Tag: Rhythm & Blues
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Kermit Ruffins ‘Have A Crazy Cool Christmas’ (2009)
Kermit Ruffins embodies New Orleans’ joyous spirit– with his swinging trumpet, warm voice, and infectious charisma, Ruffins has become a beloved fixture in the city, carrying on the legacy of jazz greats like Louis Armstrong while adding his own modern flair. From the streets of the Treme neighborhood to packed local bars and legendary festivals,…
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Ray Charles ‘The Genius of Ray Charles’ (1959)
Ray Charles’ impact on soul music cannot be understated– he almost single-handedly paved the way for soul and blues to be commercially viable and that fact in and of itself has cemented his place as an American icon. His one-of-a-kind baritone vocal melodies and brilliant piano playing legitimately transformed the way soul music was delivered…
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Carl Perkins ‘Dance Album’ (1957)
Carl Perkins is sort of a forgotten pioneer of American rockabilly, a musician whose influential sound helped shape the early days of rock and roll and gave birth to some of its biggest stars. Take for example his massive hit “Blue Suede Shoes”– most people associate that song with Elvis Presley (for obvious reasons), but…
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Albert King ‘Born Under A Bad Sign’ (1967)
We love a good album opening song as much as anybody, and goddamn does Born Under A Bad Sign ever have one with its title track “Born Under A Bad Sign”. If you’re looking for a perfect example of the sheer power of the blues, a song that rips and grooves and swings with a…
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Fats Domino ‘Fats Domino Swings’ (1959)
Fats Domino boogy woogie piano licks, arrangements that emphasized the upbeat, and infectious energy helped define the early sound of rock and roll. Fats was a true pioneer of the genre, with an estimated 110 million records sold over his lifetime, and has gone down in history as one of the critical pieces of bringing…
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Dusty Springfield ‘Dusty in Memphis’ (1969)
Dusty in Memphis is Dusty Springfield’s magnum opus, an amalgamation of Memphis soul and British orchestral pop that over time has grown in stature to be regarded as one of the all-time great albums. The album was actually a pretty significant commercial flop upon its release 1969 (even with top 10 single “Son of A…
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Chuck Berry ‘Chuck Berry Is on Top’ (1959)
Nicknamed “The Father of Rock and Roll” throughout his career, Chuck Berry laid the blueprint for translating 12-bar blues into a more energetic and electric version, inspiring artists like Little Richard and Elvis Presley. Berry was effectively the change agent that transformed the face of popular American music at the time and ushered in the…
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The Blues Brothers ‘Original Soundtrack Recording’ (1980)
If you haven’t seen the original 1980 Blues Brothers film with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, put it to the top of your list this week. It’s an excellent film filled with excellent music, a real cult classic that has aged like a fine wine. Belushi and Aykroyd created the characters as a bit for…
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Little Richard ‘Here’s Little Richard’ (1957)
It’s been nearly 70 years since the release of Little Richard’s 1957 debut, and it’s easy in retrospect to sort of haphazardly lump this album into the category of a “classic example of American rhythm and blues”. It’s the “sound” you hear in your head when you think of the genre, especially after so much…
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