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Topic: Nashville R&B anyone? |
Jason Odd
From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 24 Sep 2000 10:37 pm |
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Is there anyone on the Forum that happened to sit in, watch or participate on a soul or R&B session in Nashville?
There is a history of R&B in Nashville since the 1940s and there were plenty of soul sessions cut there, Joe Tex, Arthur Alexander, Joe South, etc.
Plus Monument Records used to have a funky soul division that had a house band of pickers who had a background in country and/or soul music and R&B.
A few of these guys ended up in groups like Barefoot Jerry and Area Code 615.
But back to the question, did any of the Forum's Tennesse cats get in on any of this action, in the clubs or the studio? |
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Boomer
From:
Brentwood, TN USA
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Posted 27 Sep 2000 9:30 am
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Jason - Don't forget one of the greatest rock icons of all played a small bar down here for a couple of years, and nobody paid any attention to him. He might have been stationed at Ft. Campbell at the time: Jimi Hendrix.
I was fortunate to play on a Big Al Downing session here in the early eighties, produced by Nelson Larkin. I played guitar and hamboned.
Best, Boomer[This message was edited by Boomer on 27 September 2000 at 10:32 AM.] |
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Jason Odd
From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 27 Sep 2000 6:48 pm
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Boomer, that's pretty cool that you played with Big Al.
You know I keep meaning to put that stuff together on Jimi, back in his James Marshall Hendrix days.NASHVILLE R&B
The Escorts
Led by Charlie McCoy, sometimes billed as Charlie McCoy & the Escorts. This group included guitarist Wayne Moss who had played with Brenda Lee’s road band the Casuals, Mac Gayden and drummer Kenny Buttery. McCoy apparently played harmonica and bass while John Styvesant {sax} was also a member alongside Moss.
This group later became the core of the Music City Five, the Monument label’s Nashville houseband as well as supplying members to country-rock band Area Code 615
The Paramouts
Another Nashville R&B outfit with Kenny Buttery and black vocalist Robert Knight {b. 1945} from Franklin Tennessee, who was sixteen when the group formed with Neal Hopper, Peter Hollins and Richard Simmons.
They signed to Dot Records and cut two singles produced by Noel Ball. Only one of the Dot singles was actually credited to the group, while Knight recorded as a solo. One single ‘Free Me’ was credited only to Knight and became a pop hit. Despite this the group folded with Knight going into the field of chemical research, studying at Tennessee State University.
In 1967 he was signed to the Rising Sons label by Buzz Cason, and Mac Gayden. He also recorded for the Elf label in 1968 and later went into a career in chemical research.
Rockie Charles
A black guitarist from Louisiana who moved to Nashville in the 1960’s where he worked as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter.
During this period in Nashville he backed Little Johnny Taylor, Percy Sledge, O.V. Wright and Otis Redding. In the 1990’s still recording solo albums.
There were independant black producers like Ted Jarret who worked with blues, gospel, R&B and country artists. And Bob Holmes a piano player who also worked as a producer and in the R&B division of Bill Justis’ Tuneville Inc. His Nashville sessionwork included artists like Marty Robbins and Jimmy Dean. Another black session pianist was Benny Latimore who worked on sessions for Jerry Reed, Boots Randolph and Ray Stevens.
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