Clifford Scott !!! A rock n' roll threshold!!

[Tim Price]

It's time we payed some due to Clifford Scott here.
I was always in love with his sound,and feel.He really defined
rock n' roll sax playing in that version of " Honky Tonk".
When I played w/Bill Doggett...I had the pleasure of meeting Clifford Scott...in Texas.What a great day that was!
You guy should look for these recordings-in addition to all those recordings with Doggett.
Mr. Honky Tonk Is Back in Town Clifford Scott
Label: New Rose
Release Date: 10/30/1992

Texas Tenor Clifford Scott

AT A GLANCE
Format: Audio CD
List price: $27.98
Label: New Rose
Release Date: 01/01/1992
If anyone here can make me a dub of:
Lavender Sax , Big Ones , Out Front
I'll give you as a gift my book on Rock & Roll sax called
HOT ROCK SAX...published by Hal Leonard.
I gotta get copys of those records.They are fantastic rock n' roll tenor recordings.
Bill Doggett, hipped me to them when I was doing his band @1973 for a few years and I did return in the 80's for some lil' gigs but by then Bill was pretty slow from age,and road wear and tear.I love that character tho!
BUT.....yea check out my hero Clifford Scott. You can't play rock n' roll without hearing this mans work.By the way..."Honky Tonk" was done on a STOCK hard rubber meyer mouthpiece #8.
A NewYorkMeyer. (ask Jackie Kelso w/Basie band,I think he got that mth)

[Tim Price]

FWIW- Texas tenor saxman Clifford Scott was born June 21, 1928. Perhaps most famous for his classic solo in Bill Doggett's "Honky Tonk Part 2," Scott also played with Jay McShann, Amos Milburn, and Lionel Hampton before joining Doggett. Later, he worked with Ray Charles and recorded several albums as a leader on King and Pacific Jazz, none of which went anywhere.
He moved to Los Angeles in 1962 and worked in the soul-jazz scene for a number of years, eventually returning to San Antonio in the early 1970s.

Certainly, Scott belongs in anyone's top five seminal R&B Tenors. My personal selection being:

Plas Johnson,
King Curtis,
Lee Allen,
Clifford Scott,
And a 50-way tie for fifth place

He also did a lot of session work in the former Cincinnati ice factory that was King Records, notably Willie John, James Brown, and Otis Williams and the Charms.

His approach to R&B was so unlike the other well known players of the era, being swing-jazz oriented, rather than mostly blues derived. The little fills between the riffs in Honky Tonk are absolutely unique to his style! With Doggett, he initially sounded like a young Percy France clone but found his own groove almost immediately!

THAT'S WHAT R&B IS SUPPOSED TO SOUND LIKE!

Thanks for calling his spirit up, Tim!

[John Laughter]

A little more info for those who appreciate these fine players;


Clifford Scott

Clifford Scott was born December 21, 1928, in San Antonio, Texas. He began playing at the Keyhole Club in 1946. He worked with Lionel Hampton from 1948 to 1950. He performed with the R&B bands of Roy Milton and Roy Brown until 1953. He rejoined Hampton again, then left in 1954 to study music in New York and joined Bill Doggett in 1956. While with Doggett, the classic “Honky Tonk” was recorded. His four part tenor solo with the trademark intro and thumping R&B Hammond filled airwaves and dance halls across the nation for several years. It was performed in every club, bar, and roadhouse imaginable and by many bands that were fortunate to have a sax player. It also introduced many young sax players to the unique “flutter tongue” technique used in the fourth solo. Clifford Scotts’s tone, technique, and overall style in “Honky Tonk” would have a far reaching effect on many sax players for years to come.

“Honky Tonk” came together in February, 1956, during the many one-night stands the group played coast to coast. At first hearing, there was nothing fancy about it. However, Doggett knew he had a potential dance hit as night after night he received positive response from the crowd. “Honky Tonk” was recorded for King Records in its New York studio on June 16, 1956. The success of “Honky Tonk” was a two-edged sword. The group received offers for numerous bookings but most were to appear in rock and roll settings, and the group did not consider themselves rock and roll.

In 1961, he left for Los Angeles to work at the Parisian Room. He moved back to San Antonio in 1976 and was active until his death on April 19, 1993.



Lee Allen

Born in Pittsburg, Kansas, on July 2, 1926, and schooled in New Orleans, Lee Allen’s tenor style was a major factor in the sound of the New Orleans R&B hits of the 1950s. His solos were etched in the 78 and 45 rpm records of Fats Domino, Lloyd Price, Little Richard, Professor Longhair, Huey “Piano” Smith, Smiley Lewis, Shirley & Lee, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Amos Milburn, Charles Brown, Etta James, and many more.

Allen was a very important member of the studio band at Cosimo’s. His solos appeared on hundreds of Crescent City classics. In 1958, Allen also recorded his own instrumental record on Ember titled “Walking With Mr Lee” which charted at #54. However, it was his hard-driving solos on the Little Richard and Fats Domino hits that inspired a new generation of sax players in the 1950s and 1960s. His unique and distinctive tone is still respected and often copied to this day. Allen’s use of note bending and the “growl” technique were key factors in his style.

In 1965 he left the road touring with Fats Domino and moved to the West Coast to take a job in an aeronautics factory; however, in 1975 Lee Allen was back with Fats Domino. Allen performed until his death from lung cancer in 1994. He was a member of The Blasters, a Los Angeles-based band of rockers.


King Curtis

King Curtis is one of the best rock & roll musicians of all time. His specialty was the tenor sax. He was born Curtis Ousley in 1934 in Fort Worth, Texas, took up sax at the age of twelve, and began working in his home town in the 1940s. After graduating from high school in 1950, he began working with Lionel Hampton and moved to New York in 1953 to study harmony, counterpoint, and theory. In New York he had the opportunity to work with a variety of musicians in pop, soul, and jazz.

Curtis was naturally talented and could have pursued a career in jazz but decided that he would rather make money, so he used his talents in rock ‘n’ roll. With a strong work ethic and his talent, he stayed busy doing recording sessions, touring, and performing in many Harlem nightclubs.

After doing some session work Curtis struck out on his own, first as King Curtis and The Noble Knights and later as The Kingpins. He put three songs in the Top 40 in the 1960s, but all were instrumentals at a time when instrumentals were not popular with the record-buying public. Interesting note: when you hear Sam Cooke say “Play that one called Soul Twist” in his 1962 hit “Having A Party,” he is referring to the King Curtis song! He had fifteen Top 100 songs from 1962 to 1971. King Curtis was very much in demand as a sax player by nearly every musician in the business. One of his memorable sax solos can be heard on the Coasters’ “Yakety Yak.”

The list of people that Curtis worked for in the early days of rock ‘n’ roll is long and includes: Lional Hampton, Buck Clayton, Nat King Cole, Joe Turner, The McGuire Sisters, Andy Williams, Chuck Willis, The Coasters, Buddy Holly, LaVern Baker, Bobby Darin, Brook Benton, Neil Sedaka, The Drifters, Sam Cooke, The Isley Brothers, Solomon Burke, The Shirelles, Nina Simone, The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Mann, Wilson Pickett, Duane Allmann, Eric Clapton, and John Johnson.

In 1967 Curtis had a hit with “Memphis Soul Stew,” and as a performer, he could fill a house. He continued to do session work backing Aretha Franklin and Soloman Burke. He also appeared at the famous Fillmore West with his band playing Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” which brought the house down.

The music world lost one of its top musicians when King Curtis was murdered in New York City on August 13, 1971. Curtis was carrying a window air-conditioning unit home to his apartment one night. There were several drug addicts on the entrance into the apartment. He asked them to move and an altercation followed in which King Curtis was stabbed to death. He is buried at Pinelawn Memorial Park, Farmingdale, Long Island, New York.

Plas Johnson

Plas Johnson was born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, about sixty miles north of New Orleans. As teens, Plas and his brother Ray formed a band, the Johnson Brothers Combo, that played in and around New Orleans for a number of years. Johnson left New Orleans in 1951 to go on the road with the Charles Brown Blues Band. After the road and a stint in the Army, Johnson moved to California and attended the Westlake School of Music for a year and a half, but his studies were derailed by an overloaded schedule of record dates. He was brought to the attention of Johnny Otis who immediately added him to his blues aggregation. Otis then introduced Johnson to Dave Cavanaugh, who held an influential A&R position at Capitol Records, and he soon became a regular session sideman and soloist during Capitol’s halcyon years. Johnson joined The Merv Griffin Show band in 1970, where he remained for fifteen years. He is the saxophone counterpart to Harry “Sweets” Edison’s trumpet on Neal Hefti’s signature music for The Odd Couple TV series. He has performed with Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, Barbara Streisand, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Linda Ronstadt, Sarah Vaughan, and Bobby Day; that is Johnson playing piccolo on “Rockin’ Robin.” Johnson’s recent recordings include his own albums Hot, Blue and Saxy and Evening Delight. Plas Johnson combines some of the best elements of jazz and blues and is admired and emulated by sax players worldwide. Plas Johnson continues to perform and resides in southern California.

[CashSax]

John, MANY Kudos to you for keeping the the flame. And for documenting all the great info and history on R&R Sax..Your book will be a CLASSIC.

[John Laughter]

Cash, I appreciate the kind words but I have to tell you that it would never have been done had it not been for the many contributors from all over the world. There are many sax players of all ages who want to see the Top 40 session players get some long overdue credit. I hope that the book will help.

[saxboy]

John,
You the man!
Love reading your posts! Rock on...

SAXBOY (Greg Vail)

How DARE you mention Plas Johnson without the mandatory "Pink Panther" reference!

BTW, King records had no "New York studio" that I know of, their entire physical operation being pretty much located in that Cincinnati ice factory.

King Curtis was the adopted son of Mr. and Mrs. William Ousley of Mansfield, Texas (according to Roy Simonds...who oughta know), so there's no tellin' what name Curtis was "born" with.

[John Laughter]

Selmer, I took the bio out of my book which is located right under "The Pink Panther" and did not think to add it. It was a classic. He also performed on the following Top 40 hits;

17 CONFIDENTIAL-SONNY KNIGHT

#13 IT ISN’T RIGHT-THE PLATTERS

#16 HE’S MINE-THE PLATTERS

#4 RAUNCHY-ERNIE FREEMAN

#23 CERVEZA-BOOTS BROWN

#34 CHA HUA HUA-PETS

#6 CHANSON D’ AMOUR (SONG OF LOVE)-
ART & DOTTY TODD

#13 FOR YOUR LOVE-ED TOWNSEND

#11 HOW THE TIME FLIES-JERRY WALLACE

#8 JENNIE LEE-JAN & ARNIE

#27 RAMROD-DUANE EDDY

#8 YOUNG BLOOD-COASTERS

#31 APPLE BLOSSOM TIME-TAB HUNTER

#10 BABY TALK-JAN & DEAN

#4 IN THE MOOD-ERNIE FIELDS

#8 PETER GUNN-RAY ANTHONY

#8 PRIMROSE LANE-JERRY WALLACE

#37 SOME KIND-A EARTHQUAKE-

#25 THE WONDER OF YOU-RAY PETERSON

#25 FOOT STOMPING-PART 1
THE FLARES

#19 LET’S GO (PONY)-THE ROUTERS

#33 THE BALLAD OF PALADIN-
DUANE EDDY JIM HORN & PLAS JOHNSON

#7 MY SPECIAL ANGEL-VOGUES

How about "Boney Maronie" (and "Short Fat Fannie") by Larry Williams?
"Twistin' the Night Away" by Sam Cooke? To name but a couple of top 40's not mentioned!

Possibly the most perfectly executed R&B sax solo ever was Plas' gorgeous work on the (non-top 40) classic "Big Boy Pete" by the Olympics!

And, in spite of other "expert testimony" that has GOT to be Plas on Duane Eddy's "Rebel Rouser"... to mistake that for Steve Douglas,(or Jim Horn or even Jackie Kelso) is ludicrous! One listen to Eddy's "Peter Gunn" featuring Douglas will show that Steve was barely adequate as a player at this time and certainly NOT capable of the sweeping, resonant tenor on most of the early Rebel tunes. The first albums refer to two groups---the recording Rebels and the performing Rebels, with Plas in the former and Steve in the latter.

But, let's get back to Clifford Scott!

Frankly, the last two albums("Mr. Honky Tonk.." and "Texas Tenor"), in my opinion, were pretty embarassing, at least when compared to the Doggett period and the years following.

There was an ACE import a few years back (shared with Lynn Hope) that had some interesting post Doggett work on it!

[John Laughter]

Selmer, you are correct on "Boney Maronie." I went through the list too fast last night and overlooked it. In addition;

#5 SHORT FAT FANNIE-LARRY WILLIAMS- JESSE JAMES JONES

#9 TWISTIN’ THE NIGHT AWAY-SAM COOKE- JACKIE KELSO

#6 REBEL ROUSER-DUANE EDDY - GIL BERNAL

I'll concede "Short Fat Fannie", but the aural evidence for "Rebel Rouser" is overwhelming. Gil Bernal's (Leiber and Stoller's West Coast sax man) sax sounds NOTHING like the sax on "Rebel Rouser" on any other documented recording. Doesn't that arouse some suspicion in you?

I've heard that Jackie Kelso could sound like Plas (in fact, Plas himself, in an interview with Stuart Coleman, has said so), but, if this is true, why, in God's name, would Kelso sound so lame on so many recordings (such as the Venture's) when Plas' tone is within his grasp?!?! No, I just CAN't believe Kelso is THAT versatile! I'm goin' with Plas on this one!

I wish Roy Simonds had documented Plas (and many others) in the way he has the works of King Curtis! His discography of Curtis is as astounding as it is meticulously detailed!

[John Laughter]

Selmer, I can't agree or disagree on "Rebel Rouser." I can only state that Mr Johnson reviewed the entire list and has also written the Foreward to the book and never said that he played on that tune.

This is the main reason that I have written the book. For many years many of us were under the impression that certain players (our heores so to speak) played on this or that but never received the credit. The book will hopefully help to bring it all together over the next few years. In some cases we may never really know who played the solo because LP and CD credits have given incorrect names. But this will be a start.

I will have have an "addendum" once the book is on the market which will mailed to anyone who wants it in the future. The addendum will contain corrections/additions/deletions that can be confirmed in order to continue to set the "records" stright. It is a long process but I feel, as many others do, that it is long overdue.

Here are a few of the people who were envolved over a period of a year when we put it together;


Plas Johnson, Bonnie Buckley, Lisa Eichholzer-Walker, Steve Nieves, David Edwards, Darren Jones, Carl-Goran Cederblad, Joey Arminio, Robert Harwell, Johnny Colla, Rob Sudduth, Dave Woodford, Mark Rybiski, Joe McGlohon, Gregg W. Jackson, Todd & Sharon Peach, Jeff Neavor, Phil Brennan, Tommy Maguire, Lori Allred, Jan Bach, Carl Magnus Palm, Dave Boruff, Tony Valdez, Pieter Wever, Mindi Abair, Wayne Jackson, Nick Jones, Sean Coughlin, Marc Miller, Janet St. Pierre, Chad Shireman, Grady Gaines, Jr., Lon Price, Tyrone Settlemier, Roystan N. Simonds, Johnny Padilla, John Briggs, Curtis Swift, Tom Savonick, Sam Morgan, Jr., Helen Kahlke, Paul Lanfermeijer, Frank McNulty, Steve Goodson, Paul R. Coats, Ed Calle, Phil Kenzie, Rik Hull, Mike Clark, Jim Britt, Chris “Snake” Davis, Steve & Ladonna Hart, Brandon Fields, Julian Barker, Marty Jourard, Bob Malach, Ed Frost, Joey Dee, Laurent Hunziker, Boots Randolph, Pete Christlieb, Jeff Pilcicki, Frank Demar, Steve Groove, Joel C. Peskin, Lance Blakeslee, Clifford P. Walker, Edward Chmelewski, Andrew Clark, Carl Griffin, Ron Chavira, Kirk Pengilly, Ann Williams, Paulo Chagas, Plas Johnson, Paul Latanishen, Cathy Ravet, Gary Hartle, Robert Weaver, Phil Upchurch, Jim Grant, Bill Champney, Tim Price, Brian Axelrod, Paul Fowler, Don Wise, Michael Fitzgerald, Pat Benti, Gary Sizemore, Jerry Schulteis, Mike Laroche, Christen Depetro, Bryan Savage, Anthony & Karen Simone, Gordon Beadle, William Flannery, Oliver Garai, Ace Cannon, Chris Vadala, Ernie Watts, Ralph Orozco, John Donatelli, Jr., Patrick Sporrij, Fred Vigdor, Ron Barton, Barbara Lang, Eric Leblanc, Anthony Borgosano, Dave Williams, Paul Anthony Ciulla, Warner Alas, Neil Sharpe, Nick Messina, Kent Karcher, Jenny Lassi, Timmy Cappello, DQ, Stuart Colman, David Carroll, Carole Allen, Steve Marshall, Tom Wilson, Vic Middleton, Dan Cipriano, Adam Michlin, Dirk Peeters, Pete Thomas, Chris Turner, Terri Hinte, Paul Hanson, Mike Terry, Craig Shields, Charles A. King, Gaye D. Funk (final editing), Keith Gemmell, Kevin Davidge, Maria Granditsky, Sheryl Laukat, Gordon Stump, Martin Entwistle, DJ Raz, Mickey Kipler, Bob Samuel, Herb Hardesty, Alto Reed, Erin James, Kevin Kuptz, Kasuku Mafia, Marlies van Lier, Joseph Ballaera, Mike Douglas, Herb Kalin, George Porter, Jr., Kevin Leighton, Stephanie Clark, Greg Dzurinda, Stephen Shippey, Steve Grainger, Stephen Howard, Michelle C. Williams, Palo Tung.

I must also add that all of the above individuals were extremely helpful and and willing to help with the project.

[John Laughter]

p.s for those who are not familar with him;

GIL BERNAL

Born February 4, 1931, in Watts, California, Bernal recorded with The Coasters, Ry Cooder, Duane Eddy, Spike Jones and his City Slickers, Terry Evans, Ibrahim Ferrer, Lionel Hampton, and John Lee Hooker. Bernal began working professionally from the age of nineteen. His first gig was with Lionel Hampton. When the big band era was beginning to fade in the 1950s, Bernal left Hampton to begin his own combo, which recorded instrumental singles for several labels, including RCA. Bernal worked on movie soundtracks in the 90s and played tenor on the soundtrack to Buena Vista Social Club by Ibrahim Ferrar.

Ah Ha!!

Padding the list with TWO Plas Johnsons! Shame! I contend there CANNOT BE two Plas Johnsons!!

But, this is an impressive list of references! Surprisingly, I know, and have worked with, a few of the people listed!

Please don't misunderstand me, I find your research to be impeccable, but I also find my own ears to be pretty reliable, especially when discerning the fine points of certain 50's tenor players!

Please let me know exactly when your book hits the streets!

[John Laughter]

Ah you got me Selmer!!! I tried but you caught me.

I will let you know when it is on the market. Hopefully I will get some info from you for the future "addendum." We need all the help we can get!

[frankbiff]

So... Who played flute on Bill Doggets "Soft" and "Blip Blop" , and who played Bari?

My discography sez Clifford Scott on flute and Thomas "Beans" Bowles on bari!

Tenor on "Blip Blop" was Candy Johnson!

BTW on the original Tiny Bradshaw version, although most of the tenor solo is by Red Prysock, the last chorus (the part played by the Bari on the Doggett rendition) is by none other than Sil Austin!

[Tim Price]

Originally Posted by Selmer Fudd

Certainly, Scott belongs in anyone's top five seminal R&B Tenors. Thanks for calling his spirit up, Tim!

SelmerFudd- THANK YOU-
I was in &out and missed your words-THANKS.
You musta heard the Groove Holmes -Les McCann stuff on Pacific Jazz records with Clifford Scott AND Ben Webster? I think it must be re-issued by now.
BTW-Have you heard Jackie Kelso in the Basie band? His lead alto playing is amazing.
I used to have a guitar players record with Kelso on it-from the 70s.
He HAD a Plaz like thing going on.I didn't know he did sessions with the Ventures.
Anyhow, I fried from driving, all week,more later - thanks again Selmerfudd-and John L !! 8)