Johnny Otis (December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) That’s Your Last Boogie is a three disc compilation and is the second installment of The Architects of Rock and Roll box set series. These 83 tracks span Otis’ career from his early days in Los Angeles fronting his own big bands and smaller combos as well as his work with Jimmy Rushing, Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers, Illinois Jaquet, Wynonie Harris and a host of others. By the time this box set is done you can hear seminal recordings by Etta James, Big Mama Thornton, Little Esther Philips and others. This compilation represents the most comprehensive overview ever released of one of the most important careers in rhythm and blues music. I selected a tune that helped launch his career, Otis’ take on the instrumental Harlem Nocturne.

Etta James (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012) from the fabulous re-issue The Complete Modern and Kent Recordings, I selected her first hit single that dates back to 1954, Wallflower. The Johnny Otis penned and produced tune put the young Jamesetta Hawkins on the map and launched one of the most prolific and eclectic careers in recording history. These sides represent a wonderful early career document and a look at a singer who even at a very young age had an incredible maturity and sense of her own power and control as a vocalist.

Red Holloway (May 31, 1927 – February 25, 2012) James W. Holloway was born in Helena, Arkansas. He started out playing harmonica and banjo, but later switched to tenor saxophone. Holloway was hired for his first professional gig in a big band led by Eugene Wright, who is the last surviving member of the Dave Brubeck quartet. Holloway is perhaps best known for his work fronting his own band with organist Jack McDuff. In the world of jazz, he was also a very in demand sideman. However, it should be noted that he also worked with blues men starting with Roosevelt Sykes. He went on to work with B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Junior Parker, Bobby Bland and others but for my jukebox selection I chose a tune off of a 1986 live recording entitled,  Etta James/Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson Blues In The Night Volume One: The Early Show. This live recording finds Holloway reunited with brother Jack McDuff in a band that also included guitarist, Shuggie Otis. I chose the Errol Garner tune, Misty.

Andrew Love (November 21, 1941 – April 12, 2012) was the most listened to tenor saxophone player in the history of recorded music. He, along with trumpeter Wayne Jackson, made up a duo that would come to be known as the Memphis Horns. The two musicians performed together on 83 gold or platinum albums, 30 Grammy winning songs and 52 top ten hits. It is estimated that they performed with 50 members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It is however the work he did at Stax Records in his own hometown of Memphis in the 1960’s  that is some of the most iconic and endearing recordings in the history of popular music. Obviously I could have gone in hundreds of different directions but I chose a song that was recorded and released in 1966 by Stax. It is Otis Redding’s take on, Try a Little Tenderness from the album Complete and Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul. This song dates back to the 1930s and has been covered previously by Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin, not exactly lightweights, but it is Redding’s interpretation of the song that is a masterpiece of mood, musicianship, power and passion. The tune features a beautiful intro that weaves Jackson’s trumpet and Love’s tenor that sets a mood and yet doesn’t even hint at what is yet to come.

Levon Helm (May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012) The first post Last Waltz studio album released by Levon Helm was called Levon Helm and the RCO All Stars. It was released in 1977. The band included, pianist Mac Rebaneck aka Dr. John, harmonica player Paul Butterfield, guitarist Steve Cropper and his fellow M.G. bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn. It was a fine album. I mean how bad could it be? However on New Year’s Eve of that year this band played a live concert. An album from this concert was released entitled, Levon Helm and The RCO All-stars Live at the Palladium NYC: New Years Eve 1977. This band on this evening caught Lightning in the Bottle. Like the recordings that were captured on film by Martin Scorsese just thirteen months earlier in San Francisco there isn’t a take here that doesn’t sound better than any of the originals. I went with the tune Ophelia. Again, Levon hits this tune out of the park.

Donald “Duck” Dunn (November 24, 1941 – May 13, 2012) was the first prominent bass player to have never played a stand up, acoustic bass. He had no formal training and, as his long time musical colleague Steve Cropper has pointed out, “Dunn put the notes where he thought they should go which is why nobody sounds like Duck.” His style incorporated a “heavy” right hand that really dug into the strings. His use of “ghost” or “passing” notes often gave his recordings a fuller sound and made for some serious grooves. For my jukebox selection I chose a familiar tune to blues fans. The popular and frequently covered, Cross Cut Saw by Albert King from his 1967 Stax album, Born Under a Bad Sign. You have heard this tune a thousand times. Now try and imagine what this tune would sound like without Donald “Duck” Dunn. I know what you are thinking, ‘It would sound like every cover you have ever heard.’

Nick Curran (September 30, 1977 – October 6, 2012) Fixin’ Your Head is Nick’s first solo album. It was released in 2000 on the independent label, Texas Jamboree Records. It is a jaw dropping exercise in low–fi retro cool. Nick used vintage equipment and recorded these tracks live in one take. The album’s producer and engineer, Billy Horton should also receive credit for channeling Nick’s talent to achieve a wonderful post war r&b sound that is steeped in that tradition, but is also exciting and fresh. From Fixin’ Your Head I chose the tune, It’s My Life, Baby. I think the message of this tune is a great metaphor for Nick, who always did things his way. The first time I ever saw Nick play was at his first ever blues festival. The headliner that day was Roy Gaines. While Nick was on stage that afternoon in 2001, he spotted the legendary blues man as he walked into the room. Nick launched into this tune. It was Gaines who played guitar on this Bobby Bland classic that was originally recorded in 1955.

Micky Baker (October 15, 1925 – November 27, 2012) -There are some of you who think you may not be familiar with Micky Baker’s music. I can almost guarantee you are, but just don’t know it. For many years this guitarist extraordinaire was a first call session musician based primarily out of New York. He appeared on literally hundreds of recordings by artists in the world of rock and roll, blues, soul, rhythm and blues and rockabilly. He was also one half of the famed duo Micky and Silvia. From a wonderful collection of 1950’s sides, entitled, But Wildest, I dropped a nickel on one of many great instrumental sides compiled here entitled, Barbeque Sauce. 

Dave Brubeck (December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) - Brubeck’s  album entitled, Red Hot and Cool was released in 1955 by Columbia Records. This is also a live recording taken from three different performances at New York City’s Basin Street Nightclub. This album introduced the world to a song that is one of the most famous Brubeck penned compositions, The Duke. He performs it here with the quartet. He would re-record the tune a year later on his solo piano debut. The Duke may be the most “covered” of all of Brubeck’s tunes. Versions by jazz greats Barney Kessell, Joe Pass, Phil Woods, Mary McPartland and George Shearing come to mind. My favorite cover may be the Miles Davis/Gil Evans take on the album Miles Ahead, where Miles fronts a 19 piece jazz orchestra.

Jimmy McCracklin (August 13, 1921 – December 20, 2012)-  McCracklin has been called the Godfather of Bay Area Blues. This long time Richmond, California, resident may have been the oldest blues man at the time of his death. The prolific McCracklin recorded on more blues labels than most artists have recordings. Not only did this songwriter, pianist and singer exhibit an astonishing amount of energy, as well as longevity, in his career he also maintained a pretty high batting average as well. I went all the way back to the late 1940s for our jukebox selection and pulled a tune from a re-issue compilation of material entitled, Jimmy McCracklin and his Blues Blasters: The Modern Recordings Volume 2. This CD along with its companion piece, The Modern Recordings 1948-1950 pull together 50 sometimes hard to find and out of print sides. The instrumental tune from Volume 2 is a mid fifties recording entitled, Blues Blasters Boogie. This McCracklin original features a Maxwell Davis tenor solo and some nice guitar interplay between guitarists Robert Kelton and Lafayette Leake.