In Duane's introduction to "You Don't Love Me" > "Soul Serenade" coming out on the new album he mentions King Curtis, specifically the King Curtis "Live at Fillmore West" album, and the great loss of the musician to murder a couple weeks before that ABB A&M session. I decided to dust off my copy and have been enjoying the music over the last couple of days and was wondering if any folks had recommendations for other King Curtis albums.
Here's a link to the new (archival) recording by ABB:
http://radio.com/2016/03/09/allman-brothers-1971-live-album/
http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Fight-The-Feeling-Complete/dp/B0006SSOH2
The month prior to A&R there was a Delaney and Bonnie showed aired by WPLJ that included King curtis, duane, Gregg, Sam Clayton, and Kenny Gradney
There is also a three-CD box set of King Curtis singles on the Atco label. The box set came out in December 2015:
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Atco-Singles-King-Curtis/dp/B0167AL848
It's a good introduction to his work for Atlantic Records. He also had ventures into jazz and an album that featured his singing ("Trouble in Mind"). It has the subtitle "King Curtis Sings The Blues" and also features a few cuts with KC on guitar.
The month prior to A&R there was a Delaney and Bonnie showed aired by WPLJ that included King curtis, duane, Gregg, Sam Clayton, and Kenny Gradney
You mean this one?
There is also a three-CD box set of King Curtis singles on the Atco label. The box set came out in December 2015:
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Atco-Singles-King-Curtis/dp/B0167AL848
It's a good introduction to his work for Atlantic Records. He also had ventures into jazz and an album that featured his singing ("Trouble in Mind"). It has the subtitle "King Curtis Sings The Blues" and also features a few cuts with KC on guitar.
This one is the Holy Grail. Bought it when it came out on Rhino Handmade and haven't regretted it since - of course, I think I paid maybe $60 or something. No Duane, though:
Sorry, njwolf. I should have attached the D&B box info to absnj's post, not yours. Didn't mean to hijack your post or this thread, for that matter.
When it comes to King Curtis, the Fillmore West album is where to start (the album mentioned by Duane on the A&R broadcast). It's been released as an expanded edition, as well as part of the Aretha Franklin Fillmore West boxed set (King Curtis & the Kingpins opened for those Aretha shows and backed her up).
After that, the singles are fun, but a lot King Curtis's albums in the 60s were instrumental covers of pop hits, and not all of them are as good as "Games People Play". All are pretty solid, but there are other live releases that have surfaced that I think are a little more fun. Instant Groove is the album Duane played on, in case that makes it more interesting. You can also find a lot of compilations that will cover a lot of that material. There is a great "Tumbling Tubleweeds" cover (Lebowski fans might find that more interesting).
Live at Smalls Paradise is pretty loose and fun and worth checking out. Soul Meeting features the jazzier side of King Curtis, I really dig it. One of my favorites is King Curtis & Champion Jack Dupree at Montreux - it's a really nice, loose back and forth between two old pros. Blues at the Five Spot is a cool jazz album that KC joins Oliver Nelson and Jimmy Forrest.
The Delaney & Bonnie & Friends A&R broadcasts does include some King Curtis, and it's worth checking out because it's an awesome show, but you can rip it from Youtube and it's probably the same quality you will get some those over-priced imports.
Thanks Pork Chop Bob!
Thanks Pork Chop Bob!
X2. Great info. Thanks, Bob.
