Curtis Ousley (born Curtis Montgomery; February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), known professionally as King Curtis, was an American saxophonist who played

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

, jazz, and

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...

. A bandleader, band member, and

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

, he was also a musical director and record producer. A master of the instrument, he played

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian ( Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruse ...

, and

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880& ...

saxophone. He played riffs and solos on hit singles such as "

Respect Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also the process of ...

" by

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in '' Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Wit ...

(1965), and " Yakety Yak" by The Coasters (1958) and his own "

Soul Twist "Soul Twist" is a 1962 instrumental crossover single for saxophonist, King Curtis. His debut single on the R&B charts was his most successful, hitting number one for two weeks. "Soul Twist" crossed over to the top 40, where it was one of three s ...

" (1962), "Soul Serenade" (1964), and "

Memphis Soul Stew "Memphis Soul Stew" is a song by American saxophonist and bandleader King Curtis (1934–1971). The track is a narrative that describes the Memphis Soul sound in terms of a cooking recipe, with each instrument introduced by Curtis. This includes ...

" (1967).

Early life

Curtis Montgomery was born in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the List of cities in Texas by population, fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the List of United States cities by population, 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, T ...

, the son of Ethel Montgomery, and was adopted, with his sister Josephine Allen (died 2019), by Josie and William Ousley. Curtis attended I.M. Terrell High School, and studied and performed music with schoolmate

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Jazz: A Coll ...

(1930–2015).

Career

Curtis started playing saxophone at the age of twelve in the Fort Worth area. He took interest in many musical genres including

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

, rhythm and blues, and popular music. As a student pursuing music, he turned down college scholarships in order to join the

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles ...

Band. During his time with Hampton, he was able to write and arrange music and learn guitar. In 1952 Curtis decided to move to New York and became a

, recording for such labels as Prestige, Enjoy, Capitol, and Atco. He recorded with

Nat Adderley Nathaniel Carlyle Adderley (November 25, 1931 – January 2, 2000) was an American jazz trumpeter. He was the younger brother of saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, whom he supported and played with for many years. Adderley's composition ...

, Wynton Kelly,

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...

Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...

and

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

. Stylistically, Curtis took inspiration from saxophonists

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most ...

Louis Jordan Louis Thomas Jordan (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975) was an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and bandleader who was popular from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as " the King of the Jukebox", he earned his high ...

, Illinois Jacquet,

Earl Bostic Eugene Earl Bostic (April 25, 1913 – October 28, 1965) was an American alto saxophonist. Bostic's recording career was diverse, his musical output encompassing jazz, swing, jump blues and the post-war American rhythm and blues style, which he ...

, and

Gene Ammons Eugene "Jug" Ammons (April 14, 1925 – August 6, 1974), also known as "The Boss", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons is remembered for his accessible music, steeped in soul and ...

. Known for his syncopated and percussive style, he was both versatile and powerful as a musician. He put together a group during his time as a session musician that included

Richard Tee Richard Edward Tee (born Richard Edward Ten Ryk; November 24, 1943 – July 21, 1993) was an American pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger, who had several hundred studio credits and played on such notable hits as "In Your Eyes", " Sl ...

Cornell Dupree Cornell Luther Dupree (December 19, 1942 – May 8, 2011) was an American jazz and R&B guitarist. He worked at various times with Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway, King Curtis and Steve Gadd, appeared on David Letterman,

, Jerry Jemmott, and

Bernard Purdie Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is an American drummer, and an influential R&B, soul and funk musician. He is known for his precise musical time keeping and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the "Purdie ...

Move into rock

Curtis enjoyed playing both jazz and rhythm and blues but decided he would make more money as a rhythm and blues musician. In a 1971 interview with Charlie Gillett he said: "I love the authentic rhythm and blues more than anything, and I also like to live well." From the 1950s until the mid-1960s, he worked as a

, recording under his own name and with others such as The Coasters, with whom he recorded " Yakety Yak" and " Charlie Brown", among others.

hired him for session work, during which they recorded "Reminiscing." Holly wrote this song, but gave Curtis the songwriting credit for flying down to the session. His best-known singles from this period are "

"—his highest-charting single, reaching number one on the R&B chart and number 17 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' pop chart—and "Soul Serenade." He provided backing on a number of songs for LaVern Baker, including her 1958 hit single " I Cried a Tear", where his saxophone became "a second voice". In 1965 he moved to

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most im ...

and recorded his most successful singles, "

" and " Ode to Billie Joe" (1967). In 1966 Curtis recorded 3 songs with Jimi Hendrix, "Linda Lou", "Baby How About You" and "I Can't Take It". Unissued, the tapes were later destroyed in a fire at Atlantic's master tape library. He worked with The Coasters, and led

's backing band the Kingpins. The Kingpins opened for

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

during their 1965 performance at

Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.

. Curtis produced records, often working with

Jerry Wexler Jerry may refer to: Animals * Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National * Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Jerry'' (film), a 2006 Indian fil ...

and recorded for

Groove Records Groove Records was a subsidiary of RCA Victor records, founded by ''Billboard'' writer Bob Rolontz in 1953 as a rhythm and blues label. The label tried hard to break into the R&B market. Piano Red had its first hit but Mickey & Sylvia was its firs ...

during this period, including the Joe South song " Games People Play" with guitarist Duane Allman. One unique session came in 1963, when Curtis provided the honking sax backing for ''

Mad Magazine Mad, mad, or MAD may refer to: Geography * Mad (village), a village in the Dunajská Streda District of Slovakia * Mád, a village in Hungary * Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, by IATA airport code * Mad River (disambiguation), several ...

s novelty burping record, "It's a Gas." In March 1971 he appeared with Aretha Franklin and the Kingpins at the

Fillmore West The Fillmore West was a historic rock and roll music venue in San Francisco, California, US which became famous under the direction of concert promoter Bill Graham from 1968 to 1971. Named after The Fillmore at the intersection of Fillmore Str ...

, which resulted in two live albums: ''

Aretha Live at Fillmore West ''Aretha Live at Fillmore West'' is a live album by American singer Aretha Franklin. Released on May 19, 1971, by Atlantic Records. It was reissued on compact disc in 1993 through Rhino Records. An expanded, limited edition 4-CD box set entitled, ...

'', and Curtis' own ''

Live at Fillmore West ''Live at Fillmore West'' is an album by King Curtis, released in 1971. The album showcases the concert he played with his band the Kingpins at the Fillmore West venue in San Francisco in March 1971 who were supporting and backing soul singer Aret ...

''. In July 1971, Curtis recorded saxophone solos on "

It's So Hard "It's So Hard" is a song written and performed by John Lennon, which first appeared on his 1971 album '' Imagine''. Shortly after the album's release, the song was issued as the B-side to the single " Imagine". In Mexico, it was released on an ...

" and "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier" from

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

's '' Imagine''. Along with the Rimshots, he recorded the original theme song for the 1971 hit television show ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series ...

,'' titled "Hot Potatoes". On June 17, 1971, Curtis played at the

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

, in the Casino Kursaal, with Champion Jack Dupree, backed by Cornell Dupree on guitar, Jerry Jemmott on bass and Oliver Jackson on drums. The recording of the concert was later released as the 1973 album ''King Curtis & Champion Jack Dupree – Blues at Montreux'' on the Atlantic label.

Death

Curtis was stabbed on August 13, 1971, during an argument with a pair of drug dealers. He was discovered on the steps outside his

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

apartment at 50 West 86th Street. Curtis was attempting to carry an air conditioner into his apartment when a man named Juan Montanez refused to move from the entrance. A fight ensued and Montanez stabbed Curtis. Curtis was transferred to

Roosevelt Hospital Mount Sinai West, opened in 1871 as Roosevelt Hospital, is affiliated with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Health System. The 514-bed facility is located in the Midtown West neighborhood of New York City. The fac ...

, where he died. In March 1972, Montanez had his charge reduced from second degree murder to second degree manslaughter in exchange for pleading guilty. He was released on December 5, 1977, from the

Wallkill Correctional Facility The Wallkill Correctional Facility is a medium security prison in New York state in the United States. The prison is located just north of the hamlet of Wallkill, in the Town of Shawangunk. History The prison opened in 1933, in the form of a c ...

for good behavior. On the day of Curtis's funeral, Atlantic Records closed their offices.

Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as a shadow U.S. senato ...

administered the service and as the mourners filed in, Curtis's band, the Kingpins, played " Soul Serenade". Among those attending were Ousley's immediate family, including sister Josephine Ousley Allen, other family members,

Cissy Houston Emily "Cissy" Houston ( ''née'' Drinkard; born September 30, 1933) is an American soul and gospel singer. After a successful career singing backup for such artists as Roy Hamilton, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, Houston embar ...

, Brook Benton and Duane Allman. Franklin sang the closing spiritual "Never Grow Old" and

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...

performed "

Abraham, Martin and John "Abraham, Martin and John" is a 1968 song written by Dick Holler. It was first recorded by Dion, in a version that was a substantial North American chart hit in 1968–1969. Near-simultaneous cover versions by Smokey Robinson and the Mira ...

and now King Curtis". Allman went on to honor Curtis by interweaving a medley of "Soul Serenade" into the band's rendition of "You Don't Love Me", first in a show at the Academy of Music on East 14th Street in Manhattan on August 15, and later during a live in-studio recording at A&R Studios in Manhattan on August 26, recorded for posterity and released on LP as part of the band's ''Dreams'' compilation in 1989.

Portrayals

In the film ''

The Buddy Holly Story ''The Buddy Holly Story'' is a 1978 American biographical film which tells the life and career of rock and roll musician Buddy Holly. It features an Academy Award-winning musical score, adapted by Joe Renzetti and Oscar-nominated lead performa ...

'' (1978), King Curtis was played by actor Craig White. He appears in the scene at New York's Apollo Theater, which would have taken place between August 16–22, 1957 during Holly's Irvin Feld Tour. In the television series '' Genius: Aretha Franklin'' he is portrayed by actor Marque Richardson.

Awards

In 1970, a year before his death, Curtis won the Best R&B Instrumental Performance

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for " Games People Play". He was posthumously inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...

on March 6, 2000.

Discography

Albums

* ''Have Tenor Sax, Will Blow'' (1959) Atco 33-113; CD reissue: Collectables COL-6418 * ''Azure'' (1960) Everest LPBR-5121/SDBR-1121; CD reissue: Acrobat ACMCD-4230 * ''The New Scene of King Curtis'' (1960) lso released as ''King Soul!'' in 1973 New Jazz NJLP-8237; CD reissue: Prestige 24033 – with

* ''

Soul Meeting ''Soul Meeting'' is a 1961 Atlantic Records album of recordings made by Ray Charles and Milt Jackson in 1957. The album was later re-issued together with the earlier '' Soul Brothers'' (1958), on a 2 CD compilation together with other 'bonus' tra ...

'' (1960) Prestige PRLP-7222; CD reissue: Prestige 24033 – with Nat Adderley * '' Soul Battle'' (1960; rel. 1962) Prestige PRLP-7223; CD reissue: Original Jazz Classics/Fantasy OJC-325 – with Oliver Nelson,

Jimmy Forrest James, Jim or Jimmy Forrest may refer to: Sports * James Forrest (rugby union) (born 1907), Scotland international rugby union player * James Forrest (baseball) (1897–1977), American baseball player * James Forrest (basketball) (born 1972), Am ...

* '' Arthur Murray's Music for Dancing – The Twist! (Authentic Music by the King Curtis Combo)'' (1961)

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

LSP-2494 * ''Trouble in Mind'' (1961) Tru-Sound TRU-15001; CD reissue: Original Blues Classics/Fantasy OBC-512 * ''Old Gold'' (1961) Tru-Sound TRU-15006; CD reissue: Prestige 24153 as ''Night Train'' * ''It's Party Time with King Curtis'' (1962) Tru-Sound TRU-15008; CD reissue: Prestige 24153 as ''Night Train'' * ''Doing the Dixie Twist'' (1962) Tru-Sound TRU-15009 * ''Soul Twist with King Curtis & the Noble Knights'' (1962) Enjoy ENLP-2001; CD reissue: Collectables COL-5119 * '' The Shirelles & King Curtis – Give a Twist Party'' (1962) lso released as ''Eternally, Soul'' in 1968

Scepter A sceptre is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia. Figuratively, it means royal or imperial authority or sovereignty. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia The '' Was'' and other ...

SPS-505; CD reissue: Sundazed SC-6013 – with The Shirelles * ''Country Soul'' (1962) Capitol ST-1756 * ''Soul Serenade'' (1964) Capitol ST-2095 * ''Plays the Hits Made Famous by

Sam Cooke Samuel Cook (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964), known professionally as Sam Cooke, was an American singer and songwriter. Considered to be a pioneer and one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is common ...

'' (1965) Capitol ST-2341 * ''That Lovin' Feeling'' (1966) Atco 33-189; CD reissue: Collectables COL-6518 * ''Live at Small's Paradise'' (1966) Atco 33-198; CD reissue: Collectables COL-6418 * ''Plays the Great Memphis Hits'' (1967) Atco 33-211; CD reissue:

Koch Koch may refer to: People * Koch (surname), people with this surname * Koch dynasty, a dynasty in Assam and Bengal, north east India * Koch family * Koch people (or Koche), an ethnic group originally from the ancient Koch kingdom in north east I ...

KOC-8015 * ''King Size Soul'' (1967) Atco 33-231; CD reissue: Koch KOC-8015 – with the Kingpins * ''The Best of King Curtis'' (1967) Capitol ST-2858; CD reissue: Collectables COL-5687 (note: CD reissue includes 7 bonus tracks) * ''Sax in Motion'' (1968) RCA Camden CAS-2242 * ''Sweet Soul'' (1968) Atco 33-247; CD reissue: Spy 46006 * ''The Best of King Curtis'' (1968) Atco 33-266; LP reissue: Friday Music 33266 * ''The Best of King Curtis'' (1969) Prestige PR-7709 * ''Instant Groove'' (1969) Atco 33-293; CD reissue:

Wounded Bird Wounded Bird Records is an American compact disc only re-issue record label that was founded in 1998 in Guilderland, New York. They re-release lesser known albums from popular and lesser known artists, including Paul Butterfield, Cactus, Herbie ...

WOU-6045 – with Duane Allman on 4 tracks llman solos on "Foot Pattin'", "Games People Play", "The Weight", "Hey Jude"* ''Get Ready'' (1970) Atco 33-338; CD reissue: Wounded Bird WOU-6045 * ''Do Your Thing'' (1970) Atlantic Special etherlands("Flash Back" series) 2358 009; CD reissue: Wounded Bird WOU-2358 * ''

'' (1971) Atco 33-359; CD reissue: Rhino R2-77632 – with the Kingpins * ''The Best of King Curtis: One More Time'' (1972) Prestige PR-7775 * ''Everybody's Talkin' '' (1970; rel. 1972) Atco 33-385; CD reissue: Spy 46006 * ''King Curtis & Champion Jack Dupree – Blues at Montreux'' (1971; rel. 1973) Atlantic SD-1637; CD reissue: Atlantic 81389 – with Champion Jack Dupree * ''Live in New York'' (1985) JSP 1091; CD reissue: JSP 8812 * ''King Curtis: 16 Original Hits (Atlantic Soul Classics)'' (1991) Convoy ermany849 804 * ''Blow Man, Blow!'' (1992, 3CD) Bear Family BCD-15670 (compilation of all Capitol material) * ''Instant Soul: The Legendary King Curtis'' (1994)

Razor & Tie Razor & Tie was an American entertainment company that consisted of a record label and a music publishing company. It was established in 1990 by Craig Balsam and Cliff Chenfeld. Based in New York City (with additional offices in Los Angeles a ...

RE-2054 * ''King Curtis: The Platinum Collection'' (2007) Warner Platinum/Rhino 8122-79994-5 * ''Wail Man Wail! – The Best of King Curtis 1952–1961'' (2012, 3CD) Fantastic Voyage FVTD-088 * ''Sax Scene'' (2013, 2CD) Not Now Music NOT2CD-510 (reissues/compilation of ''The New Scene of King Curtis'' and ''Soul Meeting'') * ''The Complete Atco Singles'' (2015, 3CD) Real Gone Music 0413 * ''Soul Twistin' with the King!'' (2017) Jasmine JASCD-940 (this compilation concentrates on his twistin' adventures, comprising the subsequent ''Soul Twist'' album, alongside an earlier album, ''Arthur Murray's Music for Dancing – The Twist!'' plus 4 tracks from ''The Shirelles & King Curtis – Give a Twist Party'' album)

Chart singles

* ''Billboard'' did not publish an R&B chart during this period

Album appearances

As sideman

With

* ''

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You ''I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You'' is the tenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin released on March 10, 1967, by Atlantic Records. It was Franklin's first release under her contract with the label, following her departure f ...

'' (Atlantic, 1967) * ''

Aretha Arrives ''Aretha Arrives'' is the eleventh studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on August 4, 1967, by Atlantic Records. Its first single release was " Baby I Love You", a million-selling Gold 45 which hit #1 R&B and #4 on the ''Bil ...

'' (Atlantic, 1967) * '' Lady Soul'' (Atlantic, 1968) * '' Soul '69'' (Atlantic, 1969) * ''

'' (Atlantic, 1971) With others * Ernestine Allen, ''Let It Roll'' (Tru-Sound, 1961) * Brook Benton, ''Home Style'' (Cotillion, 1970) *

Ruth Brown Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the " Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for At ...

, ''

Miss Rhythm ''Miss Rhythm'' is an album by vocalist Ruth Brown featuring tracks recorded between 1954 and 1959 and released on the Atlantic label.Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

, 1959) * Ray Bryant, '' MCMLXX'' (Atlantic, 1970) *

, '' Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963'' (RCA, 1985) *

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

, ''Fats Is Back'' (Reprise, 1968) *

, '' Soul Street'' ( New Jazz, 1964) *

, ''The Many Sides of Hamp'' (Glad, 1961) *

Eddie Harris Eddie Harris (October 20, 1934 – November 5, 1996) was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ. His best-k ...

, ''The Electrifying Eddie Harris'' (Atlantic, 1968) *

Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and arranger whom ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto", "This Christmas ...

, ''Everything Is Everything'' (ATCO, 1970) * Donny Hathaway, ''Donny Hathaway'' (ATCO, 1971) * Freddie King, ''Freddie King Is a Blues Master'' (Cotillion, 1969) * Freddie King, ''My Feeling for the Blues'' (Cotillion, 1970) *

, ''Imagine'' (Apple, 1971) * Herbie Mann, ''

Our Mann Flute ''Our Mann Flute'' is an album by American jazz flautist Herbie Mann released on the Atlantic label in 1966.The Beat Goes On'' (Atlantic, 1967) * Arif Mardin, ''Glass Onion'' (Atlantic, 1969) * Carmen McRae, ''Just a Little Lovin'' (Atlantic, 1970) * NRBQ, ''NRBQ'' (Columbia, 1970) *

Esther Phillips Esther Phillips (born Esther Mae Jones; December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer, best known for her R&B vocals.Santelli, Robert (2001). ''The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia''. Penguin Books. p. 376. . She ...

, ''Burnin'' (Atlantic, 1970) * The Rascals, ''Once Upon a Dream'' (Atlantic, 1968) * The Rascals, ''Freedom Suite'' (Atlantic, 1969) * Shirley Scott, '' Shirley Scott & the Soul Saxes'' (Atlantic, 1969) * Sunnyland Slim, ''

Slim's Shout ''Slim's Shout'' is an album by blues musician Sunnyland Slim recorded in 1960 and released on the Bluesville label the following year.

'' (Prestige Bluesville, 1961) *

Lonnie Smith Lonnie Smith may refer to: * Lonnie Smith (baseball) (born 1955), American baseball player * Lonnie Smith (boxer) (born 1962), American boxer * Lonnie Smith (organist) (1942–2021), American organist * Lonnie Liston Smith Lonnie Liston Smi ...

, ''Finger Lickin' Good'' (Columbia, 1967) *

Arbee Stidham Arbee William Stidham (February 9, 1917 – April 26, 1988) was an American blues singer and multi-instrumentalist. According to the authors of the book ''All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues'', Stidham was "exactl ...

, '' Tired of Wandering'' (Bluesville, 1961) *

Roosevelt Sykes Roosevelt Sykes (January 31, 1906July 17, 1983) was an American blues musician, also known as "the Honeydripper". Career Sykes was born the son of a musician in Elmar, Arkansas. "Just a little old sawmill town", Sykes said of his birthplace. The ...

, '' The Honeydripper'' (Prestige Bluesville, 1961) * Alex Taylor, ''With Friends and Neighbors'' (Capricorn, 1971) * Gary Wright, ''Footprint'' (A&M, 1971)

References

Bibliography

*Clifford, Mike: Futrell, John and Bonds, Ray. ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Black music''. Harmony Books (1982). Digitized December 29, 2006. *Kernfield, Barry Dean. ''New Grove Dictionary of Jazz''. Grove's Dictionaries (2002). Digitized December 21, 2006. *Shaw, Arnold. ''Honkers and Shouters''. Macmillan Publishing Company (1978). *Poe, Randy and Gibbons, Billy F. ''Sky Dog''. Backbeat Books (2006).

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Curtis, King 1934 births 1971 deaths Soul-jazz musicians American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists Soul-jazz saxophonists American rock saxophonists American session musicians American soul musicians American bandleaders People from Fort Worth, Texas Murdered African-American people People murdered in New York City Male murder victims Grammy Award winners Delaney & Bonnie & Friends members The Coasters members Groove Records artists Atlantic Records artists Prestige Records artists Atco Records artists Deaths by stabbing in New York (state) 20th-century American saxophonists Jazz musicians from Texas American male jazz musicians 1971 murders in the United States