Richard "Tuff" Green (born July 23, 1911, Greenville, MS) was an American
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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and R&B bassist and bandleader.
After studying with
Jimmie Lunceford
James Melvin Lunceford (June 6, 1902 – July 12, 1947) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era.
Early life
Lunceford was born on a farm in the Evergreen community, west of the Tombigbee River, near Fulton, ...
in Memphis, in the late 1940s he led the Rocketeers, which featured, among others, Phineas Newborn Sr.,
Ben Branch
Ben F. Branch (January 8, 1928 – August 27, 1987)Willie Mitchell,
Hank Crawford
Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist, pianist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was musical director for ...
Gene "Bowlegs" Miller
Gene "Bowlegs" Miller (May 27, 1933 – December 25, 1987) was an American trumpeter and band leader.
Biography
Miller performed in clubs on Beale Street, in Memphis, Tennessee, when that area was a flourishing center of nightlife, playing with su ...
, trombonist Walter "Tang" Smith, saxophonist James Luper, and pianist
Harry Gibson
Harry "The Hipster" Gibson (June 27, 1915 – May 3, 1991), born Harry Raab, was an American jazz pianist, singer, and songwriter. He played New York style stride piano and boogie woogie while singing in a wild, unrestrained style. His music ca ...
Mose Allison
Mose John Allison Jr. (November 11, 1927 – November 15, 2016) was an American jazz and blues pianist, singer, and songwriter. He became notable for playing a unique mix of blues and modern jazz, both singing and playing piano. After moving to N ...
, having heard them in 1947, has credited Tuff Green and His Rocketeers with playing the first "rock and roll".
As an established bandleader in Memphis, in 1951 he later put together the pickup band for B. B. King's first hit, "
Three O'Clock Blues
"3 O'Clock Blues" or "Three O'Clock Blues" is a slow twelve-bar blues recorded by Lowell Fulson in 1946. When it was released in 1948, it became Fulson's first hit. When B.B. King recorded the song in 1951, it became his first hit as well as one o ...
", Ben Branch and Phineas Newborn Sr., along with Newborn's sons, Phineas Jr. and
Calvin Calvin may refer to:
Names
* Calvin (given name)
** Particularly Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States
* Calvin (surname)
** Particularly John Calvin, theologian
Places
In the United States
* Calvin, Arkansas, a hamlet
* Calvin T ...
, together with Ben Branch's brother Thomas, and Sammie Jett and which was recorded in Green's sitting room. A previous version of the song had been recorded in September 1951 with King backed by Richard Sanders and Adolph "Billy" Duncan on tenor saxes,
Johnny Ace
John Marshall Alexander Jr. (June 9, 1929 – December 25, 1954), known by the stage name Johnny Ace, was an American rhythm-and-blues singer. He had a string of hit singles in the mid-1950s. He emerged as a prominent figure in postwar R&B an ...
, Green, and Earl Forest on drums.
Bobby Bland
Robert Calvin Bland (born Robert Calvin Brooks; January 27, 1930 – June 23, 2013), known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was describ ...
's first recording was also made in Green's sitting room, and featured Green,
Johnny Ace
John Marshall Alexander Jr. (June 9, 1929 – December 25, 1954), known by the stage name Johnny Ace, was an American rhythm-and-blues singer. He had a string of hit singles in the mid-1950s. He emerged as a prominent figure in postwar R&B an ...
Ike Turner
Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...
, and
Rosco Gordon
Rosco N. Gordon III (April 10, 1928 – July 11, 2002),
sometimes billed as Roscoe Gordon, was an American blues singer, pianist, and songwriter. He is best known for his hit songs "Booted," (1952), " No More Doggin'" (1952), and " Just a Littl ...
* 2000: ''A Shot in the Dark – Nashville Jumps'' (
Bear Family Records
Bear Family Records is a Germany-based independent record label, that specializes in reissues of archival material, ranging primarily in country music but varying in everything from 1950s rock and roll to old German movie soundtracks.
History
T ...
)
* 2007: ''Bullet Records -'' ''Rhythm & Blues'' (Blue Label)
* 2010: ''Bullet Records Jump, Blues & Ballads'' (
SPV GmbH
SPV GmbH (short for ''Schallplatten Produktion und Vertrieb GmbH'', "Vinyl Production and Distribution Company") is a German independent record label. Founded on 1 January 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors ...
)
Albums as a sideman
* 1977: Rosco Gordon – ''The Legendary Sun Performers'' (
Charly Records
Charly Records is a British record label that specialises in reissued material.
Among the labels whose original releases are reissued by Charly are Vee-Jay, Sun, Immediate, BYG, Tomato, and Fania.
History
Charly Records was founded in Fran ...
)
* 2010: Ike Turner – ''That Kat Sure Could Play! The Singles 1951–1957'' (
Secret Records
Secret Records is a British independent record label founded in 1980 and based in London. The label specializes in a number of genres including blues, reggae, rock 'n' roll, psychedelic, soul and punk. The label's roster includes releases by ...