GRAHAM BOND

Graham Bond is one of the long-forgotten pioneers of the British Blues Boom of the early 60s that gave the world The Rolling Stones, Cream and hundreds of bands that incorporated the ‘Blues scale’ and ‘Blues sensibilities’ into mainstream music. Graham’s lack of hit records, his involvement with heavy drugs and The Occult, and ongoing…

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PAUL ‘Hucklebuck’ WILLIAMS

Paul Williams is best remembered for his smash hit ‘The Hucklebuck’, which topped the R&B charts for 14 weeks in 1949, and stayed in the listings for 32 weeks. The record popularised a dance craze and led to a follow-up from Paul’s ‘Hucklebuckers’ some months later, but he was more than just a one-hit-wonder. Born…

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EDDIE ‘Cleanhead’ VINSON

Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson’s alto sax graced many great jazz, jump-Blues and R&B records, and his distinctive, playful singing voice got him some hit records as a front man in his own band. Equally at home taking solos in The Count Basie Orchestra or rocking the room with The Johnny Otis Revue, Cleanhead’s shining dome reflected…

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JACKIE BRENSTON

Jackie Brenston’s ‘Rocket 88’ is often cited as the first Rock’n’Roll record. Its phenomenal success in 1951 prompted Sam Phillips to set up Sun Records the following year, and then keep his ears open for a handsome white kid who could sing this rocking R&B like Jackie did. Although he never had another big solo…

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A C REED

Sax playing, singing bandleaders are not common, but AC Reed pulls it off in style as his laid-back vocals and swinging sax fronted his Chicago based band the Spark Plugs. Having gained a solid apprenticeship backing a series of Blues Legends, AC’s late solo career showed a performer and songwriter with a sense of humour…

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SAM ‘The Man’ TAYLOR

A “certified honking legend”, Sam Taylor was renowned for his superb tone and hard-driving energy. Starting out with the likes of ‘Scat Man’ Crothers and Lucky Millinder, Sam spent six years touring the world with Cab Calloway’s band, then working as a first-call session man for Louis Jordan and Ray Charles. Sam contributed the sax…

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LOUIS JORDAN

If one man could be credited with inventing jump-blues, it would be Louis Jordan. His Tympani Five had 54 Top Ten R&B chart hits between 1942 and 1951, and eighteen of those made the top spot. Louis infectious sax-led jump-blues crossed over into the white market for both record sales and live shows, especially in…

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CLARENCE CLEMONS

The Big Man was best known for blowing the saxophone that powered Bruce Springsteen’s East Street Band to unbelievable heights of energy, but he had a solo career as a musician and actor. He fronted the Red Bank Rockers and owned the Big Man’s West Club. He guested on countless recordings from Ringo Starr to…

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