The Roots Of Rock: 1945-1956:
R & B: Shaking, Rattling & Rolling

In the mid 1940s some of the vocal stars of jazz, especially some of the those who had worked with big bands, started making the transition to a form of music that was known in the music business as Rhythm and Blues. However, as it had been with the terms "jazz" and "bebop," the blacks artists who made the music did not originally call it anything but good music. The music was transfused and infused with jazz, gospel, and blues. The release The Roots Of Rock: 1945-1956 features some of the R & B greats who were forerunners, who blazed the trail for other genres: rock and soul to name a few. It also influenced pop.

Singers like Louis Jordan, a singer and alto saxophone player, had been in Chick Webb's band, where he sang with grand jazz diva Ella Fitzgerald. Jordan was one of the first vocalists to gain success in the 40s when he released hot, rhythmic tunes like "Caldonia," "Saturday Night Fish Fry" and "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens," which were all big R & B hits.

Often the vocalists who worked with the big jazz bands cited their ability to make transitions into careers as solo artists had a lot to do with the musical training/polishing and showmanship/entertainmentship they had gotten working with the bands. "Big" Joe Turner was another who successfully made the transition. Turner who had big R & B hits with such tunes as "Shake, Rattle And Roll," "Corinne Corina and "Honey Hush" in the 50s, sang with the Count Basie Band in Kansas City, Missouri in the 1930s.

During this period, as has often the case when there have been great new creative directions and movements in jazz, the early days of R & B were days in which singers and musicians were experimenting and trying different ways of playing and singing the music they knew and loved. And this music they now created...this soul and soul satisfying music...featured driving rhythms, blaring horns, pulsating drumming, hot, hot guitar licks, rocking boogie woogie piano...and powerfully energetic vocals. More important, other genres of black music--jazz, blues, and gospel (although many in the black community did not accept the inclusion of spiritual music in the mix)--that were synthesized in R & B, not only became popular to listen to, but were also irresistible to dance to.

The roots, or different influences of the other forms were heard in a range of new artists that had come on the scene. Ruth Brown, one of the reigning R & B divas of the 1950s, who was known as "Miss Rhythm," had a big hit on the charts with "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean," which was a an upbeat, bluesy tune that featured blues guitar and piano accompaniment. Big Mama Willie Mae Thorton's recording of "Hound Dog," which was popular with black audiences, was later a tremendous, money-making hit for Elvis Presley. Mama Thorton's release featured the big band sound of Johnny Otis. Johnny who also had a great jazz career is now a resident of the San Francisco area.

Antoine "Fats" Domino, who had a maiden voyage hit with "The Fat Man," was an exponent of the rocking and rolling New Orleans boogie woogie sound. Fats is still very much a part of "The Big O" sound today. "Brother" Ray Charles brought it all together. Ray is a stellar artist, and a big band leader who is equally adept at performing jazz, blues and gospel. His sound is a synthesis of all of these forms of black music (and country music as well). He had the extraordinary ability and dedication to respecting and maintaining the integrity of all of the forms of music he performs, as is witnessed by his early 50s hit, "Hallelujah I Love Her So."

The Roots Of Rock: 1945-1956 chronicles and nicely showcases some of the finest creative talents of the early days of Rhythm & Blues...luminaries whose influence and contributions are still affecting music and musical artists today.

Time-Life/Warner Communications, 1989

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