| The Boss of the Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1956 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Nesuhi Ertegun, Jerry Wexler | |||
| Big Joe Turner chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  [1] |
The Boss of the Blues is a 1956 album by the American singer Big Joe Turner. Originally released on the Atlantic label, the album has been reissued many times on cassette and CD by Atlantic, Rhino and Collectables.
From the 1920s through the 1930s, Turner and boogie-woogie pianist Pete Johnson enjoyed a successful and highly influential collaboration that, following their appearance together at Carnegie Hall on December 23, 1938, helped launch a craze for boogie-woogie in the United States. [2] [3] After the pair separated, Turner continued to experience cross-genre musical success, establishing himself as one of the founders of rock and roll with such smash hits as "Shake, Rattle and Roll", but he did not turn his back on his roots. [3] The Boss of the Blues marks one of the last reunions Turner would have with Johnson, [1] when, supported by a number of swing's best performers, [1] he re-created a number of the classic tracks that had helped lay the groundwork for rhythm and blues. [2]
The bold, vigorous arrangements by the veteran Ernie Wilkins fully represent the traditions of Kansas City music, while also giving a 'mainstream' platform to the musicians, not all of whom, including both Pete Brown and Lawrence Brown, had Kansas City backgrounds.
Except where otherwise indicated, all tracks composed by Pete Johnson and Big Joe Turner.
Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him". Turner's greatest fame was due to his rock and roll recordings in the 1950s, particularly "Shake, Rattle and Roll", but his career as a performer endured from the 1920s into the 1980s.
Kermit Holden "Pete" Johnson was an American boogie-woogie and jazz pianist.
The Genius of Ray Charles is a 1959 Ray Charles album, released in October by Atlantic Records, the seventh album since the debut Ray Charles in 1957. The album consists of swinging pop with big band arrangements. It comprises a first half of big band songs and a second half of string-backed ballads. The Genius of Ray Charles sold fewer than 500,000 copies and charted at number 17 on the Billboard 200. "Let the Good Times Roll" and "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'" were released as singles in 1959.
Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings is an album by pianist/bandleader Count Basie and vocalist Joe Williams recorded in 1955 and originally released on the Clef label.
Soul on Top is the 28th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in April 1970, by King. Brown and saxophonist Maceo Parker worked with arranger/conductor Oliver Nelson to record a big band, funk and jazz vocal album. It was recorded with Louie Bellson and his 18-piece jazz orchestra at United Western Recorders in Hollywood, California in November 1969, and features jazz standards, show tunes, and middle of the road hits, as well as a new arrangement of Brown's funk hit "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag".
Count Basie at Newport is a live album by jazz musician Count Basie and his orchestra. It was originally issued as Verve MGV 8243 and included only the tracks 1-7 and 13. Tracks 9-12 originally included in Count Basie & Joe Williams/Dizzy Gillespie & Mary Lou Williams at Newport.
"Roll 'Em Pete" is a blues song, originally recorded in December 1938 by Big Joe Turner and pianist Pete Johnson. The recording is regarded as one of the most important precursors of what later became known as rock and roll.
Rocket 88 is an album recorded live in Germany in 1981 by the boogie-woogie band Rocket 88. The band had a casual line-up, and founder/producer/band-member Ian Stewart in his liner notes makes reference to the other "permanent" band-members who were not present for that particular recording. Although it is rumoured that there are numerous bootleg live takes from other concerts, it is the band's only officially released album. It was recorded using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio.
Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan is a 1961 album by the American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, accompanied by the Count Basie Orchestra, with arrangements by Frank Foster, Thad Jones and Ernie Wilkins. According to James Gavin's liner notes to the 1996 CD release, Basie himself does not perform on any of the tracks.
Kansas City Shout is a 1980 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra with singer Big Joe Turner and saxophonist/vocalist Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson.
The Bosses is a 1973 album by American blues shouter "Big Joe" Turner accompanied by a small group led by Count Basie, recorded in 1973 and released on the Pablo label.
Birks' Works is an album by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie recorded in 1957 and released on the Verve label. The original album featured 10 tracks and was reissued as Birks Works: The Verve Big Band Sessions, a 2 CD compilation featuring unreleased tracks, alternate takes and tracks from Gillespie's previous 1956 albums Dizzy in Greece and World Statesman.
There Comes a Time is an album by the jazz composer, arranger, conductor and pianist Gil Evans, recorded in 1975 and performed by Evans with an orchestra featuring David Sanborn, Howard Johnson, Billy Harper and Ryo Kawasaki. The album was re-released with an altered tracklist on CD in 1988.
Everyday I Have the Blues is an album by singer Joe Williams with Count Basie and His Orchestra featuring tracks recorded in 1959 which was originally released on the Roulette label.
Dance Session is an album by pianist/bandleader Count Basie recorded in 1953 and became Basie's first 12-inch LP when it was originally released on the Clef label. Selections from this album were also released on the 1956 Clef LPs Basie Roars Again and King of Swing.
The Count! is an album by pianist/bandleader Count Basie recorded in 1952 and released on the Clef label in 1955.
Salute to Satch is a tribute album to Louis Armstong by jazz trumpeter Joe Newman and His Orchestra recorded in 1956 for the RCA Victor label.
Boogie Woogie is a compilation album containing four 10-inch, 78 rpm records of boogie-woogie music. The songs on the album were recorded over a period of three years from 1936 to 1939, then released in 1941 on this compilation album by Columbia Records (C44). Artists featured on the album include Harry James, Count Basie, Big Joe Turner, and the three prominent boogie-woogie pianists of the time, Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson, and Meade Lux Lewis.
Clean Head's Back in Town, subtitled Eddie Vinson Sings, is an album by the American saxophonist and vocalist Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson. Recorded in 1957, it was released by Bethlehem Records.
Singing the Blues is an album by blues vocalist Joe Turner recorded in 1967 and originally released by the BluesWay label.
