King Curtis
King Curtis was the last of the great R&B tenor sax giants. Born Curtis Ousley in Fort Worth, Texas, he came to prominence in the mid-'50s as a session musician in New York, recording, at one time or another, for most East Coast R&B labels. A long association with Atco/Atlantic began in 1958, especially on recordings by the Coasters. He recorded singles for many small labels in the '50s -- his own Atco sessions (1958-1959), and Prestige/New Jazz and Prestige/Tru-Sound for jazz and R&B albums (1960-1961). Curtis also had a number one R&B single with "Soul Twist" on Enjoy (1962). He was signed by Capitol (1963-1964), where he cut mostly singles, including the number 20 R&B hit "Soul Serenade." He returned to Atco/Atlantic in 1965, where he remained for the rest of his life. He had solid R&B single success with "Memphis Soul Stew" and "Ode to Billie Joe" (1967). Beginning in 1967, Curtis started to take a more active studio role at Atlantic, leading and contracting sessions for other artists, producing with Jerry Wexler, and later on his own. He also became the leader of Aretha Franklin's backing unit, the Kingpins. He compiled several albums of singles during this period. All aspects of his career were in full swing at the time he was murdered in 1971. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
© Bob Porter /TiVo
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The New Scene of King Curtis (Original Album Plus Bonus Tracks 1960)
Pop - Released by Soul Story on 1 Jan 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Everest Sessions: Azure
Jazz - Released by Everest Records on 1 Jan 1960
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Soul Street
Oliver Nelson, King Curtis, Jimmy Forrest
Jazz - Released by Dobre Classic Media on 3 Apr 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Best of King Curtis
Soul - Released by Enjoy Records on 28 Jun 1965
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wail Man Wail! The Best of King Curtis 1952-1961
Blues - Released by Fantastic Voyage on 16 Sep 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Giants Of Jazz
Jazz - Released by Harlem Jazz Records on 9 Dec 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
His First Eight Classic Albums: 1959 - 1962
Soul - Released by ENLIGHTENMENT on 21 Jun 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Music For Dancing The Twist
Jazz - Released by RCA - Legacy on 2 Jan 1961
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Soul of King Curtis
Blues - Released by Blue Lagoon on 28 Jun 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Very Best of King Curtis
Soul - Released by Classic Music International on 25 Jan 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Trouble In Mind - KING CURTIS sings The Blues (Original Album Plus Bonus Tracks 1961)
Pop - Released by Soul Story on 1 Jan 1961
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
That Lovin' Feeling (Mono)
R&B - Released by Rhino Atlantic on 12 Feb 1966
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo