1000 Giants Of Black Music

[stepping razor]

BENNY CARTER:
Alto sax, trumpet, arranger, band leader and jazz great. Played with Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson (1929-31), Chick Webb and McKinney`s Cotton Pickers (1931-32) and helped develop the art of jazz arrangement. Worked in Britain in the `30s, returning to the USA in `38 to lead large and small orchestras. Toured and recorded extensively since the war.

1000 GIANTS OF BLACK MUSIC - MAY 1974: - PART THREE
Black Music May 1974: - Vol. 1 / Issue 6

peace

[stepping razor]

BETTY CARTER:
Jazz singer who worked with Lionel Hampton in the `40s before progressing to a solo nightclub career, recording for Epic and Peacock. She also cut a magnificent album with Ray Charles which produced their classic version of "Baby It`s Cold Outside".

1000 GIANTS OF BLACK MUSIC - MAY 1974: - PART THREE
Black Music May 1974: - Vol. 1 /Issue 6

peace

[stepping razor]

CLARENCE CARTER:
Starting as half of the Clarence & Calvin (Scott) duo the blind soul singer`s work with Rick Hall helped establish Muscle Shoals as one of the sounds of the `60s. Hits on Atlantic like "Looking For A Fox" (1968). "Ship Away" (1968), "Doin` Our Thing" (1969) and "Patches" (1970) kept his mixture of downhome vocals, over brassy riffs and churning rhythm sections, a major soul influence. His recent recordings (on Fame) differ little from his older things--though the sales are somewhat less.

1000 GIANTS OF BLACK MUSIC - May 1974: - PART THREE
Black Music May 1974: - Vol. 1 / Issue 6

peace

[stepping razor]

MEL CARTER:
Once a member of gospel team, the Soul Stirrers, it was under Sam Cooke`s guidance that Mel scored his first hit in 1963 ("When A Boy Falls In Love", Derby). Later, a string of easy-listening chart records brought the top night clubs to Mel`s itinerary.

1000 GIANTS OF BLACK MUSIC - MAY 1974: - PART THREE
Black Music May 1974: - Vol. 1 / Issue 6

peace

[stepping razor]

ALVIN CASH:
Alvin Cash & The Crawlers made 14 in the Hot 100 in 1965, with an insinuating dance disc "Twine Time" and subsequently had other soul and pop hits (on Mar-V-Lus, then Toddlin` Town). despite the fact that Alvin & The Crawlers were dancers more than singers, and it was a bunch of Chicago sesion men (dubbed the Registers) who gave numbers like "The Philly Freeze" their dance appeal.

1000 GIANTS OF BLACK MUSIC - MAY 1974: - PART THREE
Black Music May 1974: - Vol. 1 / Issue 6

peace

[stepping razor]

JIMMY CASTER:
Extraordinarily varied recording career stretching back to doowops (`50s), Latin soul ("Hey Leroy Your Mama`s Callin` You", Smash 1966) and funk ("Troglodite", RCA 1972). Jimmy`s ability to play a mean sax as well as sing a soul song has in some ways blurred the impact of his occasional big hit record, and has denied him the `big star` tag.

1000 GIANTS OF BLACK MUSIC - MAY 1974: - PART THREE
Black Music May 1974: - Vol. 1 / Issue 6

peace

[stepping razor]

CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARD:
One one soul`s most distinctive voices, Norman `General` Johnson, left the Showmen in 1970 at the invitation of Holland-Dozier-Holland to lead this loose-knit group of individuals and help establish Invictus with smashes like "Give Me Just A Little More Time" and "Elmo James". Inventive production and clever songs (mostly co-written by Johnson) have kept them in the chart.

1000 GIANTS OF BLACK MUSIC - MAY 1974: - PART THREE
Black Music May 1974: - Vol. 1 / Issue 6

peace

[stepping razor]

CHAMBERS BROTHERS:
Folk team in the fifties who developed a mean line in blues (some gutsy stuff on Vault). They somehow picked up a British drummer and got into soul-rock with pretentiousness: "Time Has Come Today" (Columbia, 1968) and third rate soul "I Can`t Turn You Loose". Their later singles and albums are better.

1000 GIANTS OF BLACK MUSIC - MAY 1974: - PART THREE
Black Music May 1974: - Vol. 1 / Issue 6

peace

[stepping razor]

GENE CHANDLER:
Lead singer of the Dukays when "Duke Of Earl" made No. 1 in `62, Chicagoan Gene embarked on a solo career. Despite several small hits on Vee-Jay it was with Constellation in `64 that Gene developed into a major soul name with his high, nasal voice. Hits like "Nothing Can Stop Me" (1965), "I Fooled You This Time" (Checker, `66), "Girl Don`t Care" (Brunswick, `67) led eventually to the million selling "Groovy Situation" (Mercury, `70). Now on Curtis Mayfield`s Curtom label, Curtis having worked very closely with Gene since his VJ days.

1000 GIANTS OF BLACK MUSIC - MAY 1974: - PART THREE
Black Music May 1974: - Vol. 1 / Issue 6

peace

[stepping razor]

CHANNELS:
In the `50s few doowop groups could match the ethereal beauty of Earl Lewis & The Channels who had some national R&B hits. Their "The Closer You Are" is still dug on all those `Golden Oldies` albums.

1000 GIANTS OF BLACK MUSIC - MAY 1974: - PART THREE
Black Music May 1974: - Vol. 1 / Issue 6

peace