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
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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

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Capitol Years 1962-1965 (3-CD Deluxe Box Set)
King Curtis: Capitol Years 1962-1965 (3-CD Deluxe Box Set) Art-Nr.: BCD15670

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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

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

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(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
The Complete ATCO Singles (3-CD)
King Curtis: The Complete ATCO Singles (3-CD) Art-Nr.: CDRGM0413

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(Real Gone Music) 66 tracks. —Curtis Ousley a.k.a. King Curtis Was the Greatest R&B Instrumentalist of All Time —The Saxophonist Played on Hundreds of Historic Recording Sessions, Everything from The Coasters’ “Yakety Yak” to John...
$40.68 $45.21
Soul Serenade (CD)
King Curtis: Soul Serenade (CD) Art-Nr.: CDJCD3553

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(1991/Warner Special) 10 tracks
$33.89
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

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(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
Trouble In Mind (CD)
King Curtis: Trouble In Mind (CD) Art-Nr.: CD512

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(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
Live In New York
CURTIS, King: Live In New York Art-Nr.: CDJSP8812

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(1961/1985 'JSP') (78:16/14) 'Recorded live at Small's Paradise, New York, NY - mid-1961', and 'Recorded live at The Bull's Head, Barnes, London - July 1985.' - Digipak.
$14.66 $20.31
Soul Twist - Twisting With The King (7inch, 45rpm, BC, CS)
King Curtis: Soul Twist - Twisting With The King (7inch,... Art-Nr.: 45COL1723

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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

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(Hoodoo Records) 25 tracks
$11.26
Soul Time
King Curtis: Soul Time Art-Nr.: CDGAMC225

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(2010/GAM) 17 tracks (50:52) Fire/Fury/Enjoy material with 8 page notes by Bill Dahl.
$16.92
King Of The Sax (CD)
King Curtis: King Of The Sax (CD) Art-Nr.: CDVSD61378

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(2004/FUEL) 17 tracks - the original single releases - digitally remastered
$16.25 $22.58
Soul Twist
King Curtis: Soul Twist Art-Nr.: ENJOY2001

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(1960-64 'Enjoy')
$12.73
That Lovin' Feeling
King Curtis: That Lovin' Feeling Art-Nr.: CDCOL6518

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

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(2006/COLLECTABLES) 10 tracks - original recordings
$10.07
The Best Of (CD)
King Curtis: The Best Of (CD) Art-Nr.: CDEMI36504

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CD on EMI RECORDS by King Curtis - The Best Of (CD)
$19.18
Wail Man Wail! Best 1952-61 (3-CD Digipac)
King Curtis & Others: Wail Man Wail! Best 1952-61 (3-CD Digipac) Art-Nr.: CDFV088

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(2012/FV) 96 tracks with 16 page booklet. With No Less Than 96 Tracks From The First 10 Years Of His Career Wail Man Wail! Is A Fitting Tribute To The Celebrated Saxophonist And Bandleader, King Curtis, Whose Recording Career Commenced...
$11.26 $20.31
Get Ready (CD)
King Curtis: Get Ready (CD) Art-Nr.: CDWOU338

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(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

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$15.56
Live At Small's Paradise
King Curtis: Live At Small's Paradise Art-Nr.: CD7413734

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(1966 'Atlantic') (35:01/10) Re-release from Warner Japan.
$21.45
Live At Fillmore
King Curtis: Live At Fillmore Art-Nr.: CD7413754

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

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(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

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(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

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(2012/Atlantic Japan) 12 Tracks - Japan CD reissue of the original 1969 Atco album!
$16.92
Live At The Fillmore West (CD)
King Curtis: Live At The Fillmore West (CD) Art-Nr.: CDMOC13519

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(Music On CD) 14 Tracks - Original Atlantic 1971 - Professionally, Curtis had a great and successful time in the summer of 1971. Aretha Franklin's 'Live at Fillmore West' album was a big hit and he had just contributed two tracks to John...
$18.05
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