Dorsey Brothers Orchestra

Both Dorsey Brothers were major figures in the development of jazz music and especially, swing. Tommy Dorsey is the man who gave a young Frank Sinatra’s burgeoning career a major boost.

Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, in 1905. He was the younger brother of Jimmy Dorsey, who was born in Shenandoah the previous year. Both brothers would become huge big band music stars. Both boys studied music as children, with Jimmy playing saxophone, trumpet and clarinet, while Tommy concentrated on  trombone. At Jimmy's recommendation, 15-year-old Tommy replaced Russ Morgan in the Scranton Sirens.

The brothers worked with many bands during the Twenties including a stint with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, before recording their first side “Coquette,” on the Okeh label in 1928. They were signed to Decca Records in 1934, and enjoyed a major hit with “I Believe in Miracles.”

Conflict between the brothers, which at times escalated to fistfights, resulted in Tommy dissolving the partnership and forming his own orchestra in 1935. Teaming up with former members of the Joe Haymes Orchestra, he signed with RCA/Victor in 1935 and released the first in a string of major hits, “On Treasure Island.”

In 1940, Tommy Dorsey acquired Frank Sinatra from The Harry James Orchestra, resulting in more hits and the establishment of Sinatra as a star.

During the Forties, Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra featured some of the best musicians in swing such as Bunny Berigan and Gene Kroupa. Jimmy Dorsey dissolved his own band in 1953, and joined Tommy’s band, with the two becoming “The Dorsey Brothers” once more.

In 1956, Tommy Dorsey died of choking. His former orchestra has continued into the 21st century, with Jimmy Dorsey taking charge until his death, in 1957.

Compilations of the Dorsey Brothers recordings and those of the bands of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey are easily found.

the Allman Brothers: Ramblin' Man

Southern rock and blues rock legends the Allman Brothers were formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969. The band was named after brothers Greg and Duane Allman, the band’s lead singer and lead guitarist, respectively. The Allman Brothers are perhaps the quintessential example of “Southern Rock.” Southern rock bands such as the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynard, and the Marshall Tucker Band all hailed from below the Mason-Dixon Line and infused their hard rock with elements of the blues and country music and often expressed the conservative or “redneck” outlooks.

 The Allman Brothers were perhaps the most blues-influenced of southern rock bands. Their first two albums, “The Allman Brothers Band” (1968) and “Idlewild South” (1970) contained several blues cover tunes each. The ragged, soulful voice of Greg Allman and bluesy slide guitar of Duane Allman and Dickie Betts enabled the band to produce some of the best blues rock of the era.

 The Allman Brothers Band was a tremendous live act, and live performances allowed the band’s instrumental highlight, Duane Allman to display his prodigious slide guitar technique. Two of the band’s finest albums, “Live at the Fillmore East” (1971) and “Eat a Peach” (1972) are live albums which feature long tracks which serve as vehicles for Duane Allman’s and Dickie Betts’ impressive chops. Duane Allman died tragically in a motorcycle accident in 1971, at the age of 23, when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a peach truck. Following the death of Duane Allman, Dickie Betts became the instrumental centerpiece of the band, and the Allman Brothers Band continued to record and tour. The band reached the height of their commercial success with the classic album, “Brothers and Sisters” (1973) ,which featured two of their best known tunes, “Ramblin’ Man” and the instrumental, “Jessica.”

Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five

Louis Jordan is another of the key figures in the development of rock and roll and R&B. He was a talented and colorful figure who was a saxophonist, songwriter, and bandleader. He has been credited with creating a style of music called “jump blues” which is the direct forerunner of R&B, the music which would later morph into rock and roll.

Jordan was born in Brinkley, Arkansas, in 1908. He studied clarinet and saxophone and while still in his teens, and in the Thirties, he was invited to join Chick Webb’s orchestra at New York’s Savoy ballroom. As Webb was physically disabled, Jordan took over the leader’s usual role of MC at shows. In 1938, Webb fired Jordan after he suspected Jordan of trying to take over control of the orchestra.

Jordan soon had a new band and a recording deal with Decca Records. The first recording session for his new band, which would later be dubbed, “The Tympany Five,” was in late 1938. His band contained an ever-changing lineup of sidemen that would accompany Jordan’s singing and saxophone on his Forties hits, “Five Guys Named More,” “Knock Me A Kiss,” “Caledonia,” and a song which some claim to be the first rock and roll recording, “Saturday Night Fish Fry.” Jordan’s recordings were raucous and often humorous, with a solid narrative structure. His songs celebrated good times, food, drinking, parties, and women.

Jordan became the most successful African-American bandleader in the country save Duke Ellington and Count Basie. He was one of the first African-American “crossover” artists as well. Unlike other African-American artists who were known only to African-American audiences, Jordan was very popular with white audiences, too.

Jordan’s best recordings can be found on the following collections: “The Best of Louis Jordan” (1975), “Louis Jordan’s Greatest Hits” (1980), and “Rock and Roll” (1989).

Art Tatum: Tea for Two

Art Tatum is considered by many to be the greatest pianist in the history of jazz music whose technical skills were unrivaled. Tatum’s unmistakable sound was the result of his prodigious speed, harmonic inventiveness and swinging style which featured the frequent use of thrilling cadenzas. He playing was drawn from the stride style of James P. Johnson and Fats Waller and the more modern approach of Earl Hines. When a young Oscar Peterson first heard a recording of Tatum and was told that the recording was the work of a single pianist, Peterson refused to touch a piano for a week.

Tatum was born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1909. His parents were both musicians at a local Toledo church. As a child, Tatum developed cataracts and eventually lost sight in one eye completely, while being left with only partial sight in the other. Tatum was a child prodigy at the piano and learned to play by ear while listening to church hymns and music on the radio. In 1925, he would begin learning music and braille at a school for the blind.

By 1933, Tatum was in New York City, and he began to make a name for himself at piano playing competitions known as “cutting contests.” It was at one of these contests that Tatum famously out-dueled stride legends James P. Johnson, Willie “The Lion” Smith and Fats Waller with spectacular versions of “Tea for Two” and “Tiger Rag.” While Tatum was working at the Onyx Club in March of 1933, he recorded his first four sides for the Brunswick label. For the remainder of the Thirties, he toured around the Midwest and had stints in Chicago and trips out to Los Angeles before returning to New York.

In the Forties, Tatum recorded with singer Big Joe Turner for Decca Records and formed a trio with guitarist Tiny Grimes and bassist, Slam Stewart. By the end of the Forties, Tatum had returned to solo performing and continued solo until his death in 1956.

Any compilation of Tatum’s incredible recordings is a must-have. The best of these include, “Piano Starts Here” (1968), “The Complete Capitol Recordings” (Volumes 1-2) (1989), “Classic Early Solos” (1991), “The Chronological Classics: Art Tatum 1934-1940” (1991), and “The Complete Capitol Recordings of Art Tatum” (1997).

James P. Johnson: The Charleston

James Price Johnson was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 1894. He was a ragtime turned stride pianist whose composition, “The Charleston,” became one of the anthems of the “jazz age” of the Twenties. Johnson and Jelly Roll Morton were probably the two pianists most responsible for taking ragtime music and turning it into jazz via the piano.

Although he started out playing ragtime music in the tradition of Scott Joplin, Johnson became the innovator of a jazz sub-genre of piano playing that was dubbed, “stride.” This piano style got its name from the walking or “striding” sound produced by the pianist’s left hand. Stride piano incorporated elements of the blues and it allowed for on the spot improvisation which is an essential characteristic of jazz music. Ragtime was a rigidly composed form of music which stifled improvisation.

A future jazz star, Fats Waller, would become Johnson’s protégé’, adopt his stride style, and later expose it to the masses.

Johnson was a prolific composer, and he wrote some of the most familiar compositions of the roaring Twenties. Aside from the Charleston, he penned, “You’ve Got to Be Modernistic,” “If I Could Be with You One Hour Tonight,” “Carolina Shout,” “Keep Off The Grass,” and “Old Fashioned Love,” among others. In addition to jazz and pop tunes, Johnson wrote waltzes, ballets and symphonic pieces.

Johnson’s finest recordings can be found on a number of compilation albums including the multi-volume “Chronological Classics: James P. Johnson” (1996) series and “Snowy Morning Blues” (1991), “Harlem Stride Piano” (1992), and “Father of Stride Piano” (2001).

The Original Dixieland Jazz Band: Livery Stable Blues

The Original Dixieland Jazz Band was originally an off-shoot of Stein’s Dixie Jass Band and started out under the leadership of cornetist, Nick LaRocca. By 1917, the band had moved from Chicago to New York, where in February of that year, they would make the first-ever jazz recording, “Livery Stable Blues/Dixie Jass Band One Step” for Victor.

The recording was a huge commercial success, and it introduced jazz to a nationwide audience. The huge sales of that first recording motivated other record labels to record jazz and thus sparked the spread of the music.

The initial incarnation of the band recorded several other excellent sides including, “Darktown Strutter’s Ball,” “Ostrich Walk,” and “Tiger Rag.” Their music was typical early Dixieland jazz, but the ODJB had some of the finest musicians in jazz music at the time including Larocca on cornet, “Daddy” Edwards on trombone, Henry Ragas on piano, and Larry Shields on clarinet.

The ODJB was a white band, and Larocca was a proud member of the white race who always maintained that it was not African-Americans who had created jazz, but white musicians. Larocca’a overt racism has probably hurt the reputation of the ODJB and encouraged many observers to write them off as simply a bunch of second-rate white musicians who only had the opportunity to make the first jazz recording due to the institutionalized racism of the time. However, this is clearly not the case. Freddie Keppard, an African-American cornetist, turned down the opportunity to make the first jazz recording, in 1916.

The ODJB reunited several times in the Thirties and toured Europe. Drummer Tony Sbarbaro was the only original member to appear on all the band’s recordings between 1917 and 1938.

Several compilations of the band’s early sides can be found including, “The Complete Original Dixieland Jazz Band (1917-1938)” (1995). The band also appears on several compilations of early recorded jazz.

Django Reinhardt and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France

Guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli were probably the two greatest European jazz musicians of the 20th century. Both men were founders and members of an outfit known as the Quintet of The Hot Club of France, a jazz ensemble that recorded during the Forties.

 Reinhardt, born in Liberchies, Pont-a-Celles, Belgium, was a gypsy guitar prodigy. When he was eighteen, his hand was so badly burned by a fire in his caravan that two fingers on his left hand were rendered useless. His family and friends thought that any future career plans as a musician had been prematurely snuffed out, but Reinhardt adapted and learned to play with just the index and middle finger on his fret hand. Despite his handicap, Reinhardt still earned a reputation as one of the greatest guitarists in the history of popular music.

 In 1934, Reinhardt, jazz violin virtuoso, Stephane Grappelli, brother and fellow guitarist, Joesph Reinhardt, guitarist Roger Chaput and bassist Louis Vola formed the “Quintette du Hot Club de France” and recorded some of the best jazz of the Thirties and Forties.

 During his tenure with the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, Reinhardt recorded the classic selections, “Minor Swing,” “Djangology,” “Runnin” Wild,” “Paramount Stomp,” :Belleville,” and “Night and Day.” The Hot Club recorded in the swing style that was the vogue of the mid and late Thirties. The band would disband in 1939, only to reform in the Forties with a different line up of sidemen supporting Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli.

 Reinhardt died in 1953 at the age of 43, while Grappelli would continue playing and recording until his death in 1997, a month shy of his 90th birthday. Django Reinhardt would leave behind a legacy of musical brilliance and serve as an inspiration and major influence on countless guitarists from rock, country, jazz, and even classical music. Rock guitarists, Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead and Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, both suffered serious injuries to their hands early in their careers and credit Reinhardt as a huge inspiration in overcoming their respective injuries. Reinhardt and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France appear on numerous fine compilation albums.

Tommy Johnson: Canned Heat Blues

Tommy Johnson was country blues singer and guitarist from Terry, Mississippi. Johnson was born in 1896, and by the Twenties he was an established figure in Mississippi blues. The Sixties blues rock band, Canned Heat, took their name from the Johnson song, “Canned Heat Blues.”

Johnson was a dissolute figure who actively cultivated a sinister image through excessive drinking and stories that he had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his musical mastery. A similar mythology would later be attached to Robert Johnson.

Johnson made his first recordings for the Victor label in 1928 with the sides, “Canned Heat Blues” and “Big Road Blues.” Johnson also recorded for Paramount Records in two sessions, one from 1928 and another from the following year. These recordings proved Johnson to be a vocalist of great depth and a fine guitarist. Unfortunately, his recordings for Paramount, are of lo-fidelity.

Johnson’s classic sides can be found on the compilation, “Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order (1928-1929)” (1994).

Johnny Burnette and the Rock ‘n Roll Trio: The Train Kept a-Rollin'

Singer Johnny Burnette was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1934, and was a boyhood friend of Elvis Presley. Burnette and the Rock ‘n Roll Trio is often credited as the “pioneers” of rockabilly music.

The legendary album, “Rock and Roll Trio” (1988), is one of the finest collections of early rock and roll. The album collects the early singles of Burnette and the Trio and contains at least three masterpieces, “The Train Kept a-Rollin’,” “Honey Hush,” and “Lonesome Train.” The title of the song, “Rock Billy Boogie,” is believed to be the origin of the name given to this style of music, “rockabilly.”

Burnette scored pop hits in the Sixties without the Rock and Roll Trio, including “You’re Sixteen,” in 1960, but his best work was during the birth of rock and roll about five years earlier. Burnette died in a boating accident in 1964, at the age of 30.

Josh White: Jim Crow Blues

Josh White, like Leadbelly, was a country blues singer from the early part of the 20^th century who found new life and success as a part of the Sixties folk boom. White was born in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1915, and made his recording debut in 1932 with “Baby Won’t You Doodle-Doo-Doo.”

White recorded for number of labels including Perfect and Melotone in the Thirties during his initial incarnation as a country blues performer. In the early Forties White’s music became some of the first African-American music to find acceptance among a white audience when he scored a million-selling single with his song, “One Meatball,” in 1944.

By the Forties White had become a civil rights leader, and in fact, became a close confidant of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. During the decade, White became the first African-American performer to perform at previously segregated clubs, and he later became the first folk/blues performer to appear on a U.S. postage stamp. White also appeared on Broadway as Blind Lemon Jefferson in the musical, “John Henry.” White’s appearance on Broadway brought him to the attention of the New York City folk crowd which at that time included Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and Burl Ives.

By the late Fifties, White was a fixture in the Folk revival and was recording more folk-oriented material. White continued performing in folk music festivals and toured the world up until his death, in 1969.

The best collections of White’s music include, “Chain Gang” (1940), “Ballads and Blues” (1946), and the great collection of civil rights tunes, “Southern Exposure: An album of Jim Crow Blues Sung by Josh White” (1941).

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

This article contains affiliate links from which I can earn affiliate commissions

Drummer Art Blakey and his band, The Jazz Messengers, are the pioneers of a jazz sub-genre called “hard bop”. Hard bop takes the fundamentals of be-bop and adds elements of rhythm and blues. The idea behind hard bop was to make be-bop music more danceable and perhaps, more palatable to mainstream music fans.

Art Blakey was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1919, and by the Fifties, his virtuosic and incessant drumming would put him at the forefront of the be-bop genre along with Dizzy Gilliespie, Thelonious Monk and others.

In 1954, he formed the band, The Jazz Messengers, which became a training ground for up and coming young jazz musicians. New Orleans trumpet prodigy Wynton Marsalis would get his professional start as a member of the band. Among the best of the Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers albums are “A Night at Birdland” (Volumes 1-3) (1954), “The Jazz Messengers” (1956), “A Night in Tunisia” (1957), “Drum Suite” (1957), “ArtBlakey’s Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk” (1958), “Ritual” (1959), “Moanin’”(1959),  “The Big Beat” (1960),  “Mosaic” (1961) “Free for All,” “A Night in Tunisia” (1961), and “Indestructible” (1965).

Ben E. King: Stand by Me

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

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

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

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

Julia Lee: Gotta Gimme Whatcha Got

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

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

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

Lee’s classic recordings can be found on the following albums: Classics Julia Lee 1927-1946” (1995) and “Classics Julia Lee 1947” (1995).

Anthony Braxton: Saxophone Improvisation

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

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

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

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

Among the best albums from Braxton extensive catalogue are those mentioned above and the following: “Saxophone Improvisation Series F” (1972), “Trio and Duet” (1975), “Four Compositions” (1973)” (1977), “Performance 9/1/79” (1981), “Quartet (London) 1985” (1988), “Six Monk’s Compositions” (1987)” (1988), “Seven Compositions (Trio) 1989” (1990), “Dortmund (Quartet) 1976” (1991), “Willisau (Quartet) 1991” (1992), “Quartet (Coventry) 1985” (1993), “Creative Orchestra (Kohl) 1978” (1995), “Quintet (Basel) 1977” (2001), “23 Standards (Quartet) 2003” (2004), and “9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006” (2007).

Roy Eldridge: Little Jazz

This article contains affiliate links from which I can earn affiliate commissions

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

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

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

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

In New York, Eldridge found work with a number of dance bands, and by 1935, while as a member of the Teddy Hill Orchestra, Eldridge made his first recordings. Eldridge would eventually land a gig with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra from 1935-36, becoming Henderson’s star soloist by lending his hot solos to the Henderson classics, “Christopher Columbus” and “Blue Lou.”

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

Eldridge’s best recordings include, “Drummer Man” (1956) with Gene Kroupa, “Rockin’ Chair” (1956), “Little Jazz” (1989), and  a number of compilations dedicated to his music. Eldridge died in 1989.

Badfinger: Straight Up

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

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

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

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

The Animals: Animalism

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Amazing Rhythm Aces: Classic Country Rock

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

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

Al Green: Call Me

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carr and Blackwell’s classic sides can be found on the following compilation albums: “Blues before Sunrise” (1962), “(1929-1935)” (2000), and “Naptown Blues” (1996),