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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZKING CURTIS(b Curtis Ousley, 7 Feb. '34, Fort Worth TX; d 13 Aug. '71, NYC) Tenor saxophone; the best ever associated with rock'n'roll. He could and did play jazz and was never one of those one-note honkers who stood on their heads, but he was unique in the no-man's-land in between, of soul ballads and rock'n'roll interjections. Began working in home town late '40s, with Lionel Hampton '52, returned to NYC '53 (where he had played with Hampton), worked with Buck Clayton, etc; began sessioning: worked with Nat Cole, Joe Turner, Chuck Willis ('What Am I Living For'), Coasters: brilliantly idiomatic solos on comedy hits like 'Yakety Yak' '58 made him famous. Cut 'Reminiscing' that year with Buddy Holly, worked with LaVern Baker, Bobby Darin, Brook Benton, Neil Sedaka, the Drifters. In '62 began making records under his own name (King Curtis and the Noble Knights, and the Kingpins) which appealed to wide market: 15 top 100 entries '62--71 incl. versions of pop, R&B hits 'Spanish Harlem', 'Ode To Billy Joe', 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine', 'Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay'; instrumentals did not do well on charts in this era: classic 'Memphis Soul Stew' '67 was one of only two King Curtis hits to make top 40. In early '60s sessioned with Sam Cooke, Isley Bros, Solomon Burke, the Shirelles, Nina Simone etc. Toured USA with Cooke, with Beatles; mid-'60s worked with Aretha Franklin, Herbie Mann, Wilson Pickett; then Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, John Lennon; then was murdered outside his apartment. LPs on Prestige incl. Night Train, The New Scene, Trouble In Mind, Soul Meeting, King Soul with Nat Adderley, Soul Groove etc, some later on Fantasy CDs; on Atlantic: Blues Montreux '70 with Champion Jack Dupree. |