Who was/is King Curtis ? - CDs, Vinyl LPs, DVD and more

King Curtis

& The Noble Knights

"Play that one called 'Soul Twist,'” sings Sam Cooke in Having A Party, underscoring the fact that this was a pretty big hit in 1962: #1 R&B and #17 pop. It was also the first record on Bobby Robinson's Enjoy label (the label on which Robinson claims to have released the first rap record by Grandmaster Flash, although this is the subject of dispute). Robinson was an African American entrepreneur who'd signed Gladys Knight, Lee Dorsey, Wilbert Harrison, and many others to his multitude of labels, including Fire and Fury. Enjoy Records was an imprint he started in 1962 with his brother, Danny, who co-produced this record.

King Curtis (Curtis Ousley) was born in Fort Worth on February 7, 1934, and was ten when he heard the sound that would change his life. "It was Louis Jordan," he told Mike Hennessey in 1971.  "I heard him on the radio, and I told my mother that I wanted to play that instrument more than anything." Asked when he took up the sax, Curtis said May 12, 1945. Very soon, he developed his trademark staccato phrasing and was making $240 a week in the clubs—more than the principal at the school he was supposed to be attending. "I liked Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, Lester Young, and Sonny Stitt," Curtis said. "I also dug Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins for ballads, (Stan) Getz for facility, Charlie Parker for technique.” By the time Curtis went to New York to visit an uncle in 1952, he could play pretty, he could play tough, he could play jazz, and he could play R&B. He hired on with a package show and made his first recordings with Bob Kent in 1952 for a Prestige Records subsidiary. Soon after, he went back to Fort Worth to take up a music scholarship. Then Lionel Hampton came through town looking for a sax player.

Hamp disbanded in New York, and Curtis stayed. It wasn't long before he was called for session work. "I saw that the music was dividing,"  he told Mike Hennessey, "and I had the commercial business sense to realize that way-out jazz wasn't getting to the public."  The first contractor to use Curtis regularly was Jesse Stone, who A&R'd sessions for Groove and Atlantic. "Around 1956, Sam 'The Man' Taylor and myself were doing all the tenor work," said Curtis. "He really initiated the style, and I learned a lot from him when we both played in the Alan Freed band. I was doing around sixteen record dates a week, and getting $41.25 for a three-hour session, but I could see if I kept on that way I'd burn myself out, so I made my minimum session price one hundred dollars, and still the work kept coming in, so I cut down to eight sessions a week." Most nights, Curtis played after hours at Small's Paradise. He made a few recordings under his own name, none of which amounted to anything. Most of his tunes were grooves or shouts, but he wrote (and played on) Buddy Holly's Reminiscing and later co-wrote Soul Serenade, which has an almost Ellingtonian lyricism.

Talking to Art Turco, Bobby Robinson remembered going to see Curtis at Small's Paradise. "I found out why he had never had a hit," he said. "What was wrong was that he was doing too much honking. Every record he would blow from beginning to end. I said, 'Listen, we're going to open this one with the guitar.' He had a fit." And so Soul Twist featured Billy Butler (the guitarist on Honky Tonk) and organist Paul Griffin, and after playing on more hits than he could count, King Curtis finally had a #1 R&B hit with his own name on it.

King Curtis Capitol Years 1962-1965 (3-CD)
Read more at: https://www.bear-family.de/curtis-king-capitol-years-1962-1965-3-cd.html
Copyright © Bear Family Records

Copyright © Bear Family Records®. Copying, also of extracts, or any other form of reproduction, including the adaptation into electronic data bases and copying onto any data mediums, in English or in any other language is permissible only and exclusively with the written consent of Bear Family Records® GmbH.

More information about King Curtis on Wikipedia.org

Close filters
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
No results were found for the filter!
Capitol Years 1962-1965 (3-CD Deluxe Box Set)
King Curtis: Capitol Years 1962-1965 (3-CD Deluxe Box Set) Art-Nr.: BCD15670

the very last 1 available
Ready to ship today, delivery time** appr. 1-3 workdays

3-CD boxed set (LP-size) with 24-page book, 77 tracks. Playing time approx. 199 mns. King Curtis was THE R&B sax player in the late '50s and early '60s. They'd cancel sessions if they couldn't get him. He made some highly regarded solo...
$169.70
King's Rock - Early Recordings (LP)
King Curtis: King's Rock - Early Recordings (LP) Art-Nr.: DLP0085

Item has to be restocked

(Demand) 16 tracks
$14.66
Azure - The Everest Sessions (CD)
King Curtis: Azure - The Everest Sessions (CD) Art-Nr.: CDACM4230

Item has to be restocked

(2006/ACROBAT) 14 tracks 1959-62 with 8 page booklet For the first time on CD, the rare Everest LP by the legendary saxophonist King Curtis. This easy listening classic is augmented by his only Everest 45 also making its CD debut!
$11.26 $16.92
King Curtis And Sunnyland Slim - Slim's Shout (LP, 180g Vinyl)
King Curtis & Sunnyland Slim: King Curtis And Sunnyland Slim - Slim's Shout... Art-Nr.: LPWAX408703

only 1x still available
Ready to ship today, delivery time** appr. 1-3 workdays

(Waxtime) 12 tracks - Re-issue of the original 1961 'Prestige - Bluesville LP album Although he was relatively unknown by the listening public during his career, King Curtis gained a reputation for his rough-cutting saxophone sound thot...
$22.58
King Of The Sax (CD)
King Curtis: King Of The Sax (CD) Art-Nr.: CDVSD61378

Ready to ship today, delivery time** appr. 1-3 workdays

(2004/FUEL) 17 tracks - the original single releases - digitally remastered
$20.31 $22.58
Soul Serenade (CD)
King Curtis: Soul Serenade (CD) Art-Nr.: CDJCD3553

only 1x still available
Ready to ship today, delivery time** appr. 1-3 workdays

(1991/Warner Special) 10 tracks
$33.89
Trouble In Mind (CD)
King Curtis: Trouble In Mind (CD) Art-Nr.: CD512

the very last 1 available
Ready to ship today, delivery time** appr. 1-3 workdays

(1961 'Tru-Sound') (35:46/10) Sein SUPER-Bluesalbum! Wunderschönes, ruhiges Album des texanischen Saxophonisten, der hier auch singt. Toll auch die Gitarre von AL CASEY / beautiful, outstanding blues album from this late, great Texas...
$18.05 $20.31
Soul Twist - Twisting With The King (7inch, 45rpm, BC, CS)
King Curtis: Soul Twist - Twisting With The King (7inch,... Art-Nr.: 45COL1723

the very last 2 available
Ready to ship today, delivery time** appr. 1-3 workdays

A - Soul Twist B - Twisting With The King on red vinyl!
$11.26
Trouble in Mind - It's Party Time (CD)
King Curtis: Trouble in Mind - It's Party Time (CD) Art-Nr.: CD012249

the very last 1 available
Ready to ship today, delivery time** appr. 1-3 workdays

(Hoodoo Records) 25 tracks
$11.26
Soul Twist
King Curtis: Soul Twist Art-Nr.: ENJOY2001

Item has to be restocked

(1960-64 'Enjoy')
$12.73
Get Ready (CD)
CURTIS, King: Get Ready (CD) Art-Nr.: CDMOC14397

Item has to be restocked

(Music On CD) 10 tracks King Curtis was an American saxophonist and bandleader who played rhythm and blues, soul, rock and roll and soul jazz. He played riffs and solos on hit singles such as “Respect” by Aretha Franklin (1967) and...
$18.05
That Lovin' Feeling
King Curtis: That Lovin' Feeling Art-Nr.: CDCOL6518

Item has to be restocked

(2004/COL) 12 tracks (ATCO 33-169) 1966
$19.13
Memphis Soul Stew
King Curtis: Memphis Soul Stew Art-Nr.: CDCOL9978

Item has to be restocked

(2006/COLLECTABLES) 10 tracks - original recordings
$10.07
Get Ready (CD)
King Curtis: Get Ready (CD) Art-Nr.: CDWOU338

Item has to be restocked

(2009/Wounded Bird) 10 tracks KING CURTIS ' soprano/alto, TERVOR LAWRENCE ' baritone, JOE NEWMAN ' tpt, ERNIE ROYAL ' tpt, BENNY POWELL ' tromb, CORNELL DUPREE ' gtr, EDDIE HINTON ' gtr, BARRY BECKETT ' kbds, DAVID HOOD ' bass, ROGER...
$16.92
Instant Groove (1969)
King Curtis: Instant Groove (1969) Art-Nr.: LPATCO33293

Item has to be restocked

$15.56
Live At Fillmore
King Curtis: Live At Fillmore Art-Nr.: CD7413754

Item has to be restocked

(1971 'Atlantic')(44:48/09) Re-release from Japan.
$20.31
Live At Filmore West
King Curtis: Live At Filmore West Art-Nr.: LPMOV1143

Item has to be restocked

(2014/Music On Vinyl) 9 tracks. " Live At Fillmore West " is the ultimate live album from KING CURTIS and a brilliant confirmation of the status , the saxophonist enjoys in modern music . A Soul legend that belongs in every record...
$27.10
The New Scene Of King Curtis - Soul (CD)
King Curtis: The New Scene Of King Curtis - Soul (CD) Art-Nr.: CDFSR714

Item has to be restocked

(2012/Fresh Sound) 11 tracks. 2 LPs on 1 CD
$18.05
Instant Groove (CD, Japan)
King Curtis: Instant Groove (CD, Japan) Art-Nr.: CDATL6132

Item has to be restocked

(2012/Atlantic Japan) 12 Tracks - Japan CD reissue of the original 1969 Atco album!
$16.92
Music For The Dancing - The Twist (CD)
King Curtis: Music For The Dancing - The Twist (CD) Art-Nr.: CD506923

the very last 2 available
Ready to ship today, delivery time** appr. 1-3 workdays

(Shout! Records) 12 tracks
$16.92