ham to commit suicide in 1975.

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The Animals: Animalism

The Animals, led by singer Eric Burdon, were part of the British invasion of the sixties. The Animals were among the finest of the blues-based rock bands to emerge from Britain in the sixties.

Burdon, organist Alan Price, and drummer John Steel started out in a Newcastle band called the Kansas City Five. In 1962, with the additions of guitarist Hilton Valentine and bassist Chas Chandler, the band eventually became known as the Animals.

The band landed a regular gig at the Crawdaddy Club in London. Record producer Mickie Most got them signed to EMI on the strength of their live performances, and the label released their first singles, “Baby Let Me Take You Home” and “House of the Rising Sun,” in 1964. The latter song would become a huge hit and transform the band into one of the leading acts of the British Invasion.

The Animals continued recording a slew of hits throughout the sixties with “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” “We Got to Get Out Of This Place,” “When I Was Young,” “Monterrey,” and “Sky Pilot.”

After recording several excellent albums, starting with their fine debut release, “The Animals” (1964), the band broke up in 1969.

Among their best albums are the classics "The Animals on Tour" (1965), "Animalization" (1966), "Animalism" (1966), and "Animalisms" (1966).

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The Amazing Rhythm Aces: Classic Country Rock

The Amazing Rhythm Aces were one of the finest country-rock bands of the Seventies. The band played its country rock with a large dose of the blues and, under the leadership of singer/guitarist Russell Smith, scored a hit with “Third Rate Romance” in 1975. That song can be found on the band’s excellent debut album, "Stacked Deck" (1975).

The band’s sophomore album, "Too Stuffed to Jump" (1976), was another fine effort, with the track "The End is Not in Sight" as the album’s highlight.

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Al Green: Call Me

Al Green is a Southern soul singer from Forrest City, Arkansas, who embodies the smoother and sweeter side of soul music, which, in the hands of the likes of James Brown, Ray Charles, and Otis Redding, was a far grittier genre. Green’s songs tell tales of true love and extol the virtues of fidelity. His biggest hit, “Let’s Stay Together,” is a primary example of Green’s brand of sweet soul.

Green would become one of the biggest soul stars of the Seventies with a steady string of hits, which included “I Can’t Get Next to You,” “Tired of Being Alone,” “Let’s Stay Together,” “I’m Still in Love with You,” and “Call Me.” Green’s hits were recorded for Hi Records in Memphis under the direction of producer Willie Mitchell.

Green’s best albums include “Green Is Blues" (1969), “Al Green Gets Next to You" (1970), “Let's Stay Together" (1972), “I'm Still in Love with You” (1972), and “Call Me" (1973).

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Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell: How Long-How Long Blues

Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell comprised one of the most influential musical partnerships in the history of the blues. Singer and pianist Carr teamed up with the brilliant guitarist. Carr was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1905. Blackwell was born in Syracuse, South Carolina, in 1903. After both men had worked for several years as accompanists for other performers, they formed a duo in 1928 and made their first recordings for Vocalion Records that year.

The duo’s first recording, “How Long—How Long Blues,” was a smash hit and a million-seller that ushered in a more polished urban sound for blues recordings. The money that the duo made from the song allowed Scrapper Blackwell to quit his bootlegging activities but provided Leroy Carr with the means to exacerbate his already serious alcoholism.

Carr and Blackwell recorded several more classic sides between 1928 and 1935, including “Midnight Hour Blues,” “Mean Mistreater Mama,” “Blues before Sunrise,” and the song that seemed to foretell Carr’s early demise, “Six Cold Feet in the Ground.”

By 1935, Carr’s drinking had resulted in kidney failure, and entire recording sessions were scrapped as a result. Carr died later that year of nephritis at the age of thirty.

Carr and Blackwell’s classic sides can be found on the following compilation albums: "Blues Before Sunrise" (1962) and "Naptown Blues" (1996).

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Them: Here Comes the Night

They were perhaps the best of the British blues-rock bands that emerged during the Sixties. The band covered much of the same blues/R&B terrain as bands such as the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds, yet they possessed the best white blues shouter of the era, Van Morrison.

They were formed in Belfast, Ireland, in 1964, and the band quickly gained a reputation for its hard drinking and brawling as well as music.

The band’s first album, "Here Comes the Night" (1965), was a brilliant debut that combined inspired covers of blues standards and original material. The title track, “Here Comes the Night,” would become a hit. “Mystic Eyes” and “Gloria” are also standout tracks. The band’s sophomore album, "Them Again" (1966), continued in the same rave-up R&B vein with outstanding covers of "Turn On Your Love Light," "I Put a Spell on You," and "I Got a Woman."

Van Morrison left the group after Them Again to pursue a solo career, and the band continued without him. Despite the loss of Morrison, Them produced two more solid albums featuring a new psychedelic sound: “Now and Them” (1968) and “Time Out!" Time In For Them” (1968). "Complete Them (1964-1967)" is a fine compilation of the band’s work. 

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The Guess Who: No Time

From the freezing cold prairie town of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the Guess Who burst upon the music scene in the late Sixties. When original lead singer Chad Allen left the band to return to school, his replacement, the teenage Burton Cummings, would spearhead the band to international fame.

Cummings and the rest of the band—guitarist Randy Bachman, bassist Jim Kale, and drummer Gary Peterson—would soon score a big hit with “These Eyes.” That song would be included in the album "Wheatfield Soul" (1968), the first Guess Who album to make an impact outside of Canada.

With keyboardist and lead singer Cummings as frontman, the Guess Who would record a string of hit singles, which included “Undun” and “Laughing” from "Canned Wheat" (1969) and “American Woman” and “No Time” from the "American Woman" (1970) album. The track, “American Woman,” would become the band’s one and only No. 1 hit.

Randy Bachman, a Mormon, would leave the band during the height of its success, fed up with the excessive lifestyles of his bandmates. He was replaced by guitarist Kurt Winter, and the Guess Who kept on churning out hits. The album, "Share the Land" (1970), saw the title track, “Share the Land"; “Hand Me Down World"; and “Hang On to Your Life” all become hits. Despite earning a reputation as a “singles” band, the Guess Who produced solid and consistent albums throughout this period.

The Guess Who would continue to tour and record until 1975, occasionally scoring hit singles and releasing decent albums, the best of which is "Live at the Paramount" (1972).

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Sidney Bechet: Clarinet Genius

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Sidney Bechet was a musical child prodigy born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1897. Bechet was so musically advanced as a child that he had already played with many of the top bands in New Orleans. Bechet was one of a few jazz musicians of his generation who could rival Louis Armstrong’s brilliance as a soloist.

In 1917, Bechet moved to Chicago. After a tour of Europe, Bechet returned to America with a new instrument, the soprano saxophone, and he soon established himself as a master of the instrument. Bechet made his recording debut in 1923 with Clarence Williams. He appeared with Louis Armstrong on a classic session with the Clarence Williams Blue Five that produced superb sides such as “Cake Walkin’ Babies from Home.”

From 1925 to 1929, Bechet lived and played in Europe. While in Paris, Bechet became involved in a daylight gunfight with another musician that resulted in injuries to innocent bystanders. Bechet was imprisoned for a year as a result and was deported upon release.

During the depression, Bechet supplemented his income by running a tailor shop with trumpeter Tommy Ladnier. Bechet and Ladnier subsequently recorded several outstanding sides of New Orleans jazz under the name “New Orleans Feetwarmers.” In 1938, Bechet scored a big hit with his stirring rendition of the standard, “Summertime.”

Bechet returned to France in 1952 and continued to record hit jazz records. Bechet died in Paris in 1959.

Bechet’s recordings can be found on a number of fine compilation albums, including the great two-volume "Jazz Classics" (1950) and "Chronological Classics."

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Ali “Farka "Toure Albums and History

Ali "Farka" Touré is among only a handful of African folk musicians who have found an audience for their music beyond the borders of the African continent. Toure’s involvement with American guitarist and musicologist Ry Cooder in the Nineties brought him to the attention of North American roots music listeners. Toure would eventually become known as the “Bluesman of Africa.”

Toure was born in Kanau, Mali, in 1939. As a youth, Toure was introduced to African-American music, including soul from the likes of Ray Charles and Otis Redding and the Delta blues. Touré wrote music and performed for a group called Troupe 117, which was organized by the Malian government following the country’s establishment of independence.

In 1968, Toure appeared in a performance in Sofia, Bulgaria, his first such appearance outside of Africa. By the Seventies, Toure was performing on Radio Mali, and the Sonafric label recruited him to record several albums during the decade.

In 1995, Toure recorded the brilliant “Talking Timbuktu” with Ry Cooder and embarked on a world tour. For his next album, “Niafunké” (1999), Touré’s producer needed to install remote recording equipment near Touré’s farm, as the performer refused to leave his rice fields unattended to make recordings.

During his career endeavours, Touré had always sought out the security and familiarity of his hometown. In recognition of his unwavering loyalty, he was elected mayor of Niafunké in 2004.

Toure passed away in 2006 at the age of sixty-six.

Other fine albums by Touré include "Ali Farka Touré" (1984), "Ali Farka Toure" (1988), "The Source" (1991), and "Savane" (2006).

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Ma Rainey Songs and Albums

Bessie Smith was known as the “Empress of the Blues,” so it’s only fitting that her mentor and senior, Ma Rainey, should be forever remembered as “The Mother of the Blues.” Ma Rainey was born Gertrude Pridgett in Columbus, Georgia, in 1886. She acquired the moniker “Ma” after she married William “Pa” Rainey in 1904.

Rainey began performing music when she was 12 years old, and she and her husband eventually became members of the legendary touring ensemble, F.S. Walcott’s Rabbit’s Foot Minstrels. From 1914, the Raineys became known as “Rainey and Rainey, Assassins of the Blues.” Ma Rainey eventually met Bessie Smith, and she acted as a mentor for the younger singer.

Mamie Smith became the first African-American woman to make a blues record in 1920, and the sensation that her recording, “Crazy Blues,” stirred led to record companies searching out other African-American blues singers. Paramount discovered Rainey in 1923 and enabled her to make her first recordings. She went to Chicago in late 1923 to make her first record, “Bad Luck Blues,” “Bo-Weevil Blues,” and “Moonshine Blues.”

Rainey would record over 100 sides for Paramount over the next five years. She was marketed as “Mother of the Blues” among other tags. In 1924, she recorded with the young Louis Armstrong on “See See Rider Blues,” “Jelly Bean Blues,” and “Countin’ the Blues.”

As the thirties approached, Rainey’s brand of Vaudeville blues was beginning to lose popularity, and Paramount failed to renew her recording contract. Rainey died in Rome, Georgia, in 1939, of a heart attack.

Ma Rainey’s best recordings can be found on the following compilations: "Ma Rainey" (1974), "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (1975), and "The Best of Gertrude Ma Rainey Mother of the Blues" (2004).

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Alberta Hunter Blues Singer/Blues Diva

Alberta Hunter was one of the first female blues singers to record. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1895, and made her first recordings, “Bring Back the Joys/ How Long, Sweet Daddy, How Long,” in 1921, for the Black Swan label. By 1922, she had moved on to the Paramount label and established herself as one of the most prolific blues performers of the early Twenties.

Hunter continued to perform and record late into her long life. She died in New York City in 1984 and the age of 89. Among several compilation albums of Hunter’s music are "Complete Recorded Works" (1996) and "Young Alberta Hunter" (1996).

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Albert King: Born Under a Bad Sign

Albert King is one of three blues singers/guitarists, Freddie, B.B., and Albert, with the surname “King.” Of the three, BB King is by far the most famous, but blues purists will often point to Albert as the best of the trio. King was born in Indianola, Mississippi, in 1923 and died in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1993.

King made his first recordings during the early Fifties for the Parrot label, but his career didn’t get started in earnest until the early Sixties with singles for the King label. King recorded for the legendary Chess Records but may have produced his best work, "Born Under a Bad Sign," for the soul label, Stax.

Other fine albums by King include “The Big Blues” (1963), “Live Wire/Blues Power” (1968), “Years Gone By” (1969), and "King of the Blues Guitar" (1969). King appears on the superb compilation, “The Complete Stax/Volt Singles” series, along with the rest of the stellar Stax roster of blues and soul stars.

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