1896 Ethel Waters* 1902 Julia Lee* 1922 Illinois Jacquet* 1939 Ali Farka Touré* 1954 Genevieve Castorena* 1970 Johnny Moeller* 1977 Eva Taylor+ 1985 Johnny Embry+ 1995 Albert Lavada "Dr. Hepcat" Durst+ 2013 Bobby Parker+ Paul Winn* Sandy Carroll*
Eva
Taylor (* 22. Januar 1895 in St. Louis als Irene Joy Gibbons; † 31.
Oktober 1977 in Mineola, New York) war eine US-amerikanische Blues- und
Jazzsängerin sowie Schauspielerin.
Leben und Wirken
Eva
Taylor begann ihre Karriere bereits als Kinderstar in einer
Revue-Tourneetruppe, die zwischen 1900 und 1920 auch Europa, Australien
und Neuseeland bereiste.[1] Sie ging dann in den Vereinigten Staaten mit
der Vaudeville-Truppe „Josephine Gassman and Her Pickaninnies“ auf
Tournee. 1920 kam sie nach New York City, wo sie bald eine populäre
Sängerin in den Nachtclubs von Harlem wurde. 1921 heiratete sie den
Pianisten und Produzenten Clarence Williams; das Paar arbeitete dann an
verschiedenen Projekten, zahlreichen Songs und einer Musik-Revue namens
„Bottomland“ und an verschiedenen Radioprogrammen. 1922 entstanden Eva
Taylors erste Aufnahmen für das afroamerikanische Label Black Swan, die
sie als „The Dixie Nightingale“ vermarktete.[2] Sie wirkte dann in den
1920er und 1930er Jahren auf zahlreichen Blues-, Jazz- und populären
Titeln von Okeh und Columbia Records mit und hatte 1925 erste Hits mit
den Songs „Everybody Loves My Baby“ (#10) und „Cake Walkin’ Babies from
Home“ (#13).
Als Leadsängerin war sie bei verschiedenen
Aufnahmen von Williams' Formation Blue Five zu hören, wie auch bei
dessen Sessions mit Louis Armstrong und Sidney Bechet 1924/25; dann 1929
bei Aufnahmen der Studioband The Charleston Chasers (Ain’t Misbehavin’)
sowie bei Aufnahmen von Bluessängerinnen wie Sippie Wallace, Rosetta
Crawford und Bessie Smith.[3] Obwohl sie zumeist unter ihrem Bühnennamen
Eva Taylor auftrat, arbeitete sie gelegentlich auch unter ihrem
Echtnamen als „Irene Gibbons and her Jazz Band“. 1927 trat Eva Taylor in
dem Broadway-Stück Bottomland auf, das Williams geschrieben und
produziert hatte und 21 Aufführungen erlebte.[4]
Ende
der 1920er hatte Eva Taylor beim Sender NBC auch ihre eigene
Radioshow[5] und gastierte in der Paul Whiteman Radio Show (1932).[6]
Bis in die 1930er Jahre arbeitete sie mit Williams zusammen. Anfang der
1940er Jahre zog sie sich aus dem Musikgeschäft zurück und trat nur noch
gelegentlich in Konzerten und Nachtclubs auf. Nach dem Tod ihre Mannes
kehrte sie Mitte der 1960er Jahre ins Musikgeschäft zurück und ging auch
in Europa auf Tourneen.
Eva Taylor (January 22, 1895 — October 31, 1977) was an American blues singer and stage actress.
Life and career
Born
Irene Joy Gibbons in St. Louis, Missouri, on stage from the age of
three, Taylor toured New Zealand, Australia and Europe before her
teens.[1] She also toured extensively with the "Josephine Gassman and
Her Pickaninnies" vaudeville act. She settled in New York by 1920. There
she established herself as a performer in Harlem nightspots. Within a
year she wed Clarence Williams, a producer (hired by Okeh Records),
publisher, and piano player. The newlyweds worked together on radio and
recordings. The couple recorded together through 1930s. Their legacy
includes numbers made as the group Blue Five in the mid-1920s, which
included jazz clarinetist/saxophonist Sidney Bechet, trumpet virtuoso
Louis Armstrong, and such singers as Sippie Wallace and Bessie Smith.[2]
In
1922 Taylor made her first record for the African-American owned Black
Swan Records, who billed her as "The Dixie Nightingale."[3] She would
continue to record dozens of blues, jazz and popular sides for Okeh and
Columbia throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Although she adopted the stage
name of Eva Taylor, she also worked under her birth name in 'Irene
Gibbons and her Jazz Band'.
She was part of The
Charleston Chasers, the name given to a few all-star studio ensembles
who recorded between 1925 and 1930. In 1927, Eva Taylor appeared on
Broadway in Bottomland, a musical written and produced by her husband,
lasted for twenty-one performances.[4] During 1929 Eva had her own radio
show on NBC's Cavalcade,[5] then worked for many years on radio WOR,
New York (guesting on Paul Whiteman's radio show in 1932).[6] Taylor
stopped performing during the 1940s, but returned in the mid-1960s
following her husband's death, touring throughout Europe.
Death
Eva
Taylor died from cancer in 1977 in Mineola, New York. She was interred
next to her husband, Clarence Williams, under the name of Irene Joy
Williams in Saint Charles Cemetery, Farmingdale, New York.[7] Their son,
Clarence Williams, Jr. (1923–1976), who predeceased his mother by one
year, was the father of actor Clarence Williams III. Their daughter Joy
Williams (1931-1970) was a singer-actress under stage name Irene
Williams.
Illinois Jacquet (eigentlich Jean-Baptiste Jacquet; * 31. Oktober
1922 in Broussard[1], Louisiana; † 22. Juli 2004 in New York) war
ein berühmter Jazzmusiker. Der Tenor-Saxophonist war bekannt für
seine stilübergreifenden Ideen und Kompositionen und spielte mit
fast jeder Jazz- und Blues-Größe seiner Zeit zusammen.
Berühmt wurde er 1942 durch sein 80-Sekunden-Solo in Lionel
Hamptons Flying Home. Seit 1981 trat er mit seiner eigenen Big Band
auf. Jacquet galt als einer der größten Saxophonisten der
Jazzgeschichte. Einem breiteren Publikum wurde er 1993 bekannt, als
er gemeinsam mit dem damaligen US-Präsidenten und
Hobby-Saxophonisten Bill Clinton zu dessen feierlicher Amtseinführung
ein Duett gab. Sein letztes Konzert gab er am 16. Juli 2004 in New
York; sechs Tage später erlag er einem Herzinfarkt.
Jean-Baptiste „Illinois“ Jacquet war der Sohn einer
Sioux-Indianerin und eines kreolischen Eisenbahnarbeiters. Der
Spitzname „Illinois“ leitete sich vom Indianerwort Illiniwek (=
überlegener Mann) ab. Sein älterer Bruder war der Trompeter Russell
Jacquet (1917–1990).
Jacquet begann mit drei Jahren als Stepptänzer in der väterlichen
Big Band. Später spielte er dort zunächst Schlagzeug, anschließend
Saxophon. Als Mitglied der Bigband Lionel Hamptons spielte Jacquet
1942 im Alter von 19 Jahren im Song Flying Home ein Solo in einem
ganz neuen Stil. So wurden andere populäre Musiker auf ihn
aufmerksam. 1945 sprang er für Lester Young bei der Count Basie-Band
ein und nahm zahlreiche Hits mit ihr auf. 1946 gründete Jacquet
seine erste eigene Band und ging schon früh mit ihr auf Welttournee.
1983 baute er sie zu einem großen Orchester aus, mit dem er über
20 Jahre lang durch die USA und Europa tourte. Jacquet begleitete
auch Größen wie Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Dizzy Gillespie,
Charlie Parker, Jo Jones, Buddy Rich, Ella Fitzgerald und Miles
Davis.
Zu Jacquets bekanntesten Stücken gehören Black Velvet, Robbin's
Nest und Port of Rico. Seine Impulsivität machte ihn zum
Publikumsmagneten der weltweiten Jazz at the Philharmonic-Tourneen.
Sein Leben und Werk wurde 1992 in Arthur Elgorts Dokumentation Texas
Tenor - The Illinois Jacquet Story verfilmt. Unter den Darstellern
ist auch der legendäre Bassist Ray Brown.
Sein Grab befindet sich in New York auf dem Woodlawn Cemetery im
Stadtteil Bronx, unmittelbar neben dem Grab von Miles Davis.
Jean-Baptiste
Illinois Jacquet (October 31, 1922 – July 22, 2004) was an American
jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on "Flying
Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone
solo.[1]
Although he was a pioneer of the honking tenor
saxophone that became a regular feature of jazz playing and a
hallmark of early rock and roll, Jacquet was a skilled and melodic
improviser, both on up-tempo tunes and ballads. He doubled on the
bassoon, one of only a few jazz musicians to use the
instrument.
Early life
Jacquet was born to a
Black Creole mother and father, named Marguerite Traham and Gilbert
Jacquet,[2] in Louisiana and moved to Houston, Texas, as an infant,
and was raised there as one of six siblings. His father, was a
part-time bandleader. As a child he performed in his father's band,
primarily on the alto saxophone. His older brother Russell Jacquet
played trumpet and his brother Linton played drums.[3]
At
15, Jacquet began playing with the Milton Larkin Orchestra, a
Houston-area dance band. In 1939, he moved to Los Angeles,
California, where he met Nat King Cole. Jacquet would sit in with the
trio on occasion. In 1940, Cole introduced Jacquet to Lionel Hampton
who had returned to California and was putting together a big band.
Hampton wanted to hire Jacquet, but asked the young Jacquet to switch
to tenor saxophone.
Career
In 1942, at age 19,
Jacquet soloed on the Hampton Orchestra's recording of "Flying
Home", one of the very first times a honking tenor sax was heard
on record. The record became a hit. The song immediately became the
climax for the live shows and Jacquet became exhausted from having to
"bring down the house" every night. The solo was built to
weave in and out of the arrangement and continued to be played by
every saxophone player who followed Jacquet in the band, notably
Arnett Cobb and Dexter Gordon, who achieved almost as much fame as
Jacquet in playing it. It is one of the very few jazz solos to have
been memorized and played very much the same way by everyone who
played the song. He quit the Hampton band in 1943 and joined Cab
Calloway's Orchestra. Jacquet appeared with Cab Calloway's band in
Lena Horne's movie Stormy Weather. In the earlier years of Jacquet's
career, his brother Linton Jacquet managed him on the chitlin
circuit[2] Linton's daughter Brenda Jacquet-Ross sang in jazz venues
in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1990s-early 2000s, with a band
called the Mondo Players.
In 1944, Illinois Jacquet
returned to California and started a small band with his brother
Russell and a young Charles Mingus. It was at this time that he
appeared in the Academy Award-nominated short film Jammin' the Blues
with Lester Young.[4] He also appeared at the first Jazz at the
Philharmonic concert. In 1946, he moved to New York City, and joined
the Count Basie orchestra, replacing Lester Young.[4] In 1952 Jacquet
co-wrote 'Just When We're Falling in Love'; Illinois Jacquet (m) Sir
Charles Thompson (m) S K "Bob" Russell (l). Jacquet
continued to perform (mostly in Europe) in small groups through the
1960s and 1970s. Jacquet led the Illinois Jacquet Big Band from 1981
until his death. Jacquet became the first jazz musician to be an
artist-in-residence at Harvard University, in 1983.[4] He played
"C-Jam Blues" with President Bill Clinton on the White
House lawn during Clinton's inaugural ball in 1993.
Jacquet's
final performance was on July 16, 2004, at the Lincoln Center in New
York.[4] Jacquet died in his home in Queens, New York of a heart
attack on July 22, 2004. He was 81 years of age.[3]
Influence
His
solos of the early and mid-1940s and his performances at the Jazz at
the Philharmonic concert series, greatly influenced rhythm and blues
and rock and roll saxophone style, but also continue to be heard in
jazz. His honking and screeching emphasized the lower and higher
registers of the tenor saxophone. Despite a superficial rawness, the
style is still heard in skilled jazz players like Arnett Cobb, who
also became famous for playing "Flying Home" with Hampton,
as well as Sonny Rollins, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Jimmy
Forrest.
Julia Lee (* 31. Oktober 1902 in Boonville (Missouri); † 8. Dezember 1958 in San Diego) war eine US-amerikanische Jazz- und Bluesmusikerin (Pianistin und Sängerin). Sie gilt als die bekannteste Jazz-, Blues- und Rhythm and Blues- Pianistin und -Sängerin aus Kansas City.
Lee war in Kansas City aufgewachsen und hatte schon als Kind zusammen mit einem Saiteninstrument-Trio ihres Vaters sowie bei Veranstaltungen ihrer Kirchengemeinde, aber auch auf Hauspartys Musik gemacht. Ihr Bruder war der Bandleader George E. Lee. Als Pianistin und Sängerin hauptberuflich tätig wurde sie 1917, zunächst im Ragtime-Stil als Kinopianistin, die Stummfilme begleitete, aber auch in den Clubs entlang der 12th Street. Dort wurde sie durch den Vortrag von Bluesnummern mit doppeldeutigen Texten bekannt.
Anschließend spielte sie seit der Gründung als Pianistin im Orchester ihres Bruders George E. Lee, einer sogenannten Territory Band der Region, die um 1920 gegründet wurde und McKinney’s Cotton Pickers Konkurrenz machte, aber auch als stärkster Konkurrent des Orchesters von Bennie Moten Orchestra galt. In den 20er Jahren scheint Lee's Band nicht zuletzt dank seines und seiner Schwester Gesang mit ulkigen Texten in Kansas City bekannter und attraktiver gewesen zu sein. Mary Lou Williams erinnert sich an Julia Lee aber auch als neben Margaret Johnson wichtigster Pianistin der Stadt. Julia arbeitete 15 Jahre lang im Orchester ihres Bruders, bevor sie - nach ersten Aufnahmen für das Merritt-Label (1927) - 1935 ihre Solokarriere startete.
1944 wurde sie im Rahmen der „History of Jazz“-Reihe von Capitol Records aufgenommen; sie sang nun vor den Bands von Jay McShann und Tommy Douglas. Später trat sie vor allem in einer kleinen Besetzung als Julia Lee and her Boy Friends auf. Zu den Boyfriends gehörten Musiker wie Benny Carter, Vic Dickenson, Ernie Royal, Red Norvo, Red Nichols, Nappy Lamare und Tommy Douglas. Nachdem sie mit „Come On Over To My House Baby“ einen regelrechten Hit in den Jukeboxen und im Radio hatte landen können, erhielt sie 1946 einen festen Vertrag. 1947 stand sie mit „Snatch It And Grab It“ zwölf Wochen lang auf Platz 1 der Rhythm and Blues Charts. Die Platte hatte eine damals beachtliche halbe Million Käufer gefunden. Weitere Hits schlossen sich an. Zwei Jahre später hielt sie neun Wochen lang den ersten Platz der Hitparade mit „King Size Papa“. 1949 spielte Julia Lee auf Einladung des aus Missouri stammenden US-Präsident Harry S. Truman im Weißen Haus. In den 1950ern produzierte sie weiterhin, war jedoch nur noch mäßig erfolgreich. Ein Jahr vor ihrem Tod spielte sie eine kleine Rolle in Robert Altmans in Kansas City gedrehten Film „The Delinquence“.
Lee steht mit ihrer Musik für einen frühen Übergang vom Kansas City Jazz zum Rhythm & Blues. Laut einer Liste der US-Musikzeitschrift Billboard stand sie auf Platz 12 der im Zeitraum von 1942 bis 1949 in Hinblick auf die Plattenverkäufe erfolgreichsten Rhythm & Blues-Künstler – und damit vor Dinah Washington, Billy Eckstine, Wynonie Harris, Charles Brown oder Roy Milton..
Julia Lee (October 31, 1902 – December 8, 1958)[2] was an American blues and dirty blues musician.[1]
Biography
Born in Boonville, Missouri, Lee was raised in Kansas City, and began her musical career around 1920, singing and playing piano in her brother George Lee's band, which for a time also included Charlie Parker. She first recorded on the Merritt record label in 1927 with Jesse Stone as pianist and arranger, and launched a solo career in 1935.
In 1944 she secured a recording contract with Capitol Records,[1] and a string of R&B hits followed, including "Gotta Gimme Whatcha Got" (#3 R&B, 1946), "Snatch and Grab It" (#1 R&B for 12 weeks, 1947, selling over 500,000 copies), "King Size Papa" (#1 R&B for 9 weeks, 1948), "I Didn't Like It The First Time (The Spinach Song)" (#4 R&B, 1949), and "My Man Stands Out".
As these titles suggest, she became best known for her trademark double entendre songs,[1] or, as she once said, "the songs my mother taught me not to sing". The records were credited to 'Julia Lee and Her Boy Friends', her session musicians including Jay McShann, Vic Dickenson, Benny Carter, Red Norvo, Nappy Lamare, and Red Nichols.[1][2]
She was married to Frank Duncan, a star catcher and manager of the Negro National League's Kansas City Monarchs. He, like Julia, was a native of Kansas City.
Although her hits dried up after 1949, she continued as one of the most popular performers in Kansas City until her death in San Diego, at the age of 56, from a heart attack.
Music has always been an influence in her life. As a child she would attend at least three or more church services, just to hear them sing. She also loves to dance, once given a harmonica as a birthday gift, it all seem to fit. She has had the opportunity to listen to some of the world’s greatest blues harmonica players. Many of them have been her mentors. Feature artist include, Bullet Bill Tarsha, Bob Corritore, Charlie Musselwhite, Rick Estrin, Lazy Lester, Mark Harman, Billy Boy Arnold, Johnny Dyer, Rob Piazza, Jr Wells, and many others. She has been playing for about twenty five years, and been in several blues bands, from LA, Las Vegas, to Phoenix. Wild hair and high energy have become her trade mark.
Ali Farka Touré (* 31. Oktober 1939 in Kanau, Mali; † 7. März 2006 in Bamako) war ein malischer Musiker. Der „Bluesman of Africa“ (auch „König des Wüsten-Blues“) galt als einer der renommiertesten Musiker Afrikas. Das Rolling Stone Magazin kürte ihn unter die einhundert besten Gitarristen aller Zeiten. Ali Farka Touré, nahe Timbuktu im Dorf Kanau am Niger geboren, entstammte einer Songhai-Familie. Sein Vater starb, als Touré noch ein Säugling war. Die Familie zog den Niger Richtung Niafunké hinunter, 200 Kilometer südlich von Timbuktu. Touré wuchs als Muslim auf. Schon als Elfjähriger begann Touré, Gurkel zu spielen, eine einsaitige Gitarre. Später kamen die Njarka, eine einsaitige Fidel, sowie die viersaitige Ngoni hinzu. 1956 sah Ali Farka Touré einen Auftritt des guineischen Gitarristen Fodéba Keïta. Er lieh sich eine Gitarre und übertrug seine traditionelle Technik auf das westliche Instrument. Zur gleichen Zeit lernt der Autodidakt, Banjo, Schlagzeug (Perkussion) und Akkordeon zu spielen. Nach der Unabhängigkeit Malis 1960 förderte der erste Staatschef Modibo Keita lokale Musiker und Künstler. Touré trat mit dem Kulturensemble „Troupe 117“ auf. 1968 unternahm Touré seine erste Auslandsreise, und zwar nach Sofia, Bulgarien, zu einem internationalen Kulturfestival. Die malischen Musiker spielten traditionelle Musik. Touré spielte Gitarre, Flöte, Djerkel und Njarka. Am 21. April kaufte er in Sofia seine erste Gitarre - alle bis dahin von ihm gespielten Gitarren hatte er sich ausleihen müssen. Im gleichen Jahr, bei einem Besuch in Bamako, spielte ihm ein dort studierender Freund Schallplatten von James Brown, Jimmy Smith, Albert King und John Lee Hooker vor. In späteren Jahren betonte Touré, dass er von John Lee Hookers Musik beeindruckt, aber nicht beeinflusst sei. 1970 zog Touré nach Bamako und begann als Techniker für „Radio Mali“ zu arbeiten. Bis 1973 war er Mitglied des Radio-Mali-Orchesters. In den frühen 1970er-Jahren gab ihm ein befreundeter Journalist den Tipp, Aufnahmen nach Paris zu schicken. Die Pariser Schallplattenfirma „SonAfric“ veröffentlichte sieben LPs Ali Farka Tourés - alle in Bamako aufgenommen. Trotz seiner Unzufriedenheit mit „SonAfric“ – er fühlte sich finanziell übergangen – profilierte er sich als einflussreicher Musiker in Mali. Touré war der erste, der westafrikanische Musikstile für die westliche Gitarre adaptierte. Die Themen seiner Lieder waren Freundschaft, Liebe, das Land, die Landwirtschaft, der Fluss Niger und die Fischerei, Erziehung, Gesundheit, Spiritualität und Mali. 1980 kehrte Touré nach Niafunké zurück. Sieben Jahre später verließ er das Land zum ersten Mal seit 1968 wieder, gab Konzerte in Europa und begann Songs bei „World Circuit“, einem britischen Weltmusiklabel, aufzunehmen. Der bekannte britische Musikjournalist und BBC-Moderator Andy Kershaw schrieb über Tourés Musik: „Mir wurde ganz überraschend eine Aufnahme von Ali Farka Touré zugeschickt. Ich hörte sie mir an und war überwältigt. Ich war nicht der einzige. Von allen Platten, die ich jemals im Radio gespielt hatte, rief diese die meisten Anfragen hervor. Mit ihrem rhythmisch gezupften Gitarrenstil und dem nasal und einsam klingenden Gesang war dies die westafrikanische Version des Delta Blues von Lightnin’ Hopkins oder John Lee Hooker.“ (Simon Broughton u. a: Weltmusik.) 2000 gab Touré die Musik vorübergehend auf, um sich ganz dem Reisanbau in Niafunké widmen zu können. Zudem engagierte er sich auf lokalpolitischer Ebene – 2004 wurde er zum Bürgermeister von Niafunké gewählt. Er war immer weniger gewillt zu reisen. So mussten die Aufnahmen von „Niafunké“ im Jahr 1999 mit einem mobilen Aufnahmestudio in einer verlassenen Ziegelei in Niafunké gemacht werden. Seinen größten Erfolg feierte er zusammen mit dem amerikanischen Musiker Ry Cooder, mit dem er während einer seiner raren Tourneen 1993 in den Vereinigten Staaten das Album Talking Timbuktu einspielte. Talking Timbuktu belegte 1994 auf nahezu allen Weltmusikcharts den ersten Rang. Nach seinem Rückzug aus dem Musikgeschäft im Jahr 2000 begann Touré 2004 wieder für World Circuit aufzunehmen, zusammen mit dem Koraspieler Toumani Diabaté. Der erste Teil dieser Aufnahmen wurde 2005 veröffentlicht, und Touré trat zum ersten Mal seit Jahren wieder öffentlich auf. In den Jahren 2002 und 2003 war Touré in den beiden Musikdokumentationen African Blues und Feel Like Going Home zu sehen. Die letzte Aufnahme Ali Farka Tourés Savane wurde in der von der EBU ermittelten Bestenliste der Weltmusikcharts für das Jahr 2006 an Nummer eins geführt. Ali Farka Touré starb im Alter von 66 Jahren an Knochenkrebs. Bis kurz vor seinem Tod, jedoch schon schwer erkrankt, beteiligte er sich an den Aufnahmen zum Debütalbum seines Sohnes Vieux Farka Touré.
Ali Ibrahim "Farka" Touré (October 31, 1939 – March 7, 2006) was a Malian singer and multi-instrumentalist, and one of the African continent's most internationally renowned musicians.[1] His music is widely regarded as representing a point of intersection of traditional Malian music and its North American cousin, the blues. The belief that the latter is historically derived from the former is reflected in Martin Scorsese's often quoted characterization of Touré's tradition as constituting "the DNA of the blues".[2] Touré was ranked number 76 on Rolling Stone 's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" [3] and number 37 on Spin magazine's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".[4]
Biography
He was born in 1939 in the village of Kanau, on the banks of the Niger River in Gourma-Rharous Cercle in the northwestern Malian region of Tombouctou. His family moved to the nearby village of Niafunké when he was still an infant.[5] He was the tenth son of his mother but the only one to survive past infancy. "The name I was given was Ali Ibrahim, but it's a custom in Africa to give a child a strange nickname if you have had other children who have died",[5] Touré was quoted as saying in a biography on his Record Label, World Circuit Records. His nickname, "Farka", chosen by his parents, means "donkey", an animal admired for its tenacity and stubbornness: "Let me make one thing clear. I'm the donkey that nobody climbs on!"[5] Ethnically, he was part Songrai, part Fula.[5]
As the first African bluesman to achieve widespread popularity on his home continent, Touré was often known as "the African John Lee Hooker".[6] Musically, the many superpositions of guitars and rhythms in his music were similar to John Lee Hooker's hypnotic blues style. He usually sang in one of several African languages, mostly Songhay, Fulfulde, Tamasheq or Bambara[5] as on his breakthrough album, Ali Farka Touré, which established his reputation in the world music community.
His first North American concert was in Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia[citation needed]. 1994's Talking Timbuktu, a collaboration with Ry Cooder, sold promisingly well in Western markets, but was followed by a hiatus from releases in America and Europe. He reappeared in 1999 with the release of Niafunké, a more traditional album focusing on African rhythms and beats. Touré was the mentor and uncle of popular Malian musician Afel Bocoum[citation needed].
Some of Ali Farka Touré's songs and tunes have been used in different programmes, films and documentaries.[7] For instance, his guitar riff on the song "Diaraby", from the album Talking Timbuktu, was selected for the Geo-quiz segment of The World PRI-BBC program, and was retained by popular demand when put to a vote of the listeners.[8] This song is likewise used in 1998 as a soundtrack for the film L'Assedio (Besieged) by the Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci. His songs Cinquante six, Goye Kur and Hawa Dolo from the album The Source are also used as a soundtrack in the French film Fin août, début septembre (Late August, Early September) directed in 1998 by Olivier Assayas.[7] The song "Lasidan" was featured in the award winning documentary "Sharkwater" by Rob Stewart.
In 2002 he appeared with Black American blues and reggae performer Corey Harris, on an album called Mississippi to Mali (Rounder Records). Toure and Harris also appeared together in Martin Scorsese's 2003 documentary film Feel Like Going Home,[7] which traced the roots of blues back to its genesis in West Africa. The film was narrated by Harris and features Ali's performances on guitar and njarka.
In 2004 Touré became mayor of Niafunké and spent his own money grading the roads, putting in sewer canals and fuelling a generator that provided the impoverished town with electricity.[5]
In September 2005, he released the album In the Heart of the Moon, a collaboration with Toumani Diabaté, for which he received a second Grammy award.[5] His last album, Savane, was posthumously released in July 2006. It was received with wide acclaim by professionals and fans alike and has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the category "Best Contemporary World Music Album".[citation needed] The panel of experts from the World Music Chart Europe (WMCE), a chart voted by the leading World Music specialists around Europe, chose Savane as their Album of the Year 2006, with the album topping the chart for three consecutive months (September to November 2006).[9] The album has also been listed as No. 1 in the influential Metacritic's "Best Albums of 2006" poll,[10] and No. 5 in its all-time best reviewed albums.[11] Ali Farka Touré has also been nominated for the BBC Radio 3 awards 2007.[12]
On March 7, 2006, the Ministry of Culture of Mali announced his death at age 66 in Bamako from bone cancer, against which he had been battling for some time. His record label, World Circuit, said that he recorded several tracks with his son, Vieux Farka Touré, for Vieux's debut album which was released in late 2006.
Johnny Moeller (born Jon Kelly Moeller, October 31, 1970) is an American blues guitarist, currently with The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, he had early exposure to music in the home, as his father played a little boogie-woogie piano and was constantly listening to music. He started playing guitar in his early teen years and soon discovered Slim Harpo and Jimmy Reed in his father's record collection. Additionally, Moeller remembers hearings lots of both ZZ Top and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Over the years Moeller's main influences have been from Freddie King, Lightnin' Hopkins, Earl King and Grant Green. Lesser, but meaningful influences come from a wide variety of other blues, soul and funk artists.
He began playing in Dallas and Fort Worth blues clubs whilst still in high school.[1] During the summers Moeller and his year and a younger half-brother Jay Moeller, who was already playing drums (and is now the drummer with The Fabulous Thunderbirds), traveled from their home in Denton down to Austin to "hang out" with their father. The summer they were 16 and 15 their father convinced Clifford Antone of the Austin blues club Antone's to let his sons periodically sit in with the evening's performers. The first night Moeller appeared on Antone's stage was with Little Charlie & The Nightcats.
After Moeller finished high school in Denton he moved to Austin and into the music scene that is 6th Street (Austin). He worked many of the city's well known venues and often soaked in the music of the constant stream of blues artists which Antone brought. Amongst those that played Antone's were Earl King, Albert Collins, and James Cotton.
Years later the Austin Chronicle quoted Antone (who also helped launch Stevie Ray Vaughan) as saying: "Johnny, nobody can burn like that kid. He's got the heart like Stevie had, about the only one I've seen with that kind of heart. Johnny's so quiet and bashful, just a sweet kid and sometimes those kids get overlooked."[2]
By the time Moeller had joined The Fabulous Thunderbirds in mid-2007 he had recorded, played regularly with, or toured North America, Europe and Scandinavia with Darrell Nulisch, Lou Ann Barton, Mike Barfield, Doyle Bramhall II, Gary Primich, and Guy Forsyth.
In 2008, Moeller guested on Steve Guyger's album, Radio Blues.[3]
Moeller was purportedly a childhood friend after which one of the characters in Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head cartoon is modeled. The other character is modeled after Paul Size.
Paul grew up in a house full of music. His father was a guitarist in various bands and the family home was always full of musicians, instruments and bands rehearsing. Touring in a Kombi fitted to accommodate the family as well as band equipment, Paul spent many happy years watching his Dad on stage and sneaking up in the breaks to have a go himself. He began playing drums at the age of 7 when his Dad brought home an old Ludwig drum kit.
During his school years, Paul continued to study all aspects of drumming and percussion, while playing for amateur musicals and concert bands. He performed in his first professional band at the age of eleven and, throughout High School, he played with various cover bands on weekends while catching up with sleep on Mondays during class, thanks to the understanding of some very encouraging teachers. He also played guitar, sang and began writing his own songs. After High School he auditioned successfully for the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (Jazz Studies), where he began to learn piano.
At the same time, Paul performed lead roles in musicals such as Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors and Scarecrow in The Wiz, while pursuing voice training with several teachers that covered vocal styles from jazz to opera.
Since graduating, Paul has performed with many bands, both covers and originals. In 2003, recording began on the band's first album.
Returning to her Memphis roots in 1983, blues musician Sandy Carroll spent a year headlining at Lafayette’s Corner, following several years of performing on the road. Lafayette’s Corner was situated on historic Beale Street, where Memphis blues was born.
Writing and recording the singles, “If You Got It” and “Memphis In May” in 1984, Sandy partnered with Jim Dickinson, NARAS Memphis chapter’s seven-time producer of the year. “Memphis In May” became a regional hit and for several years, the unofficial theme song for the Memphis In May annual festivities. Sandy performed at the Memphis in May Festival with the Memphis Horns (and special guest Rufus Thomas) and also at the first Beale Street Music Festival. She sang the national anthem and “Memphis In May” in front of 30,000 people at the Memphis Showboats football game, as well. A year later, Sandy left for San Francisco to write and record. After three years on the West Coast and a short stay in the Midwest, Sandy returned to Memphis. In 1989, Albert King recorded Sandy’s, “If You Got It” which appeared on his final studio album, Red House.
She then starting writing songs for her own full-length debut album, Southern Woman, released in 1993. Following the release, Sandy was invited on a month long tour of the United Kingdom.
Back in the States, Sandy continued promoting Southern Woman by performing at various festivals in the South, including Arts in the Park, Eureka Springs Blues Festival and the Southern Heritage Festival. She maintained a heavy schedule on Beale Street playing in clubs such as Rum Boogie, Blues City, Black Diamond, Joyce Cobb’s, Kings Palace and Blues Hall.
One of Sandy’s more unique gigs was writing the Memphis Mad Dog football team theme song, “Mad Dog Boogie,” recorded by Southern-fried soul and blues musician Preston Shannon.
In 1997, the great Luther Allison recorded Sandy’s “Just As I Am” and “It’s a Blues Thing” on his final album, Reckless, which was nominated for a Grammy. That same year, Sandy recorded and released her Memphis Rain CD, which was honored by the Memphis and Shelby County Film and Music Commission. She went on to receive a nomination by NARAS’ Memphis chapter for Songwriter of the Year.
Sandy wrapped up the 1990s with performances and regular appearances at many venues throughout the South, most notably the Center for Southern Folklore, Elvis Presley’s on Beale, and headlined WEVL’s Blues on the Bluff. Sandy also appeared on the Home Shopping Network playing piano for vocalist Becc Lester who was promoting an album which included the song, “Paint the Rain,” co-written by Sandy for Becc.
Beginning the new millennium with concerts, club and festival performances, Sandy appeared at Muscle Shoals Songwriters, Beale St. Caravan National Radio Show at B.B. Kings, W.C. Handy Festival and the (invitation only) International Songwriters Festival in Orange Beach, Alabama, where she opened for Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham.
In 2001, Sandy’s “Just As I Am” song was released by Inside Sounds on the compilation CD, Goin’ Down South. She also recorded for the McCarty-Hite Weekend In Memphis CD and other Memphis area projects.
Also in 2001, Sandy was filmed by Memphis’ PBS station WKNO, along with great songwriters Keith Sykes, Teenie Hodges, Nancy Apple, Duane Jarvis and Delta Joe Sanders as part of the “In Their Own Voices” concert. Premiered in 2001, the concert has been syndicated on PBS affiliates nationwide.
In 2002, Inside Sounds released a CD entitled Memphis Belles: Past, Present & Future that featured Sandy along with Ruby Wilson, Cybill Shepherd, Carla Thomas and other Memphis female artists. Two years later, Sandy performed with her Memphis Belle pals at a concert at the Cannon Performing Arts Center in Memphis.
Sandy also appeared on the 2005 Inside Sounds CD, In the Mood for Memphis: Vol. 2, with a new rendition of “Memphis Rain.”
Sandy has also written with or for releases from Ellis Hooks, Don McMinn, Ana Popovic, Reba Russell, Barbara Blue, Nancy Apple, William Lee Ellis, Rocky Athas, Daddy Mac Blues Band and many others.
In January 2006, Sandy’s Delta Techno CD was released on Ringo Records. Sandy and her husband, Grammy award-winning producer Jim Gaines, wrote and recorded the album, which features musicians James Solberg, Rocky Athas and co-writers William Lee Ellis and Jim Dickinson.
In 2007, Sandy released an EP, Rhythm of the Rivers, with five previously-unpublished songs and a reprise of “Bound for Glory.” The localized release featured “The Pickwick Song” popularized in Sandy’s home community. Rhythm of the Rivers showed another side of Sandy’s music and writing, and the songs reflect her love for home – both her Memphis musical heritage and her childhood and present home by the Tennessee River at Pickwick.
In 2008, Sandy was awarded her own brass note on Memphis’ historic Beale Street, and in 2010 the note was formally presented and enshrined in front of the Hard Rock Café.
Sandy’s debut CD for Catfood Records, Just As I Am, was released in October, 2011. Full of new, original material, this album was the realization of five years of writing, recording and performing.
In 2012, the single “Romeo and Juliet,” off the Just As I Am CD, stayed on the New Country Indie Chart for three months and reached #6. “Slow Kisses” was Music Choice’s blues radio pick – along with “Heartfixin’ Man” … and the theme from “Help Mother Nature” was used in print ads for a corporate campaign.
Sandy also co-wrote cuts on Johnny Rawls’ Soul Survivor, Barbara Carr’s Keep the Fire Burning, James Armstrong’s Blues at the Border and the upcoming debut CD from Daunielle “Pie” Hill. Sandy was one of the first inductees into her hometown’s Music Hall of Fame (Arts in McNairy) along with famous Memphis DJ, Dewey Phillips in 2013.
Sandy’s second CD for Catfood Records, Unnaturally Blonde, will be released in October, 2013. It contains 10 original songs with some of Sandy’s offbeat perceptions and heartfelt universal life experiences.
Equally at ease in solo or full band settings, Sandy says “the intimacy of a solo show is a quiet nurturing, and the groove of a band is the rockin’ feast. The studio is where the ingredients mix together.”
The child of a teenage rape victim, Ethel Waters grew up in the slums of Philadelphia and neighboring cities, seldom living anywhere for more than a few weeks at a time. "No one raised me, " she recollected, "I just ran wild." She excelled not only at looking after herself, but also at singing and dancing; she began performing at church functions, and as a teenager was locally renowned for her "hip shimmy shake". In 1917 she made her debut on the black vaudeville circuit; billed as "Sweet Mama Stringbean" for her tall, lithe build, she broke through with her rendition of "St. Louis Blues", which Waters performed in a softer and subtler style than her rivals, Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. Beginning with her appearances in Harlem nightclubs in the late 1920s, then on the lucrative "white time" vaudeville circuit, she became one of America's most celebrated and highest-paid entertainers. At the Cotton Club, she introduced "Stormy Weather", composed for her by Harold Arlen: she wrote of her performance, "I was singing the story of my misery and confusion, the story of the wrongs and outrages done to me by people I had loved and trusted". Impressed by this performance, Irving Berlin wrote "Supper Time", a song about a lyncing, for Waters to perform in a Broadway revue. She later became the first African-American star of a national radio show. In middle age, first on Broadway and then in the movies, she successfully recast herself as a dramatic actress. Devoutly religious but famously difficult to get along with, Waters found few roles worthy of her talents in her later years.
Singer/bassist Queen Sylvia Embry and her guitarist husband John Embry were staples on Chicago’s blues scene in the ‘70s performing on both South and North Sides. This CD, now retitled Troubles, was originally released by Razor Records in 1979. That same year, Razor issued the 45 “I Love the Woman/Johnny’s Bounce” and later released the original version of this album which was then entitled After Work. John “Guitar” Embry and his ex-wife Queen Sylvia Embry remained friends and recorded this album on January 19, 1979, just 35 years ago; it was also during the perilous blizzard of 1979. Like many sessions at Chess studios, the After Work studio session was recorded live to give the disc a more authentic sound. The original album did not include the single’s sides as the recording levels had not been properly set and the sound was more focused on John’s playing. Half of the ten tracks were originals and the other half a mix of superb covers. The two sides from the 45 have been added to this re-release along with five other cuts featuring John and Sylvia. The result is a meaty 17 track CD; After Work had only 10 cuts.
Albert Lavada "Dr. Hepcat" Durst, pianist and first black disc jockey in Texas, was born in Austin on January 9, 1913. As a youth he taught himself to play piano in the church across the street from his home. Later, influenced by Boot Walden, Baby Dotson, Black Tank, and others, Durst became a master at playing the 1930s and 1940s barrelhouse blues.
He also had a talent for a pre-rap method of rhythmic "jive talk." During the mid-1940s this helped land him a job as an announcer for Negro League baseball games at the old Disch Field in Austin. When players such as Jackie Robinson were in Austin some whites attended, including a young World War II veteran, John B. Connally, Jr., who was impressed by the talented, smooth-talking Durst. Connally and another progressive young war veteran, Jake Pickleqv, owned KVET radio in Austin. Connally was also the station manager. In the late 1940s the two opened their station to African-American and Mexican-American broadcasts. In 1948 Pickle hired Durst as the first black disc jockey in Texas. "Dr. Hepcat's" cool jive-talk was a hit and made him a celebrity with the local white college students. He can be credited for introducing an entire generation of white Austin listeners to jazz, blues,qqv and rhythm and blues. While working as a disc jockey, Durst made two singles, "Hattie Green" and "Hepcat's Boogie." Both were recorded in 1949 for Uptown Records, which was owned by KVET program director Fred Caldwell. During the 1950s Durst managed a spiritual group, the Charlottes. He also wrote the hit gospel song "Let's Talk About Jesus" for the group Bells of Joy, and published a pamphlet called The Jives of Dr. Hepcat, a dictionary of jive-talk.
Durst retired from KVET in the early 1960s and gave up performing the blues to become a minister. He was ordained at Mount Olive Baptist Church in 1965 and was named an associate minister at Olivet Baptist Church in 1972. In the mid-1970s, convinced that God wanted him to use his talents, he returned to performing the blues. For the next several years, he played "boogie-woogie barrelhouse blues" at festivals, museums, and other venues.
In addition to his musical endeavors, Durst worked for the city of Austin as director of athletics for the Rosewood Recreation Center. He retired in 1979, after working there for thirty-five years. Durst was preceded in death by his wife, Bernice, who died in 1983; he himself died in Austin on October 31, 1995. They had two sons and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In 1995 Durst was inducted into the unofficial Rock Radio Hall of Fame. In 2008 he was one of the inaugural inductees for the Austin Music Memorial.
b. 9 January 1913, Austin, Texas, USA, d. 31 October 1995, Austin, Texas. As a 12-year-old, Durst learned to play the piano in the church opposite his home. He later claimed his left hand was influenced by Albert Ammons and Meade ‘Lux’ Lewis and his right by renowned Texas bluesman, Robert Shaw, whom he met eight years later. Durst continued to play in an amateur capacity at house-rent parties and suppers while running recreation facilities in East Austin. His talent for jive talk landed him a job as an announcer at baseball games at Disch Field, which in turn brought him to the attention of the local radio station, KVET. As ‘Dr. Hepcat’, in 1948 he became the first black disc jockey in Texas, broadcasting six days a week. Programme director Fred Caldwell also owned Uptown Records, for whom Durst recorded ‘Hattie Green’ and ‘Hepcat’s Boogie’ in 1949. Shortly afterwards he re-recorded the first title for Don Robey’s Peacock label. In the late 50s, Durst managed the Chariottes spiritual group, who also recorded for Peacock. He gave up playing music in 1965 when he was ordained as a minister at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church, but returned to the piano a decade later. Durst was unusual for a Texas blues pianist by maintaining a strong left-hand pulse to his blues and boogie improvisations that accompanied his semi-improvised monologues.
Bobby
Parker (* 31. August 1937 in Lafayette, Louisiana; † 31. Oktober 2013
in Bowie, Maryland[1]) war ein US-amerikanischer Blues-Gitarrist, Sänger
und Songschreiber. Parker wurde von etlichen bekannten Musikern als
Vorbild genannt, darunter Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page und vor allem Carlos
Santana.
Parker, geboren in Louisiana, wuchs in Los
Angeles auf. Er sah Auftritte von Jazz- und Bluesgrößen wie Count Basie,
Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, T-Bone Walker, Lowell Fulson und Johnny
Guitar Watson, und er entschied sich für eine Karriere als
Bluesmusiker.
Bobby Parker spielte in den 1950ern als
Gitarrist unter anderem bei Otis Williams and the Charms, Bo Diddley,
Paul „Hucklebuck“ Williams, Sam Cooke und den Everly Brothers. 1961 zog
er nach Washington, D.C., wo er eine Solokarriere begann.
Im
gleichen Jahr hatte Parker mit Watch Your Step einen Hit, der später
unter anderem von der Spencer Davis Group, Santana und Dr. Feelgood neu
eingespielt wurde. Nach internationalen Erfolgen in den 1960ern wurde es
in den 1970ern und 1980ern etwas ruhiger um Bobby Parker. Er trat
hauptsächlich in der Gegend um Washington auf.
In den
1990ern nahm Parker seine ersten Alben auf, Bent Out of Shape (1993) und
Shine Me Up (1995). Bei seinen Auftritten und Tourneen spielt er vor
allem eigene Stücke.
Robert
Lee "Bobby" Parker (August 31, 1937 – October 31, 2013[2]), was an
American blues-rock guitarist, singer and songwriter.[3] He is best
known for his 1961 song "Watch Your Step", a single for the V-Tone
record label which reached the Billboard Hot 100; the song was performed
by, and influenced, the Beatles among others.
Biography
Born
in Lafayette, Louisiana, but raised in Los Angeles, California, Parker
first aspired to a career in entertainment at a young age.[3] By the
1950s, Parker had started working on electric guitar with several blues
and R&B bands of the time, with his first stint being with Otis
Williams and the Charms. Over the next few years, he also played lead
guitar with Bo Diddley (including an appearance on The Ed Sullivan
Show),[3] toured with Paul Williams, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, LaVern
Baker, Clyde McPhatter, and the Everly Brothers. He first recorded, as
Bobby Parks, with the Paul Williams band in 1956.[4]
His
first solo single, "Blues Get Off My Shoulder", was recorded in 1958,
while he was still working primarily with Williams' band. The B-side,
"You Got What It Takes", also written by Parker, was later recorded for
Motown by Marv Johnson, but with the songwriting credited to Berry
Gordy, Gwen Fuqua and Roquel Davis. Parker told the Forgotten Hits
newsletter in 2008:[5]
"I wrote 'You've Got What It
Takes,' that was MY song. Even had the Paul Hucklebuck Williams band
playing on it behind me... And then Berry Gordy just stole it out from
under me, just put his name on it. And what could I do? I was just
trying to make a living, playing guitar and singing, how was I going to
go on and fight Berry Gordy, big as he was, and Motown Records? There
wasn't really nothing I could do about it - it was just too big and I
didn't have any way to fight them..."
Parker also
performed frequently at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, and in the late
1950s toured with Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Little Richard. By the
early 1960s, he had settled into living in the Washington, D.C. area and
played at blues clubs there after having left Williams' band.
He
recorded the single "Watch Your Step" for the V-Tone label in 1961. The
song was written by Parker, inspired by Dizzy Gillespie's "Manteca" and
Ray Charles' "What'd I Say".[6] It reached no.51 on the Billboard Hot
100 in 1961,[7] although it did not make the national R&B chart. It
was later covered by the Spencer Davis Group, Dr. Feelgood, Steve
Marriott, Adam Faith, and Carlos Santana,[3] and was performed by the
Beatles in concerts during 1961 and 1962. The song's guitar riff
inspired the introduction to the Beatles' 1964 hit single "I Feel
Fine",[8] and, according to John Lennon, also provided the basis for
"Day Tripper".[6] In relation to the Beatles' use of the riff, Parker
said: "I was flattered, I thought it was a cool idea. But I still had,
(in the) back of my mind, (the idea) that I should have gotten a little
more recognition for that."[9] Led Zeppelin also used the riff as the
basis for their instrumental "Moby Dick."[10]
With the
success of the song, both in the United States and overseas, he toured
the UK in 1968 and recorded his next record, "It's Hard But It's Fair"
produced by Mike Vernon and released on Blue Horizon. Jimmy Page was a
fan of Parker's and wanted to sign up Parker with Swan Song Records.
Page offered an advance of US$2000 to fund the recording of a demo tape,
but Parker never completed the recording, and an opportunity for Parker
to be exposed to an international audience was lost.[citation needed]
On January 1, 2012, Parker's "Watch Your Step" sound recording became
Public Domain in Europe, due to the 50 year copyright law limit in the
E.U.[11][12]
For the next two decades, Parker played
almost exclusively in the D.C. area. By the 1990s, he started to record
again for a broader audience. He recorded his first official album, Bent
Out of Shape, for the Black Top Records label in 1993, with a follow-up
in 1995, Shine Me Up.[3] In 1993, he also was the headliner for the
Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Festival. Parker continued to perform as a
regular act at Madam's Organ Blues Bar in Washington.
Bobby Parker died of a heart attack on October 31, 2013, at the age of 76.
Robert "Rob" John Tognoni (* 30. Oktober 1960 in Ulverstone, Tasmanien) ist ein australischer Bluesgitarrist. Sein Feeling für den Bluesrock kommt besonders durch seine ausgefeilte Spieltechnik zur Geltung. In seinem Spiel kombiniert er klassische Rockelemente wie Powerchords und treibende Riffs im Stile der Rockgruppe AC/DC mit dem Blues. Seine Musik wird insbesondere von Musikern wie B.B. King und Jimi Hendrix sowie der bereits erwähnten Band AC/DC beeinflusst.
Tognoni wird 1960 als Sohn eines italienischen Einwanderers in Ulverstone an der tasmanischen Nordwestküste geboren. Sein Interesse für Musik wird Anfang der 1970er Jahre durch das Hören von Schallplatten seiner älteren Schwestern geweckt. Die Stilrichtungen sind dabei bunt gemischt, die Interpreten reichen von B.B. King, Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, Jimi Hendrix über Grand Funk Railroad bis zu Slade. Die eigentliche Initialzündung für Rob ist jedoch der tragische Tod seines Vaters Giovanni 1974, der bei einem Unfall von einem Wagen erfasst wird und an den Folgen verstirbt. Als Flucht vor der Depression wird die Gitarre für ihn zu einer Obsession. Zu dieser Zeit lernt er auch die in Tasmanien gegründete Rockband AC/DC kennen und lieben. In den folgenden Jahren übt Rob wahnsinnig viel und nutzt jede Gelegenheit zum Spiel, die sich ihm bietet. Immer stärker wächst in ihm der Wunsch, das Gitarrenspiel als Beruf auszuüben. Nach dem Verlassen der Schule 1976 kann er jedoch von der Musik alleine nicht leben und so hält er sich die nächsten Jahre mit diversen Gelegenheitsjobs über Wasser. 1983, ein Jahr nach der Heirat mit Leonnie, wird seine Tochter Anastasia geboren.
Rob Tognoni, dessen Stil sich mehr und mehr in Richtung Blues entwickelt hat, gründet nun seine erste Band, die Skidrow Boys, und tourt mit ihnen durch Tasmanien. Nach zwei Jahren möchte sich Rob musikalisch weiterentwickeln. Er löst die Band 1985 auf und zieht mit seiner Familie nach Melbourne. Dort schließt er sich zuerst einer Coverband an, was jedoch überhaupt nicht sein "Ding" ist. Nachdem ein Nachfolger für ihn gefunden ist, gründet er nach einem weiteren Umzug in die Nähe von Queensland 1986 wieder eine eigene Band, genannt die Outlaws, wo er nun zum ersten Mal auch als Sänger in Erscheinung tritt. Zu Beginn hat er mit der Band durchschlagenden Erfolg. Bei den 20. Annual Queensland Rock Awards werden sie in den Kategorien "Beste Band", "Bester Gitarrist" und "Bester Schlagzeuger" ausgezeichnet. 1989 zieht es sie mit der Band wieder nach Melbourne. Die Outlaws , welche sich 1990 in The Desert Cats umbenennen, touren mit verschiedenen anderen Bands durch Australien und spielen zusammen mit Musikern wie Lonnie Mack, Joe Walsh oder Roy Buchanan. Auf Grund eines unprofessionellen Managements zerbricht jedoch die Band und auch ein Wiederbelebungsversuch von Rob 1992 in einer anderen Besetzung scheitert. Rob kehrt mit seiner Familie 1993 nach Queensland zurück und tingelt durch Restaurants und Bars, um sich finanziell über Wasser zu halten.
In dieser Zeit erhält er von einem alten Freund in Melbourne das Angebot, ein paar Songs in dessen Tonstudio aufzunehmen, was er dankend annimmt. Aus Frustration über seine stagnierende Lage schickt Rob Tognoni die Demo-Bänder an Dave Hole, einen australischen Bluesmusiker, mit dem er zwei Jahre zuvor in kurzem Briefkontakt stand, als er ihn für dessen Erfolg in den USA beglückwünschte. Dieser antwortet Rob und verspricht ihm, das Tape auf seiner Europatournee seinem Plattenlabel vorzuspielen. Das Label Provogue/Mascot Records in Holland unterbreitet Rob Tognoni daraufhin ein Angebot und dieser schlägt ein. Die ersten vier seiner CDs veröffentlicht er zusammen mit Provogue und seine Tourneen durch Europa machen ihn zu einem international anerkannten Blues-Musiker. 2002 gründet Rob Tognoni sein eigenes Label Electric Renegade und veröffentlicht unter diesem seine zwei letzten Studioalben. Die Live-Aufnahme Shakin' The Devil's Hand - Live ist unter dem französischen Label Dixiefrog erschienen. Seit 2003 spielt Rob mit deutschen Musikern zusammen: ehemals Christian Schöbben, nun Mirko Kirch am Schlagzeug, Albert Zander am Bass. Letzterer wird 2004 durch den Bassisten Uwe Böttcher der Ina Deter Band ersetzt. Heute ist Frank Lennartz am Bass zu sehen.
Seinen bisher größten Auftritt hat Rob Tognoni 2004 vor 45.000 Zuschauern im Stadion und 2,5 Millionen Fernsehzuschauern allein in Dänemark anlässlich der Hochzeit des dänischen Kronprinzen Kronprinz Frederik und der Australierin Mary Donaldson auf dem Rock ’n’ Royal Festival in Kopenhagen. Rob spielt die australische Nationalhymne im "Gitarren-Duell" mit Jacob Binzer von D-A-D, der die dänische Hymne spielt.
From Tasmania, Australia & introduced to Europe by blues master Dave Hole in 1994, Rob Tognoni delivers a 100% powerfully charged experience with every performance. There is simply no compromise, which is strongly evident in his music. After 40 years his explosive guitar playing and unique songs are now being compared with the greats of his genre and have firmly established him in the European venues & festivals as well as gaining many fans of hard blues rock worldwide.
"Certainly, nothing can stop Rob Tognoni...." Music In Belgium - BE
"Prolific, energetic and statuary, one of the few true guitar heroes of the 21st century...." Bluestime - IT
"Only Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher and Stevie Ray Vaughan could shake hands with him if they were alive. Tognoni has something that only few guitarists have: character and his own style...." Music Machine - NL
"When you listen to his music, you hear a 40 year legacy under his searing lead lines..." Total Guitar Magazine - GB
"Tognoni's energetic power-blues-rock sound moves between sexy macho and straight-line Rocker, he is quick, fast-paced, creative, virtuosic and expressive. Technically oriented course, with plenty of wah-wah pedal and sophisticated technique, but with such variation that it is not boring to listen..." Alb Bote, Südwest Press - DE
"You have to admire Rob Tognoni's stamina. He is able to sustain a ferocious pace, few could manage it... Perhaps his stamina is the consequence of 30 years conditioning. Perhaps it's natural selection..." Blues In Britian Magazine - GB
"Whilst Rob is a very powerful player, able to bring out power chords and driving riffs, there is also a subtle side to his playing that definitely reflects some of his influences, listed as including BB King, Hendrix, Grand Funk Railroad and Tony Joe White..." Blues Matters Magazine - GB
"Australian Rob Tognoni is one of the finest guitar players around today. His work is a combination of classic rock, blues & blues rock and is done with utmost passion and precision..." Bandit Blues Radio - US
"A stunning guitarist with killer licks, and a fine blues rock feel..." Jazz FM, London - GB
"Things picked up again when Rob Tognoni took to the stage, his dexterity on guitar was truly awe-inspiring. Hailing from Tasmania, he played over an hour of songs backed by his technically mind-blowing guitar, and some funky low beats from his bassist. Armed with a Stratocaster, Tognoni let loose with countless blue's licks. I particularly liked Dark Angel, as well as Bad Girl which was one of his most rocking tracks. It was all impressive, sometimes guitar-led music can get boring when it gets technical to the extreme, but with Tognoni it was just a case of standing back in appreciation for his skills. A true Tasmanian Devil..." Speyside Music Festival Review, Music Vice - GB
"The audience were captured by the rhythm and some people started dancing, but the majority just stared upon Tognoni's hands. His fingers were moving with breath taking speed over the strings of his white guitar. Particularily during his solo parts, people were just stunned and left with their mouths wide open due to his high precision guitar playing. Rob meanwhile stayed totally relaxed, just as if guitar playing was the most natural thing in the world..." Kölnische Rundschau - DE
1960 - 1976
Rob Born Robert John Tognoni in Ulverstone, on Tasmania's North-West Coast in 1960, Rob's childhood was fairly sheltered from music except for his mother's singing around home and her pantomime performances as "Al Jolson" in local community halls. Tasmania in the 1960's was isolated and blues music was not that well known except for white country gospel music until the early 1970's.
Around 1972, Rob began to listen to his older sister's records and started to discover diversities of music from BB King, Billy Thorpe And The Aztecs, Hendrix, Grand Funk Railroad, Tony Joe White to Elton John and Slade. Rob didn't discriminate between blues, blues rock or pop...it was all great to his ears, it all seemed to have it's place.
In early 1974 Rob suffered a blow that deeply affected him. His Italian immigrant father was struck by a car and subsequently killed. Soon after, Rob became obsessed with the guitar as an escape from his depression regarding his father's death.
The defining musical moment in Rob's life was by chance at the age of 14 going to see a relatively new band on the scene touring from mainland Australia - AC/DC. He could not believe what he heard...this was it, this incredible power with high charged guitars.
Rob started churning out those simple, basic power chords made famous by this influential band. But something else was developing...more than just the power chords. An emotive blues feel was becoming more evident in his playing and as quoted a few years later by a local newspaper journalist -
"Rob could become one of the world's best blues players if he gets the right breaks..."
Rob spent the 1970's absorbing and learning as much guitar as he possibly could jamming with school class mates and anybody else that would be willing. When asked by his concerned high-school headmaster what career path he was seeking, Rob simply answered.."Guitar player."
1977 - 1992
Rob After leaving school in 1976, Rob did various jobs from grocery packer, bulldozer operator to geological draftsman. In 1977 he wrote his first song, Jim Beam Blues:
which has proven to be one of the favourite live songs in his set today.
In 1983, a year after his marriage to Leonnie and birth of their only daughter Anastasia, he decided to start a band with the intention of his own style of song writing and guitar playing.
With the influences of Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC and blues masters of the likes of BB King, Rob and some local musicians started Skidrow Boys. The band enjoyed the chance to gig in clubs around Tasmania, but within 2 years Rob felt the need to move on to improve and gain the much needed experience that has been honed into his style and playing today.
In late 1985 Rob moved to Melbourne and managed to secure a job with a touring covers band playing chart material. Not used to playing this style he decided to quit the band as soon as a replacement was found. The replacement was found in Queensland so Rob and his family settled in the cane growing town of Nambour.
At this stage of his career he had never sang and was forced into the position when the new band that he was putting together could not find a suitable singer - The Outlaws formed.
Within 4 months The Outlaws had gone on to collect 3 categories at the 20th Annual Queensland Rock Awards at the Roxy in Brisbane at the end of 1986. (Best guitarist, best drummer and best band) Tognoni and band had earned themselves a reputation of not tolerating bullshit and refusing to bow to trends within the industry...this built up a huge following for the band.
The Angels - Dogs are Talking The Outlaws located to Melbourne in late 1989 and were invited by cult Australian band The Angels (Angel City) to place a then recent demo song of Rob's, I Got You - You Got Me:
on The Angels upcoming EP release, The Dogs Are Talking in May 1990 along with The Hurricanes and the then newly formed Baby Animals. The Outlaws changed their name to The Desert Cats just before the release.
Backed by a 4 week national tour the bands played sell-out gigs and achieved #7 on the Australian Mainstream Charts. The release achieved gold status. Previous to this, Rob was approached by management to form the Baby Animals with Suze DeMarchi. Believing in his own music, he turned the offer down.
The Desert Cats disbanded due to poor third party management. Trying to pick up the pieces, Rob re-assembled the Outlaws with a new line up but the band failed to gain sufficient industry attention so it disbanded for the last time in 1992. During their career the band had played with many greats including Lonnie Mack, Joe Walsh & the late Roy Buchanan.
1993 - 1994
Rob After the disbanding of the Outlaws, Rob decided to head back to Queensland where he played acoustic guitar in restaurants for the following years to scratch out a living.
"I was living in Queensland playing in restaurants to make a living after spending years performing around Australia trying to secure a long term record deal from a label that truly believed in what I was about. I received a phone call from an old buddy of mine, Mark McCormack in Melbourne (approx. 2000km south) who had a recording studio. He asked me to come to Melbourne to record a couple of songs for free. He even paid for the bus ticket.
I needed two new songs, so in a period of a week, I wrote, The Good Die Young:
and a fun, meaningless kind of a song called, Itty Bitty Mama:
I organized by phone a few other buddies from Melbourne to play with me at Marks studio.
We recorded the songs over two days and I headed back to Queensland with a cassette copy. I always had a strong belief in what I was doing but hope was beginning to fade as I was becoming increasingly jaded...
Two years previous to this, I had seen on TV, an Australian guitarist by the name of Dave Hole get a record deal from Alligator Records in the US. I was so thrilled to see someone from Australia get the break they deserve - and he deserved it. I wrote him a letter c/o the TV station to congratulate him. Dave received the letter and wrote back to me. Two years later and out of pure frustration, I sent the cassette of "The Good Die Young" & "Itty Bitty Mama" to Dave along with the letter he had sent back to me two years previous...he remembered...and phoned me. He said he was heading to Europe for a tour and was going to present the two songs to his record company there.
Two months later..I received a phone call from the label, offering me a deal. I have since released 4 albums with them and have toured Europe annually...
I invited Mark (McCormack) to engineer my first album and co-produce my second...and paid him back for the bus fare!"
ROB TOGNONI LIVE IN WEIMAR/GERMANY 2016 - ZWIEBELMARKT
DER Tasmanische Teufel
Der Tasmanische (Australier) Rob Tognoni
wurde 1994 in der europäischen Musikszene von Slide-Guitar-Meister Dave
Hole eingeführt. Mit seinen energiegeladenen Auftritten und
kompromissloser Spielfreude hat sich Rob seither in die Herzen einer
stetig wachsenden, weltweiten Fangemeinde gespielt.
Mehr als 40
Jahre Bühnenerfahrung und die Unverwechselbarkeit seines Stils machen
Rob zu einem viel beachteten, fest etablierten Künstler in der
Bluesrock-Szene - und zu Recht wird er mit den Größten seines Genres in
einem Atemzug genannt.
Power-Bluesrock à la Rob Tognoni: fast
schon ein Markenzeichen für kraftvollen, ehrlichen und sehr
individuellen, kreativen Bluesrock, für mitreißende Shows und eine
unglaubliche Bühnenpräsenz.
„Eines steht fest: Rob Tognoni ist nicht zu stoppen..." Music In Belgium - BE
„Tognonis
energiegeladener Power- Bluesrock-Sound bewegt sich sexy zwischen Macho
und gradlinigem Rocker, er ist schnell, temporeich, dazu ebenso
kreativ, virtuos und ausdrucksstark..." Alb Bote, Südwest Presse - DE
„Der
Australier Rob Tognoni gilt als einer der besten und gleichzeitig auch
als einer der kompromisslosesten wie auch virtuosesten
Bluesrock-Gitarristen der Welt..." Bluesnews - DE
„Jimi
Hendrix, Rory Gallagher und Stevie Ray Vaughan würden ihm sicher die
Hand schütteln, wenn sie noch am Leben wären. Tognoni besitzt etwas, das
nur wenige Gitarristen haben: Charakter und seinen eigenen Stil. Wer
sonst hat schon so großartige Licks zu bieten und kann gleichzeitig auch
noch hervorragend singen..." Music Machine - NL
„Wenn man
eins bewundern muss, dann Rob Tognonis Stehvermögen. Er hält wirklich
ein Wahnsinnstempo durch - auch dann noch, wenn andere längst nicht mehr
können. Vielleicht ist dieses Durchhaltevermögen die Konsequenz aus 30
Jahren Konditionstraining. Vielleicht ist es aber auch einfach
angeboren..." Blues In Britian - GB
„Der Australier Rob
Tognoni zählt zu den herausragenden Gitarristen unserer Zeit. In seinen
Stücken kombiniert er klassische Rockelemente, Blues und Blues-Rock -
und das mit äußerster Leidenschaft und Präzision..." Bandit Blues Radio - US -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE TasMANian Devil
From
Tasmania, Australia & introduced to Europe by blues master Dave
Hole in 1994, Rob Tognoni delivers a 100% powerfully charged experience
with every performance. There is simply no compromise, which is strongly
evident in his music. After 40 years his explosive guitar playing
and unique songs are now being compared with the greats of his genre and
have firmly established him in the European venues & festivals as
well as gaining many fans of hard blues rock worldwide.
"Certainly, nothing can stop Rob Tognoni...." Music In Belgium - BE
"Tognoni's
energetic power-blues-rock sound moves between sexy macho and
straight-line Rocker, he is quick, fast-paced, creative, virtuosic and
expressive..." Alb Bote, Südwest Press - DE
"Prolific, energetic and statuary, one of the few true guitar heroes of the 21st century...." Bluestime - IT
"You
have to admire Rob Tognoni's stamina. He is able to sustain a ferocious
pace, few could manage it...Perhaps his stamina is the consequence of
30 years conditioning. Perhaps it's natural selection..." Blues In Britian Magazine - GB
"The
Australian Rob Tognoni is one of the best and also one of the most
uncompromising, as well as virtuoso blues-rock guitarists in the
world..." Bluesnews - DE
"When you listen to his music, you hear a 40 year legacy under his searing lead lines..." Total Guitar Magazine - GB
"Australian
Rob Tognoni is one of the finest guitar players around today. His work
is a combination of classic rock, blues & blues rock and is done
with utmost passion and precision..." Bandit Blues Radio - US
David „Dave“ Myers (* 30. Oktober 1926 in Byhalia, Mississippi; † 3. September 2001 in Chicago, Illinois) war ein US-amerikanischer Bluesmusiker (Gitarre, Bass), der vor allem als Mitglied der Band The Aces bekannt wurde. Er war einer der ersten Bluesmusiker (laut Allmusic der erste[1]), der einen elektrischen Bass spielte. 1941 zog die Familie Myers aus Mississippi nach Chicago. Sie wohnte im selben Haus wie Lonnie Johnson, von dem Dave und seine Brüder den Chicago Blues kennenlernten, nachdem sie zuvor bereits von ihrem Vater Amos Myers gelernt hatten, den Country Blues auf der Gitarre zu spielen.[2] Schon früh traten die Brüder bei lokalen Festen als Musiker auf und trafen dabei auf Bluesgrößen wie Sonny Boy Williamson II., Robert Nighthawk und Memphis Minnie.[1] Mit seinem Bruder Louis (Gitarre, Mundharmonika) trat Dave unter dem Namen „The Little Boys“ auf, zeitweilig mit dem Sänger Arthur „Big Boy“ Spires. Dave Myers spielte auf seiner E-Gitarre den Rhythmus, während Louis die Leadgitarre spielte. Zusammen mit Junior Wells (Mundharmonika) und Fred Below (Schlagzeug) entstanden daraus schließlich „The Aces“.[3] Als Wells 1952 zur Band von Muddy Waters wechselte, wurden die verbleibenden Aces die Begleitband von Little Walter, der seinerseits Muddy Waters verlassen hatte. Diese Konstellation spielte bis Mitte der 1950er als „Little Walter & His Jukes“ eine ganze Reihe von Hits ein. Mitte der 1950er verließ Dave die Band. Er arbeitete als Sessionmusiker mit vielen namhaften Bluesmusikern zusammen, darunter Otis Rush, Robert Lockwood Jr., Buddy Guy, Otis Spann, Earl Hooker und etliche mehr. Die Myers-Brüder gingen in den 1970ern wieder als „The Aces“ in Europa auf Tour. Dave gründete später „The New Aces“.[1] Dave Myers ist auf zahlreichen Aufnahmen als Begleitmusiker zu hören, doch erst 1998 brachte er sein erstes – und einziges – Album unter eigenem Namen heraus, You Can’t Do That. 2000 wurde ihm infolge seines Diabetes ein Bein amputiert, dennoch gab er weiter Konzerte, das letzte im Februar 2001. Dave Myers starb am 3. September 2001 in Chicago.
Celebrated among the principal architects of the classic Chicago blues sound, bassist Dave Myers was born October 30, 1926, in Byhalia, MS. He and guitarist brother Louis learned the blues from Lonnie Johnson, who lived in the family's basement. By his teens, Myers was a staple at local rent house parties alongside the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson, Robert Nighthawk, and Memphis Minnie. He and Louis relocated to Chicago in 1941, and four years later, the siblings formed the Little Boys, rechristened the Three Deuces with the addition of harpist Junior Wells.
The Windy City's first electric blues band, the group -- which next settled on the moniker the Three Aces -- quickly emerged as one of the most popular attractions on the local music scene, becoming a fixture at clubs, including the famed Checkerboard Lounge and Theresa's; greatly influenced by jazz, they honed an urbane, sophisticated approach well ahead of its time, with Myers' subtle, percussive rhythms earning him the nickname "Thumper." With the 1950 enlistment of drummer Fred Below, the quartet again changed its name, this time to the Four Aces; finally, to simplify matters once and for all, the group performed as simply the Aces. In 1952, Wells exited to join the Muddy Waters band, filling the vacancy created by the recent departure of harpist Little Walter Jacobs; ironically, Jacobs himself quickly signed the remaining Aces as his new backing unit, renaming the trio the Jukes. A series of seminal recordings followed -- "Mean Old World," "Sad Hours," "Off the Wall," and "Tell Me Mama" among them -- before Louis' 1954 exit resulted in the Jukes' gradual dissolution.
The first bluesman to adopt the electric bass, Dave Myers then became Chicago's premiere session bassist throughout the 1950s, appearing on sessions headlined by everyone from Otis Rush to Earl Hooker. In 1970, the Myers brothers and Below reunited under the Aces moniker in 1970 to tour Europe before once again going their separate ways. Dave later formed the New Aces with Fabulous Thunderbirds frontman Kim Wilson, guitarist Robert Jr. Lockwood (Louis' replacement in the Jukes), and drummer Kenny Smith. Though preferring sideman duties throughout his career, in 1998, Dave Myers finally headlined his first solo effort, the Black Top label release You Can't Do That. Despite the 2000 amputation of a leg due to complications from diabetes, Myers still performed regularly in the months to follow, making his final public appearance in February of 2001; he died September 3 of that year at the age of 74.
Grace Slick, geboren als Grace Barnett Wing (* 30. Oktober 1939 in Evanston, Illinois), ist eine US-amerikanische Sängerin und Pianistin. Von 1965 bis Anfang der 1990er Jahre sang sie in den Rockgruppen The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship und Starship.
Leben
Grace Slick ist die Tochter des Investmentbankers Ivan W. Wing, eines schwedischstämmigen Norwegers, und seiner Frau Virginia, geborene Barnett.
Sie absolvierte das renommierte Finch College in New York City und studierte kurzzeitig an der University of Miami. Anfang der 1960er Jahre arbeitete sie zunächst als Fotomodell. Nach ersten Experimenten im Musikbereich in der Band The Great Society, in der auch ihr erster Ehemann Gerald „Jerry” Slick und dessen Bruder Darby Slick spielten, wurde sie Anfang 1966 Nachfolgerin von Signe Anderson als weibliche Stimme von Jefferson Airplane. Die „Dunkelhaarige mit den kalten blauen Augen” (damaliger Pressetext) festigte durch ihren eindringlichen Kontraalt-Gesang (zumeist im Duett mit Marty Balin) ihre Position als eine der ersten Frontfrauen im Rockbusiness.
Slick ist überdies bekannt für ihre kontroversen Liedtexte, ihre Drogenexperimente und ihre Rolle in der Öffentlichkeit. Einmal plante sie, Richard Nixon LSD in den Tee zu mischen, wurde jedoch von Agenten des Geheimdienstes daran gehindert.
Slick war verheiratet mit Gerald „Jerry” Slick, dem Schlagzeuger der Great Society. 1976 heiratete sie Skip Johnson (* 1952), einen Beleuchtungsdesigner bei Jefferson Starship. Ihre einzige Tochter, China Wing Kantner (* 1971), heute eine Schauspielerin, hatte sie mit Paul Kantner, dem Gitarristen und Jefferson Airplane. Das Kind sollte eigentlich den Namen „God” (Gott) bekommen. Weil es aber ein Mädchen war, nannte sie sie China.[1] Der Säugling ist abgebildet auf dem Cover der LP Sunfighter, die sie 1971 zusammen mit Kantner, einspielte.
Ende der 1970er und Anfang der 1980er Jahre litt Slick unter Alkoholproblemen, weswegen sie auf mehreren LPs nur noch mit jeweils einem Stück vertreten war. Eine Europatournee von Jefferson Airplane musste abgebrochen werden, nachdem sie bei einem Open Air-Konzert auf der Lorelei zu betrunken gewesen war, um aufzutreten.[2] Ihre Soloplatten aus dieser Zeit verkauften sich nicht gut.
Slick verließ Starship im Jahre 1988; nach ihrer Mitwirkung an einem Reunion-Album von Jefferson Airplane 1989 zog sie sich weitgehend aus der Öffentlichkeit zurück. Sie geht seitdem der Malerei nach und engagiert sich für den Tierschutz (u. a. PETA), arbeitet aber auch weiterhin musikalisch.
Bedeutung
Slick zählt neben Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Nico und den Beatles zu den Musik-Ikonen der 1960er Jahre. Ihr Name bzw. ihre Liedtexte sind eng mit der Hippiekultur, dem Drogenkonsum (LSD, halluzinogene Pilze, Marihuana, und anderes) und der Problematik des Vietnamkrieges beziehungsweise mit der Friedensbewegung verbunden (siehe zum Beispiel den Song Volunteers).
Slick zeichnet sich nicht nur in ihren Songtexten durch ihren in Amerika oft kontrovers diskutierten aggressiven, pazifistischen und rebellischen Kampf gegen konservative oder inhumane Einstellungen aus. In der Gegenwart macht sie vermehrt durch teilweise drastische Aktionen auf den Tierschutz aufmerksam. Sie hat beispielsweise ihren eigenen Urin an Pharmakonzerne geschickt, um gegen die qualvolle Haltung von Stuten zur Gewinnung von Östrogenpräparaten zu demonstrieren.
Musik
Slick hat einige Soloalben veröffentlicht, unter anderem Software (1984), Manhole, Dreams und Welcome to the Wrecking Ball. Zu den Songs, die mit ihrem Namen verbunden sind, gehören Somebody to Love und White Rabbit (zuerst mit The Great Society, dann - wesentlich erfolgreicher - mit Jefferson Airplane auf dem Album Surrealistic Pillow) und Bikini Atoll (solo). Singles wie Sara, We Built This City und Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (aus dem Film Mannequin) bescherten Starship mehrere Charterfolge.
Bekannt ist der Auftritt von Grace Slick mit Jefferson Airplane beim Woodstock-Festival 1969. Unter anderem arbeitete sie auch mit Frank Zappa zusammen.
Grace Slick (née Wing; born October 30, 1939) is an American singer, songwriter, artist, and former model, best known as one of the lead singers of the rock groups The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, as well as for her work as a solo artist from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s.
Biography
Early life
Grace Barnett Wing was born October 30, 1939, in Highland Park, Illinois, to Ivan W. Wing (1907–1987), of Norwegian and Swedish descent, and Virginia (née Barnett; 1910-1984), a lineal descendant of passengers of the Mayflower.[1] In 1949 her brother Chris was born.[2] Her father, working in the investment banking sector for Weeden and Company, was transferred several times when she was a child and, in addition to the Chicago area, she lived in Los Angeles and San Francisco, before her family finally settled in Palo Alto, California, south of San Francisco, in the early 1950s.[3]
Wing attended Palo Alto Senior High School before switching to Castilleja High School, a private all-girls school in Palo Alto. Following graduation, she attended Finch College in New York City from 1957 to 1958, and the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, from 1958 to 1959. On August 26, 1961, Wing married Gerald "Jerry" Slick, an aspiring filmmaker, and after the couple briefly moved away from San Francisco, Grace Slick worked as a model at an I. Magnin department store for three years. Slick also started composing music, including a contribution to a short film by Jerry Slick.[3][4]
The Great Society
In August 1965, Slick read an article in the San Francisco Chronicle pertaining to the newly-formed Jefferson Airplane. Despite being situated in the growing musical epicenter of San Francisco, Slick only half-heartedly considered it for a profession until she watched the band live at The Matrix.[5] As a result, Slick (vocals, guitar), accompanied by Jerry Slick (drums), Jerry's brother, Darby Slick (lead guitar), and David Miner (bass guitar) formed a group called The Great Society, a play on the social reform program of the same name. On October 15, 1965, the band made its debut performance at a venue known as the Coffee Gallery, and soon after Slick composed the psychedelic piece, "White Rabbit".[3] The song, a reflection on the hallucinatory effects of psychedelic drugs, when performed live, featured a speedier tempo, and was an instant favorite among the band's followers.[6] Although Slick was an equal contributor to The Great Society's original material, it was Darby Slick who pushed the band toward becoming an raga-influenced psychedelic act. By late 1965, they became a popular attraction in the Bay Area. Between October and December 1965, The Great Society entered Golden Studios, and recorded several tracks under the supervision of Sylvester Steward. One single emerged from the demos, the Darby Slick-penned "Someone to Love" on the locally-based Autumn Records label. Grace Slick supplied vocals, guitar, piano and recorder.[7][8]
Jefferson Airplane
That autumn Jefferson Airplane's singer Signe Toly Anderson left the band to start a family, and Jack Casady asked Slick to join them. Slick stated that she joined the Airplane because it was run in a professional manner, unlike The Great Society. She took two compositions from The Great Society with her: "White Rabbit", which she is purported to have written in an hour,[9] and "Somebody to Love", both of which went on to become hits and to appear on Rolling Stone's top 500 greatest songs of all time. Though both songs were first performed by The Great Society, their versions of the songs were much different: the Great Society's rendering of "White Rabbit" featured an oboe solo by Slick.
With Slick on board, the Airplane began recording new music, and they took on a psychedelic direction from their former folk-rock. By 1967, Surrealistic Pillow and the singles taken from it were great successes, and Jefferson Airplane became one of the most popular bands in the country. Slick earned a position as one of the most prominent female rock musicians of her time. Other songs she recorded with Jefferson Airplane include "Two Heads", "Lather" and "Greasy Heart". In 1968, Slick performed "Crown of Creation" on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in blackface and ended the performance with a Black Panther fist.[10] In an appearance on a 1969 episode of the Dick Cavett Show, she became the first person to say "motherfucker" on live television during a performance of "We Can Be Together" by Jefferson Airplane.[11]
Jefferson Starship
After Jefferson Airplane terminated, Slick—along with other bandmates—formed Jefferson Starship and began a string of solo albums with Manhole, followed by Dreams, Software, and Welcome to the Wrecking Ball. Manhole also featured keyboardist/bassist Pete Sears who later joined the original Jefferson Starship in 1974. Sears and Slick penned several early Jefferson Starship songs together, including "Hyperdrive" and "Play On Love". Dreams, which was produced by Ron Frangipane and incorporated many of the ideas she encountered attending 12-step program meetings, is the most personal of her solo albums and was nominated for a Grammy Award. The song "Do It the Hard Way" from Dreams is one example of Slick's music at the time.[12]
Slick was nicknamed "The Chrome Nun" by David Crosby, who also referred to Paul Kantner as "Baron von Tollbooth". Their nicknames were used as the title of an album she made with bandmates Paul Kantner and David Freiberg entitled Baron Von Tollbooth and the Chrome Nun.
Starship
During the 1980s, while Slick was the only former Jefferson Airplane member in Starship, the band went on to score three chart-topping successes with "We Built This City", "Sara", and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now". Despite the success, Slick since has spoken negatively about the experience and the music.[13] She left the group again in 1988, shortly after the release of No Protection. In 1989 Slick, and her former Jefferson Airplane band members, reformed the group, released a reunion album, and made a successful tour.[14]
Retirement
Slick left Starship during 1988. After a brief Jefferson Airplane reunion and tour the following year, she retired from the music business. During a 1998 interview with VH1 on a Behind the Music documentary featuring Jefferson Airplane, Slick, who was never shy about the idea of getting old, stated that the main reason she retired from the music business was that "all rock-and-rollers over the age of 50 look stupid and should retire". In a 2007 interview, she repeated her belief that "you can do jazz, classical, blues, opera, country until you're 150, but rap and rock and roll are really a way for young people to get that anger out" and "it's silly to perform a song that has no relevance to the present or expresses feelings you no longer have".
Despite her retirement, Slick has made a couple of appearances over the years with Paul Kantner's revamped version of Jefferson Starship when the band has played in Los Angeles. The most recent appearance was during a post-9/11 gig during which she came on the stage initially covered in black from head to toe in a makeshift burqa. She then removed the burqa to reveal a covering bearing an American flag and the words "No Fear". Her statement to fans on the outfit was: "The outfit is not about Islam, it's about repression; this flag is not about politics, it's about liberty."[15]
After retiring from music, Slick began painting and drawing. She has done many renditions of her fellow 1960s musicians, such as Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, and others. In 2000, she began displaying and selling her artwork. She attends many of her art shows across the United States. She has generally refrained from engaging in the music business, although she did perform on "Knock Me Out", a track from In Flight, the 1996 solo debut from former 4 Non Blondes singer, and friend of daughter China, Linda Perry. The song was also on the soundtrack to the film The Crow: City of Angels.
In a 2001 USA Today article, Slick said, "I'm in good health and people want to know what I do to be this way ... I don't eat cheese, I don't eat duck—the point is I'm vegan." However, she admitted she's "not strict vegan, because I'm a hedonist pig. If I see a big chocolate cake that is made with eggs, I'll have it."[16] Slick released her autobiography, Somebody to Love? A Rock and Roll Memoir, in 1998 and narrated an abridged version of the book as an audiobook. A biography, Grace Slick, The Biography, by Barbara Rowes, was released in 1980 and is currently out of print.
In 2006, Slick suffered from diverticulitis. After initial surgery, she had a relapse requiring further surgery and a tracheotomy. She was placed in an induced coma for two months and then had to learn to walk again.[17]
Also in 2006, Slick gave a speech at the inauguration of the new Virgin America airline, which had named their first aircraft "Jefferson Airplane".[18][19] In 2008, Slick contributed vocals to the hidden track (actually a previously unreleased 1970 outtake featuring Slick, Paul Kantner and Jack Traylor) of the latest Jefferson Starship release, Jefferson's Tree of Liberty.[20] In 2010, Slick co-wrote "Edge of Madness" with singer Michelle Mangione to raise money for remediation efforts following the BP Oil Spill.[21]
Personal life
Slick has been married twice—to Gerald "Jerry" Slick, a cinematographer, from 1961 to 1971, then to Skip Johnson, a Jefferson Starship lighting designer, from 1976 to 1994. She has one child—a daughter, China Wing Kantner (born January 25, 1971).[22][23] China's father is former Jefferson Airplane guitarist, Paul Kantner, with whom Slick had a relationship from 1969 to 1975.
During her hospital stay after China's birth, Slick joked to one of the attending nurses that she intended to name the child "god", with a lowercase "g", as she "wished for the child to be humble". The nurse took Slick seriously, and her report of the incident caused a minor stir,[24][25] as well as the creation of a rock-and-roll urban legend.[26]
Slick publicly has acknowledged her alcoholism, discussed her rehabilitation experiences, and commented on her use of LSD, marijuana and other substances in her autobiography, various interviews and several celebrity addiction and recovery books including The Courage to Change by Dennis Wholey, and The Harder They Fall by Gary Stromberg and Jane Merrill. During Jefferson Starship's 1978 European tour, Slick's alcoholism became a problem for the band. The group had to cancel the first night in Germany because she was too intoxicated to perform, causing the audience to riot. Slick performed the next night with the band but was so inebriated she could not sing properly. She also attacked the audience, mocking Germany for losing World War II, and groping both female audience members and band mates.[27] The next day, she left the group. That same year, Slick was dragged off a San Francisco game show for abusing the contestants.[28] She was admitted to a detoxification facility at least twice, once during the 1970s at Duffy's in Napa Valley,[29] and once in the 1990s with daughter, China.[30]
Legal disputes
Slick and Tricia Nixon, former President Richard Nixon's daughter, are alumnae of Finch College. Grace was invited to a tea party for the alumnae at the White House in 1969. She invited the political activist, Abbie Hoffman, to be her escort and planned to spike President Richard Nixon's tea with 600 micrograms of LSD. The plan was thwarted when they were prevented from entering after being recognized by White House security personnel, as Slick had been placed on an FBI blacklist. Slick later speculated that she only received the invitation because it was addressed to "Grace Wing" (the singer's maiden name), and that she never would've been invited if the Nixons had known that "Grace Wing" was the anti-establishment singer Grace Slick.[31]
In 1971, after a long recording session, Slick crashed her car into a wall near the Golden Gate Bridge while racing with Jorma Kaukonen.[32] She suffered a concussion and later used the incident as the basis of her "Never Argue with a German if You're Tired (or 'European Song')", which appears on the Bark album (1971).[33]
While Slick had troubles with the law while performing as a part of Jefferson Airplane, she was arrested at least four times for what she has referred to as "TUI" ("Talking Under the Influence") and "Drunk Mouth".[34] While the charges were DUI, the four arrests mentioned in her autobiography occurred when she was not inside a vehicle.
The first occurred after an argument in the car with then-partner Paul Kantner, who became tired of bickering, pulled the car keys from the ignition, and tossed them through the car window onto someone's front lawn. While Slick crawled around on the lawn looking for the keys, a police officer arrived and asked what was happening.
The second occurred after Slick had neglected to check the oil level in her car engine and flames began leaping out from under the hood. When an officer arrived, and asked what was happening, her response that time was less amusing and more sarcastic. With her car ablaze, it seemed oblivious to her what was happening. As a result of her quip, she was taken to the Marin County jail.
The third was after an officer encountered her sitting against a tree trunk in the backwoods of Marin County drinking wine, eating bread, and reading poetry. When the officer asked what she was doing, her sarcastic response got her another ride to the Marin County jail.[35]
The singer was also reportedly arrested in 1994 for assault with a deadly weapon after pointing an unloaded gun at a police officer. She alleged that the officer had come onto her property without explanation.[36]
Visual art
After retiring, and after a house fire, divorce, and breakup, Slick began drawing and painting animals, mainly to amuse herself and because doing so made her happy during a difficult period in her life.[37] Soon thereafter, she was approached about writing her memoir, which ultimately became Somebody to Love? A Rock-and-Roll Memoir. Her agent saw her artwork and asked her to do some portraits of some of her various contemporaries from the rock-and-roll genre to be included in the autobiography. Hesitant at first (because she thought “it was way too cute. Rock-n-Roll draws Rock-n-Roll”), she eventually agreed because she found she enjoyed it, and color renditions of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Jerry Garcia appeared in the completed autobiography.[38][39] An “Alice in Wonderland”-themed painting and various other sketches are scattered throughout the book. Her paintings of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady were used for the cover art of the album The Best of Hot Tuna. Though Slick has been drawing and painting since she was a child, she admits to not being able to multitask and therefore did not do much of it while she was focusing on her musical career.[39] A notable exception is the cover art of her first solo album, Manhole, which she signed "Child Type Odd Art by Grace".
Slick is not bound by any specific style or medium in her production of visual art and has no interest in developing one.[40] She uses acrylic paints (she says oil takes too long to dry), canvas, pen, ink, scratchboard, pastels, and pencil. Many of her works are mixed media. Her styles range from the children’s bookish “Alice in Wonderland” themes to the realism of the rock and roll portraits and scratchboards of animals to the minimalist ink wash styled nudes to a variety of other subjects and styles.[41]
The best-selling prints and originals are her various renditions of the white rabbit and the portraits of her colleagues in the music industry.[42] In 2006, the popularity of her “Alice in Wonderland” works led to a partnership with Dark Horse Comics, Inc. that resulted in the release of stationery and journals with the “Wonderland” motif.[43]
While critics have variously panned and praised her work, Slick seems indifferent to the criticism.[44] She views her visual artistry as just another extension of the artistic temperament that landed her in the music scene in the first place, as it allows her to continue to produce art in a way that does not require the physical demands of appearing on a stage nightly or traveling with a large group of people.[38][39]
Slick attends many of her art gallery shows across the United States, sometimes attending over 30 shows in a year. While she says she enjoys talking with the people who come to her art shows, she is not a fan of the traveling involved, particularly the flying.[38] At most of her art shows, those who purchase a piece of her art get a photo with Slick, an opportunity to chat, and a personalized autograph on the back of the piece that has been purchased.
Legacy
Slick was one of the first female rock stars, alongside her close contemporary Janis Joplin, and therefore an important figure in the development of rock music in the late 1960s. Her distinctive vocal style and striking stage presence exerted influence on other female performers including Stevie Nicks[45] and Patti Smith.[46]
Slick's longevity in the music business helped her to earn a rather unusual distinction; the oldest female vocalist on a Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping single. "We Built This City" reached no. 1 on November 16, 1985, shortly after her 46th birthday. The previous record was age 44 for Tina Turner, with 1984's no. 1 smash, "What's Love Got To Do With It". Turner (who is one month younger than Slick) turned 45 two months after the song topped the charts. Slick broke her own record in April 1987 at age 47 when "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" topped the U.S. charts. Her record stood for 12 years but was ultimately broken by Cher, who was 53 in 1999 when "Believe" hit no. 1.
Slick did vocals for a piece known as Jazzy Spies, a series of animated shorts about the numbers 2 through 10 (a no. 1 short was never made), which aired on Sesame Street. The segment for the number two appeared in the first episode of the first season of Sesame Street, November 10, 1969. She was nominated for a Grammy award in 1981 as Best Rock Female Vocalist for her solo album Dreams.[47]
She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 (as a member of Jefferson Airplane).[48]
In 1993, she narrated the Stephen King short story "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band" on his Nightmares & Dreamscapes audiobook.
She was ranked no. 20 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll in 1999.
Norton Buffalo (* 28. September 1951 in Oakland, Kalifornien als Phillip Jackson; † 30. Oktober 2009 in Paradise, Kalifornien) war ein amerikanischer Harmonikaspieler, der in den verschiedensten Stilrichtungen (Rock, R&B, Blues , Country und Jazz) zu Hause war. Auch als Produzent, Schauspieler und Sessionmusiker trat er in Erscheinung. Buffalo wurde 1951 als Sohn eines Harmonikaspielers in Oakland geboren, wuchs aber in Richmond auf. Schon auf der Highschool spielte er bei verschiedenen Bands. Zu Beginn der 1970er-Jahre war er in verschiedenen Gruppen aus der Bay Area tätig, so z. B. Clover, The Moonlighters und Elvin Bishop. Seine größten Erfolge feierte er als Mitglied der Steve Miller Band, der er 32 Jahre angehörte. Als Sessionmusiker trat er bei beinahe zweihundert Alben in Erscheinung, darunter bei Aufnahmen von The Doobie Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash und Elvin Bishop[2]. Eine Coverversion seines Songs „Ain't No Bread in the Breadbox“ wurde von der Jerry Garcia Band oft gespielt und befindet sich auch auf dem Livealbum „Shining Star“. Auch als Produzent trat er in Erscheinung (Wheatfield). Am 30. Oktober 2009 starb Buffalo im Alter von 58 Jahren an einem Bronchialkarzinom.
Phillip Jackson (September 28, 1951[1] – October 30, 2009),[2] best known as Norton Buffalo, was an American singer-songwriter, country and blues harmonica player, record producer, bandleader and recording artist who was a versatile exponent of the harmonica, including chromatic[3] and diatonic.[4]
Career
Buffalo, the son of a harmonica player, was born in Oakland, California and raised in Richmond, California. At John F. Kennedy High School he performed in a series of bands. By the early 1970s he gained renown as a San Francisco Bay Area musician, playing with such Bay Area groups as Clover, The Moonlighters led by Bill Kirchen, and Elvin Bishop.
In early 1976 Buffalo joined the "farewell" European tour of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, and was recorded on the band's final live album We've Got A Live One Here!,[5] which included Buffalo's song Eighteen Wheels. After the tour, Buffalo returned to California, briefly played with a number of local bands, and later in 1976 he joined the Steve Miller Band's Fly Like an Eagle national tour. He also played harmonica on the band's hit follow-up album Book of Dreams, released in May 1977. Buffalo appeared on the tracks Winter Time and The Stake.
By the late 1970s Buffalo had formed his own band, The Stampede, and recorded two Capitol Records albums: Lovin' in the Valley of the Moon and Desert Horizon. In 1977 his harmonica work appeared on Bonnie Raitt's Sweet Forgiveness and The Doobie Brothers' Livin' On The Fault Line albums. Not long after the release of his second album in 1979, Buffalo and his band were featured on the PBS music television program Austin City Limits.[6] In 1981 he produced an album for the popular Northwest band Wheatfield. He was a member of the Mickey Hart band High Noon in the late 70s and early 80s with Merl Saunders, Mike Hinton, Jim McPhearson, Vicki Randle, and Bobby Vega, and played with Saunders on the Rainforest Band album It's in the Air in 1993.
Buffalo is legendary among harpists (harmonicists) for his solo on Bonnie Raitt's treatment of Del Shannon's "Runaway", in which he switches quickly between four different harps (F, E♭, D♭, and C) to play across the chord changes in the song (Cm, B♭, A♭, G).
Buffalo also appeared in and worked on several films. He did a cameo appearance in the rock movie, The Rose starring Bette Midler, where he was a member of the band (on harmonica and trombone) and spoke a line or two. He had another cameo in Michael Cimino's 1979 film Heaven's Gate starring Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, Sam Waterston and Jeff Bridges. He also co-wrote the music for the films Stacy's Knights and Eddie Macon's Run with guitarist Mike Hinton.
Norton performed and recorded as a member of The Steve Miller Band for over 32 years. He often performed and recorded music as a session musician, and appeared on 180 albums. A cover of Buffalo's song Ain't No Bread In The Breadbox was in heavy rotation at Jerry Garcia Band concerts from 1991 until Jerry Garcia's death in 1995, and appeared on the live release Shining Star.
On September 2, 2009 Buffalo was diagnosed with stage 4 adenocarcinoma of the lower right lobe of the lung. The next day, he found out that it had spread to his brain. Norton retired to his home in Paradise, California, where he sought treatment at Feather River Hospital.[7] He died on October 30, 2009 in Feather River Hospital.[2]
As a benefit for the Buffalo family, friends of Buffalo threw "A Celebration of Life: Tribute To Norton Buffalo" at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California. Headlined by the Steve Miller Band, which Buffalo was a member of for 33 years, the event honored his life and career (over 180 album appearances). Other acts and performers included The Doobie Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Huey Lewis, George Thorogood, Elvin Bishop, and Carlos Reyes.
Awards
Buffalo played harmonica on two tracks on The Doobie Brothers' Grammy award winning 1978 album Minute By Minute. He was also nominated for a Grammy in 1992 for "Best Country Instrumental Performance" for the tune Song For Jessica from his 1991 Duet CD R&B with Guitarist Roy Rogers, on Blind Pig Records.
Larry
Lee (* 7. März 1943 in Memphis, Tennessee als Lawrence Harold Lee Jr.; †
29. Oktober 2007 ebenda) war ein US-amerikanischer Gitarrist,
hauptsächlich bekannt für seine Zusammenarbeit mit Jimi Hendrix und Al
Green.
Noch während er die „Hamilton High School“ in Memphis
besuchte, schrieb er für das Label Stax Records Songs. Darunter befanden
sich auch Hits wie „What Can It Be“ und „A Woman Needs The Love of
Man“, die von „The Astors“ interpretiert wurden. Im Alter von zwanzig
Jahren studierte Lee an der Tennessee State University in Nashville.
Hier lernte er Billy Cox und Jimi Hendrix kennen, mit denen sich eine
tiefe Freundschaft entwickelte. Schnell wurde Lee Mitglied bei „The King
Kasuals“, der damaligen Band Hendrix' und Cox'. Sie konnten jedoch nur
schlecht bezahlte Gigs in Nashville spielen ($11 für vier Abende in der
Woche[1]). Das veranlasste Hendrix dazu, im Januar 1964 nach New York zu
ziehen, um dort weiter Musik zu machen. Lee hingegen blieb in Nashville
und tourte weiterhin als Musiker mit Rhythm and Blues-Bands wie u.a.
The Impressions. Er wurde jedoch zur US Army eingezogen und leistete
seinen Militärdienst in Vietnam ab, wo er eine Kopfverletzung erlitt.
1969, nach seiner Entlassung aus der Army, wurde Lee von Hendrix, der
mittlerweile zum Weltstar geworden war, eingeladen, in seiner Band zu
spielen. Lee zog nach New York und wurde so – eine Woche vor dem
berühmten Woodstock-Festival im August 1969 – Rhythmusgitarrist von
„Gypsy Sun and Rainbows“. Der letzte Auftritt in dieser Formation fand
schon kurze Zeit nach dem Woodstock-Auftritt am 10. September 1969 im
Salvation nightclub in New York statt. Kurze Zeit später kam es zu einem
Konflikt zwischen Hendrix und seinem Management, das seine alte Band
The Jimi Hendrix Experience wieder ins Leben rufen und auf Tour schicken
wollte. Um den Druck von Hendrix zu nehmen sei Lee daher wieder zurück
nach Memphis gegangen[2].
In den siebziger Jahren des 20.
Jahrhunderts wurde Lee ein fester Bestandteil der Musikergruppe um Al
Green. Die Zusammenarbeit sollte über dreißig Jahre dauern. Sie traten
in mehreren Fernsehsendungen auf, u. a. bei The Tonight Show. Sie legten
den Song Judy neu auf, den Lee in der Zeit geschrieben hatte, als er
noch mit Hendrix zusammen spielte. Das Lied erschien im Jahr 1972 auf
dem Album Let's Stay Together.
In jüngerer Vergangenheit arbeitete
Lee mit Timothy Lee Matthews zusammen, an dessen Album Songs for the
Greats (2000) er mitschrieb. Außerdem wurde noch nicht veröffentlichtes
Material, Jimi Hendrix Live at Woodstock (1994), Jimi Hendrix South
Saturn Delta (1997) veröffentlicht, auf dem Lee als Rhythmusgitarrist zu
hören ist. Darüber hinaus hatte er eine Band namens „Elmo & The
Shades“.
Larry Lee starb am 29. Oktober 2007 im „Veterans Medical
Center“ in Memphis an den Folgen einer Magenkrebserkrankung. Er
hinterlässt seine Mutter, seine Ehefrau, vier Kinder und fünf
Enkelkinder.
Lawrence
H. "Larry" Lee, Jr. (March 7, 1943 – October 30, 2007) was an American
guitarist and singer-songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee, best known for
his work with Al Green and Jimi Hendrix.
Gypsy Sun and Rainbows
Lee
was an old friend of Jimi Hendrix and Billy Cox, they had all played
together in various R&B acts, and in 1969 he joined Hendrix's new
band Gypsy Sun and Rainbows as rhythm guitarist, occasionally playing
alternating lead. The newly formed band was hired to play the Woodstock
Music Festival for which Hendrix had been previously booked to play as
the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Lee had only been back from the Vietnam war
for two weeks, was unemployed when Hendrix called him and had only
joined Gypsy Sun and Rainbows a week before the Woodstock concert.
At
the concert Hendrix and Lee both wore white outfits and exotic headgear
was much in evidence, Lee wore a distinctive green bandana that had
long tassles hanging over his eyes, which at the time he thought was a
statement of originality as he explains in the Woodstock DVD, whereas
Billy Cox wore a multi coloured turban and Hendrix a bright pink bandana
and large shining ear studs. Lee played a 1955 Gibson Les Paul Custom
guitar and sang his own composition 'Master Mind' as well as two
Impressions numbers sung as a medley - 'Gypsy Woman' and 'Aware of
Love', with Hendrix playing Curtis Mayfield style back up, he also took
several solos and played some alternating lead ("weaving") with Hendrix.
After
Woodstock these "hired guns" briefly continued to help Hendrix develop
his new style, which included the first of his classic, new "message"
songs, in which Hendrix attempted to communicate his complex philosophy
towards the current Vietnam war and human relationships in general:
Machine Gun, Message to Love and Izabella. This group then played at the
Harlem, 'United Block' benefit and later performed at the small
'Salvation' club in Greenwich Village to a mixed reception. Lee, Velez
and Sultan then went off to pursue their briefly interrupted careers,
Sultan later played occasional sessions for Hendrix.
Al Green years
During
the seventies, Lee acted as the band director and lead guitarist for Al
Green's touring band. He appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny
Carson and television specials around the world with Green. Lee also was
a songwriter and wrote for Stax Records early recording artists, the
Astors. "Judy", a song he wrote during his days playing with Hendrix in
Nashville was covered by Al Green and the Spidells. Lee briefly traveled
with blues great Albert King. He said King fired him because his
playing overshadowed King's.
In the eighties through the nineties,
he teamed with his friend, El Espada, Timothy Lee Matthews, and they
collaborated on Matthews' CD Songs for the Greats. Matthews, co-writer
of the classic blues song, "Breaking Up Somebody's Home," called Lee the
consummate "sideman", Lee's distinctive complementary rhythm and lead
style can be heard on nine of the eleven songs on Matthews' CD.
Larry
lived in Memphis, TN and played in the regional rock/blues/R&B
outfit "Elmo & the Shades".Larry was a member of Elmo and the Shades
for eight years and was an integral part of their success during this
period.The band enjoyed much popularity during this time playing
nightclubs,casinos,parties,and occasional blues festivals throughout
Memphis and the Mid-South.Larry Lee is featured on three cuts on the new
CD(2009) by Elmo and The Shades, "Blue Memphis".They are "Same Old
Dog","I Get the Blues for Free", and the title cut "Blue Memphis". Larry
took his leave from the group as his battle with cancer left him too
weak to perform in August 2006. Larry was as soulful a blues singer and
incredibly moving blues guitarist as Memphis, Beale St. and the world
has ever seen.
He also joined in with Mike Strickland and the Usual Unusual Clowns at random intervals.
Death
Larry
Lee died in Memphis, Tennessee on October 29, 2007 after a year
battling stomach cancer, and was buried at 11 a.m. on November 6 in West
Tennessee Veterans Cemetery. He left wife Carrie Lee, daughter April D.
Lee and three sons - Lawrence H. Lee III, Robert A. Lee, and Thomas
Lee. He was also survived by his mother, Lula Lee, and five
grandchildren.
Pete Haycock, Mitbegründer der Climax Blues Band, ist am 30. Oktober im Alter von nur 62 Jahren verstorben. Der Gitarrist und Sänger erlag in seinem Haus in der Nähe von Frankfurt, welches er sich im vergangenen Jahr gekauft hatte, einem Herzschlag. Peter John Haycock, so sein bürgerlicher Name, wurde in den 70er-Jahren mit der Climax Blues Band bekannt, später war er beim Electric Light Orchestra Part II und in der Formation The LovePower Band aktiv. Außerdem konnte er erfolgreich als Komponist und Musiker im Filmgeschäft Fuß fassen, so ist sein (Slide-)Gitarrenspiel unter anderem im Soundtrack von "Thelma & Louise" zu hören. In den vergangenen Jahren war Haycock häufig mit Siggi Schwarz und dessen Band auf Tour, zudem soll er Pläne für eine Reaktivierung der Climax Blues Band gehabt haben.
Peter John "Pete" Haycock (4 March 1951 – 30 October 2013)[1] was an English musician and film score composer. He began his career as lead guitarist, vocalist, and founding member of the Climax Blues Band.
Early life and career
Haycock was born in Stafford, and here he attended St. John's Primary School and King Edward VI Boys Grammar School. As a child, he was impressed by the guitar solos of Hank Marvin of The Shadows.[2] He played his first electric guitar at a miners club when he was 12. He then played guitar at school and college dances. Along with local boys, he formed a blues band, the Mason–Dixon Line.[3] In 1967, Haycock met Colin Cooper and joined his soul band The Gospel Truth.[2] In 1968, they founded a new band, the Climax Chicago Blues Band, and then they eventually changed its name to the Climax Blues Band, in 1970. The band's original line-up consisted of Haycock (lead guitar, vocals), Cooper (harmonica, vocals), Derek Holt (guitar, vocals), Richard Jones (bass), Arthur Wood (keyboards), George Newsome (drums).[2][4]
During the early 1970s, the Climax Blues Band went through a few personnel changes, before arriving at their most stable, creative, and successful line-up, which consisted of Haycock, Cooper, Holt (switched to bass guitar), and John Cuffley (drums). In 1976, the line-up with keyboardist Richard Jones wrote the band's biggest hit "Couldn't Get It Right". The song included the vocal harmonies of Haycock and Holt, behind Cooper’s lead. Haycock, an underrated vocalist, sang lead on several of the band's tracks, particularly on the Sense of Direction (1974), Stamp Album (1975), Gold Plated (1976), Shine On (1978), and Flying The Flag (1980).[2] albums. The band with the core line-up of Haycock, Cooper, Holt, and John Cuffley toured heavily in the 1970s and 1980s. During much of this period, Haycock played concerts with his rare trademark instrument, a gold-plated Veleno guitar, which was also on the cover of the album Gold Plated.[5]
Holt and Cuffley left in 1983. Haycock and Cooper went their separate ways after their final Climax Blues Band album together, 1983's Sample and Hold.
In May 2012, the Major League Productions Ltd record label released an until-then unknown vault recording of a 1976 live performance, featuring the Climax Blues Band at the top of their game: Climax Blues Band / World Tour 1976. Haycock provided some insightful liner notes for the CD's insert, and the recording further demonstrates the tight musicianship that was found in the band's line-up at that time.[6]
In March 2015, a 4-CD retrospective was released entitled Live, Rare, and Raw 1973-1979, featuring the band at the height of their powers, in a variety of Live settings. This release would parallel the ferocity and acclaim of Climax Blues Band's 1973 album, FM/Live. The band produced more than 15 successful albums in their heyday.[7]
Post Climax Blues Band
Though another group of musicians, which at one time was led by late former bandmate Colin Cooper, is currently calling themselves "Climax Blues Band", their lineup does not consist of any founding members, and has not found the commercial success or following that the original, "true" Climax Blues Band enjoyed during Haycock's years with the band.[8] Cooper died in 2008.
In 1984, the bandmembers went their separate ways, and Haycock went on to record several solo projects, the first of which was the album Total Climax (1986) recorded with his new band, Pete Haycock's Climax. Pete Haycock's Climax toured extensively in Europe, including Communist East Germany, as well as a well-received tour in Australia, also releasing The Soft Spot (1987). During this period, Haycock was asked by former Climax Blues Band manager, Miles Copeland, to record an instrumental album for I.R.S. No Speak, Guitar and Son, and Night of the Guitars, a live album from the tour of the same name.[9] After that tour, in 1989, Haycock teamed up with Holt and guitarist Steve Hunter to record an album under the name H Factor. The Pete Haycock Band consisted of the musicians from the Total Climax lineup, and went on to record a live album entitled Livin' It in 1992.
Haycock was approached by Bev Bevan, formerly of Electric Light Orchestra, to join the newly formed Electric Light Orchestra Part II. The group toured and recorded with Haycock in the early 1990s, releasing both a live CD and video of their performance with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra.[10] They recorded and toured together until 1993.[11]
Film scores
In the early 1990s, Haycock was asked by Hans Zimmer to collaborate on film scores for K2 (1991), and Toys (1992). Other film scores they worked on were for Drop Zone (1994), and The Dilemma (2011), among others. Haycock's slide guitar contributed to Thunderbird, the theme music for the 1991 film, Thelma & Louise.[2] Haycock was asked by Zimmer to re-create his performance, with a live symphony orchestra for the recording of Wings of a Film, which was a compilation album of Zimmer's successful film scores.[citation needed]
Haycock began composing music of his own for film and television. Along with Holt, he composed music for the 1992 film One False Move.[2] More scores would follow, and Haycock helped produce recordings for other artists.
Charity projects
In 2005, Haycock supplied all the music for the Hollister Independence Motorcycle Rally DVD charity project, for producer Jeff Byler, with proceeds benefiting Emmaus House, a shelter for battered women and children. When the DVD's producer suggested a follow-up soundtrack to the project, Haycock went back into the studio to complete the album that became Bikers' Dozen, which featured a vocal performance by John Fiddler (Medicine Head).[12]
Haycock signed on as a major contributor to the LovePower and Peace[13] charity CD project in 2009, which was spearheaded by fellow musician Robin George, and was built around George's hit song, "LovePower and Peace". Haycock contributed many trademark slide guitar tracks and donated studio time to the project, a charity effort to benefit children with cancer and other terminal diseases.
This collaboration, which included the donated talents of scores of veteran musicians,[14] also resulted in the forming a "super group" called The LovePower Band, which landed a major record deal and completed its first album, which was released in 2011.[15]
Return to the stage
After an absence from the stage and live performances, Haycock formed a new band, Pete Haycock's True Blues (featuring Glen Turner). In 2008, they toured Europe and released their first recording together: Pete Haycock's True Blues Live (featuring Glen Turner).[16][17] In April 2009, Haycock, in an interview talked about the early days with the Climax Blues Band, the transition to studio work (with and without Hans Zimmer), and his return to the stage with his new band, after an absence from live performances of fourteen years.[18]
Haycock continued to record, and perform live, and had been a featured guest performer with the Siggi Schwarz' band, and was on the same bill with ZZ Top and Johnny Winter in 2012.
2013 found Haycock coming full-circle with the formation of a super-group recording and scheduled for touring as Pete Haycock's Climax Blues Band featuring Robin George, with Haycock being joined by a lineup of musicians including George, with whom he had collaborated on the LovePower Band, and other projects. Haycock envisioned this project as a return to the "true" Climax Blues Band, and he had just completed the new album, Broke Heart Blues, before his death.[1][19][20]
Death
Haycock built a recording studio in Frankfurt, Germany where he lived for several years until his death. He died of a heart attack on 30 October 2013 in Frankfurt. The news was posted on the group’s official website. He was 62.
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