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Well Known Jazz Musicians Playing on R&B Hits


paul secor

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I was looking through the discography, Blues Records 1943-1970, and saw that Ted Curson and John Patton (on piano) are listed as playing on Lloyd Price's hit "Stagger Lee". Hadn't known that before. I know that many jazz musicians got their professional starts playing r&b. Does anyone know of others playing on r&b hits?

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Happened all the time.

Connie Kay did a lot of studio work for Atlantic; perhaps his most surprising appearance, given his reputation as a subtle, restrained drummer, is on Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll."

Not surprisingly, given their relationship, Lester Bowie plays on several Fontella Bass records - not "Rescue Me," though.

In New Orleans, the lines were particularly blurred. "Jazz" musicians turn up all the time on R & B records - except that most of them probably just thought of themselves as "musicians," not "jazz musicians." Melvin Lastie does the cornet solo on Barbara George's "I Know," for instance, and Ellis Marsalis, James Black, Frog Joseph (whom I heard in Preservation Hall), and many others spent lots of time in Cosimo Matassa's studio.

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Johnny Griffin I suspect, but I can't give you specifics.

Johnny Griffin was on MANY records by the Joe Morris Orchestra in c.1947-49.

And the Joe Morris recordings from 1948 included such notables as Matthew Gee, Elmo Hope, Percy Heath and Philly Joe Jones. ;)

Will check and add a more detailed list other jazzmen present on R&B records/hits tonight (unless MG beats me to it with another highly detailed list of his ... ;))

Edited by Big Beat Steve
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Shorty Rogers and Elliott Lawrence on "Rock That Beat" on the Groove (RCA) label.

To be more precise, they were (collective personnel)

Shorty Rogers, Milt Bernhart, Bud Shank, Gerry Mulligan, Marty Paich, Jimmy Wyble, Howard Rumsey, Roy Harte, Dave Pell, Jimmy Giuffre, Bob Cooper, Frank Patchen, Shelly Manne

aka

"Boots Brown & His Blockbusters"

as well as

Al Cohn, Nick Travis, Eddie Bert, Charlie O'Kane, Elliott Lawrence, Buddy Jones, Osie Johnson

aka

"Dan Drew & His Daredevils"

But this is not exactly what the thread is about but rather the reverse: A bunch of crack jazz musicians having fun and showing that "we can honk with the best too!" :g

Great R&B LP, BTW.

But they were not the first.

The Lighthouse All Stars clique (Howard Rumsey et al.) had been doing the same thing earlier in the 50s for various recordings of the tune "Big Boy"/"More Big Boy" (M.B.B.) (plus teh follow-up "Big Girl"), first for the Skylark label, then on Contemporary.

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Hadda Brooks

"Hadda's Boogie"

Lee Konitz, as; Warne Marsh, ts; Hadda Brooks, p; unknown, b & d.

NYC, c. March, 1950.

That's a lineup I never would have imagined.

I didn't know that one, either, but Hadda was accompanied by the whole Basie band on several of her recordings.

Also

The lineup for Fatback Band's entire first album included George Adams (and he contributed a nice solo on one track).

John Patton not only played on most of Lloyd Price's early ABC singles, he wrote (or co-wrote, if you believe the credits) 'Where were you on our wedding day?' Fred Jackson was in that band, too, as was, a little later, Slide Hampton.

But there's a question underlying this thread - what's a jazz musician. Plenty of R&B stars were jazz musicians before they became R&B stars. The classic example is Johnny Otis, who was good enough to record with Prez before he formed his Show. But you can add Joe Liggins, Roy Milton, Amos Milburn, Bullmoose Johnson, Big John Greer, Ray Charles, George Benson and Louis Jordan to the list.

MG

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And I shouldn't have forgotten 'Cherry Red blues' - the record that stayed on the R&B top 15 longer than any other (9 months!) - by the Cootie Williams band, with Cootie (tp), Jaws (ts), Bud Powell (p), Norm Keenan (b), Vess Payne (d) and vocals & alto by Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson. The follow up - by the same band - 'Somebody's gotta go' made #1, but didn't last 9 months. Vinson, of course, also wrote 'Four' and 'Tune up' and gave them to Miles Davis, because he couldn't use them in his act.

Also, George Treadwell was in a later edition of that band; he wasn't an R&B artist but he owned the Drifters.

MG

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Quite true, MG - this subject has many facets.

But even if we take only jazz musicians who worked (often extensively) in R&B bands before they became JAZZ stars (cf. Clifford Brown with Chris Powell's Blue Flames) or jazz musicians who did R&B work on the side (as session musicians or on-stage "side jobs") with R&B singers/bands while they were already well-known in jazz circles, then this will make up quite a list ...

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Indeed. Over dinner, I remembered that Ben Webster made a fair number of recordings with Pee Wee Crayton. Also he was on this Spoon album:

42635.jpg

Jimmy Witherspoon - Roots - Reprise

He was also on another great Spoon album - 'At the Monterey Jazz Festival' - with Roy Eldridge, Urbie Green, Woody Herman, Coleperson Hawkins, Earl Hines, Vernon Alley & Mel Lewis.

And on yet another great Spoon album - At the Renaissance - a few months later, with Gerry Mulligan, Jimmy Rowles, Leroy Vinnegar * Mel Lewis again. Those two were on Hifijazz.

This next one was on Pacific Jazz

Jimmy Witherspoon - Singing the blues - with Gerald Wilson, Teddy Edwards, Jimmy Allen (ts), Hamp Hawes, Herman Mitchell (g), Jimmy Hamilton (b), Jimmy Miller (d)

Almost all the Spoon albums I've got have jazz musicians backing him. An album apparently first issued in UK on Society ('Jimmy Witherspooon sings the blues') has him with Groove Holmes & Teddy Edwards. Groove was with him again in the 90s for 'As blue as they can be' (with some tracks by Odetta).

Three Prestige albums I have of his have backings by jazz musicians:

Baby, baby, baby has Kenny Burrell, Leo Wright, Gildo Mahones, George Tucker and Jimmie Smith

Evening' blues has Clifford Scott, T-Bone Walker, Clarence Jones & Wayne Robertson

Blues around the clock has Paul Griffin, Lloyd Westbrook, Leonard Gaskin & Herbie Lovelle

I also have

'The blues is now' - Verve with Jack McDuff, Danny Turner, Leo Johnson, Melvin Sparks, Jymie Merritt (now there's a bloody surprise!) and Ray Appleton.

and this

Jimmy-Witherspoon-Midnight-Lady-Cal-5349

Midnight lady called the blues - Muse - and what a BEAUTIFUL band!

OK, mustn't forget that Wild Bill Moore played on Marvin Gaye's 'What's going on' album and soloed on 'Mercy mercy me'.

And, having mentioned Fathead on the Spoon Muse LP, one also has to say that he probably made more solo appearances on R&B records than anyone except Plas Johnson (or Bernard Purdie or Idris Muhammad, for that matter). But one I really like is the Neville Brothers 'Fiyo on the bayou' - I love his solo on 'Hey Pocky way'.

Jimmy McGriff is another musician who played on R&B records. He made two with Junior Parker - 'Chicken fried soul' - UA - recorded at Jimmy's own organ room - and 'Good things don't happen every day' - Groove Merchant. And he was also on an album by Albert Collins - 'Cold snap' (Alligator).

And I recently found out that Odell Brown, long after the Organizers, collaborated with Marvin Gaye on his last album, 'Midnight love', arranging some of the tunes and co-writing 'Sexual healing'.

http://wdajnabi.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/back-story-odell-brown/

Oh, and Gerald Wilson didn't half arrange a bunch of R&B hits, too.

Now going off for a cough and a drag. Back later with B B King backing musicians.

MG

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Happened all the time.

Connie Kay did a lot of studio work for Atlantic; perhaps his most surprising appearance, given his reputation as a subtle, restrained drummer, is on Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll."

Taking it one step further, quite a few jazz notables were on the Atlantic studio musician roster in the 50s.

Leaving out a few jazz men maybe more renowned in R&B circles anyway (such as Freddie Mitchell, Mickey Baker, King Curtis, Harry Van Walls etc.), the following renowned jazz musicians were on one or the other of Joe Turner's Atlantic recordings/hits in the 1953-59 period:

Taft Jordan (tp), Budd Johnson (as), Leonard Gaskin (b), Connie Kay (dr), Lloyd Trotman (b),Jimmy Nottingham (tp), Dick Vance (tp), George Barnes (g), Jerome Richardson (as), Mundell Lowe (g), Hilton Jefferson (as), Marlowe Morris (p, org).

Some of the above, plus Al Caiola (g), Romeo Penque (as), Milt Hinton (b), Sam Price (p), Teddy Charles (vib)

were on the Atlantic recordings by Chuck Willis from the sane period. Teddy Charles (no doubt a surprising name in this context), for example, was on the "Hang Up My Rock'n'Roll Shoes" session from 1958 but not on that particular tune.

Edited by Big Beat Steve
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Some R&B sounds that were a bit slicker:

The band behind Ivory Joe Hunter's 1949 hit recording of "I Almost Lost My Mind" for MGM included Taft Jordan (tp), Budd Johnson (ts) and Ernie Caceres (bars).

And the lineups behind Ivory Joe Hunter recording for King were like this:

Harold Baker (tp), Tyree Glenn (tp/vib), Russell Procope (as/cl), Oscar Pettiford (b), Sonny Greer (dr) in late 1947

and

Baker, Glenn, Procope, Greer plus Johnny Hodges (as) and Wendell Marshall (b) in July 1949.

Howzat for some R&B lineup? ;)

The list of jazzmen recording regularly with Ray Charles (starting with his Swingtime recordings and all through his Atlantic period) should also be a pretty impressive Who's Who.

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OK, on to some early B B King cuts for which I know the personnel - and they're relevant.

3 o'clock blues - with Willie Mitchell (later at HI Records), Hank Crawford and Calvin Newborn

Woke up this morning; You upset me baby; and Every day I have the blues - with George Coleperson

Sweet little angel - with Jymie Merritt (again!)

His LP 'Blues & jazz' of course has a good ration of jazzmen, including Don Wilkerson, Arnett Cobb, Billy Butler, Warren Chiasson (now THERE'S a name you don't see often in this context), Major Holley, Oliver Jackson, and..... WOODY SHAW!!!!!!!!!

OK, onto this Piano Red EP, which features, on different tracks - Kenny Burrell, Skeeter Best, Leroy Kirkland, Milt Hinton, Gus Johnson (all on the 1957 session), Wesley Jackson (1955 & 1958), and Marion Booker (1958).

And what about King Curtis? Possibly nearly as many R&B recordings as Plas Johnson.

MG

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Oh, another Spoon album I used to have but forgot was 'New Orleans blues' (Atlantic) with Sidney DeParis (cnt) Wilbur DeParis (tb) Omer Simeon (cl) Sonny White (p) Shep Shepherd (bj) Benny Moten (b) Wilbert Kirk (d) - Jeff, is Shep Shepherd the same guy who played bass with Bill Doggett?

And Benny Moten!!!! Phew, even though he got his name misspelled.

And, thanks to Hot Ptah, who sent me a copy, I know that Johnny Copeland's 1981 LP, 'Copeland special' includes (hold your breath.....) George Adams, Arthur Blythe and Byard Lancaster.

And Albert Collins' LP 'Don't lose your cool' has Chris Foreman (of the Deep Blue Organ Trio) on keyboards.

Earl Brown and Eddie Chamblee were in the Lowell Fulson band recording for Checker in 1955 & 56. Oh and Eddie was in the Amos Milburn band for quite a while.

Now Amos Milburn's sidemen included -

Don Wilkerson, Clifford Solomon, Red Callender, Eddie Chamblee, Ernie Freeman, Irving Ashby, John Anderson (tp), Streamline Ewing, Sweets Edison, Harry Klee, Bumps Myers and Johnny Mandell doing arrangements.

MG

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Didn't Freddie Waits play drums on some of the 60s Motown hits?


Now Amos Milburn's sidemen included -

Don Wilkerson, Clifford Solomon, Red Callender, Eddie Chamblee, Ernie Freeman, Irving Ashby, John Anderson (tp), Streamline Ewing, Sweets Edison, Harry Klee, Bumps Myers and Johnny Mandell doing arrangements.

MG

Some of those tracks with Solomon and Wilkerson are in the Mosaic box, I think.

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On to Gator Tail now. Willis was married to Ruth Brown for a while, so he appeared on some significant recordings of hers, including,

'Teardrops from my eyes', '5-10-15 hours' and 'Daddy, Daddy'.

He was also on a load of singles by Little Willie John, including, 'All around the world' and 'Need your love so bad' (surely one of the most beautiful R&B singles ever).

T-Bone Walker now. Well, after I've made a cuppa.

MG


Didn't Freddie Waits play drums on some of the 60s Motown hits?


Now Amos Milburn's sidemen included -

Don Wilkerson, Clifford Solomon, Red Callender, Eddie Chamblee, Ernie Freeman, Irving Ashby, John Anderson (tp), Streamline Ewing, Sweets Edison, Harry Klee, Bumps Myers and Johnny Mandell doing arrangements.

MG

Some of those tracks with Solomon and Wilkerson are in the Mosaic box, I think.

Dunno about Freddie Waits. But all of those Aladdins were in the Mosaic box. I haven't checked who was in the band for his King material; not sure I have the info.

MG

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On to T-Bone walker now.

1955 session in Chicago for Atlantic - Andrew 'Goon' Gardner, Eddie Chamblee, McKinley Easton, John Young, Ransome Knowling & Leroy Jackson

1957 session in LA for Atlantic - Plas Johnson, R S Rankin, Barney Kessell, Joe Comfort & Earl Palmer.

I don't think I'll detail his last LP - most of the jazz musicians, with the probably exception of Fathead (who'd worked in T-Bone's band in his young days) were overdubbed.

So, Otis Rush next. His first Cobra session, which produced his only hit, 'I can't quit you baby', had Red Holloway on tenor. All of his other Cobra sessions, except the last, featured Harold Ashby. He had good taste in tenormen, didn't he?

MG

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The list of "jazz" musicians on R&B records of the 1950's is very long ..... a considerable number played regular gigs in these bands, many of which have already been mentioned. Saxophonists, in particular ...

George Duvivier knocks out a great beat on some Wynonie Harris tracks, with Specs Powell on drums. Even Coltrane played with Earl Bostic, as did Teddy Charles, or the Tuurentine Brothers.

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