Big Joe Turner - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

Biography

It starts to sing the blues as of the Années 1920 before becoming one of the pioneers of the Rock' roll in the Années 1950. Its career continues until in 1980s.

Turner starts to sing with the church. His/her father dies when it is 4 years old and it starts to sing in the streets to earn money. He leaves the school at the 14 years age to work in the boxes of Kansas City. He ends up becoming singer, accompanied by the pianist by Boogie woogy Pete Johnson.

In 1936 they are established in New York, but, in spite of a performance with Benny Goodman, there know little success and go back to Kansas City. In 1938 they take part in the famous concert “From Spirituals to Swing” with the Carnegie Hall in New York and, a little later record a success: “Roll 'EM Pete”.

In 1939, they start to work with the Coffee Society, a famous New Yorkean box, with Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis, famous interpreters of the Boogie. They also work there with Billie Holiday and orchestrates it of Frank Newton. Other important discs of this period are “Cherry Red”, “I Want has Little Girl”, “Piney Brown Blues” and “Wee Baby Blues”. Then their tastes start to diverge, and Joe records his first discs in solo (“Joe Turner' S Blues”). He also records “Wee Baby Blues” with the orchestra of Art Tatum.

In 1941 Turner settles with Los Angeles, where it takes part in the review “Jump for Joy” of Duke Ellington. In 1945, him and Pete Johnson open a bar in Los Angeles, The Blue Moon Club.

Turner records a great number of discs, not only with Pete Johnson but also with Freddie Slack, Sammy Price, Wynonie Harris, and other whole of jazz. In 1951 Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegün see it in a concert of Count Basie, and it signs a contract with their company of disc, Atlantic Records. It records at Atlantic several successes, of which “Chains off Coils”, “Sweet Sixteen”, and perhaps its more famous disc “Shake, Rattle, and Roll”, written for him by Jesse Stone. These titles regularly squattent the first places of the charts rhythm & blues.

A taken again of this song by Bill Halley and His Comets sells more specimens in the market “teenage”, for which one changes the racées words of the version of Turner. This last acquires popularity among the musicians, and he exerts well influence on the popular music of this time. During the Années 1970 it turns over to the jazz. Until its death it continues to sing not only in the boxes, but also with the jazz festivals and of blues.

It is made member of the Blues Hall off Famed in 1983 and of the Rock-and-roll Hall off Famed in 1987.

He died in 74 years of the continuations of a renal failure.

Discography

Roll “EM, Pete - " Joe Turner & Pete Johnson" (Vocalion, January 1939)
Cherry Red - " Pete Johnson & his Boogie Woogie Boys" (Vocalion, 1939)
Joe Turner Blues - " Benny Casing & his AlStars orchestra" (Okeh, 1940)
Wee Baby Blues - " Art Tatum & his Band" (Decca, February 1941)
Corrine Corrina - " Art Tatum & his Band" (Decca, June 1941)
Rock'n'rolls in My Bed - " Big Joe Turner with Freddie Slack Trio" (Decca, December 1941)
Chains Of Coils - " Joe Turner" (Atlantic, April 1951)
Sweet Sixteen - " Joe Turner" (Atlantic, February 1952)
Midnight Rockin” - " Joe Turner" (Colony, 1952)
Honey Hush - " Joe Turner" (Atlantic, August 1953)
Shake, Rattle And Roll - " Joe Turner" (Atlantic, April 1954)
Flip Failure And Fly - " Joe Turner" (Atlantic, February 1955)
Nothin' From Nothin'

Big Joe Turner vol. 1 & 2 (Masters off Jazz)

Such me pretty baby (Arhoolie)

Big Joe Turner, 1941-46 (Classics) republishes his first work

Greatest hits (Sequel)

Big Joe wrinkles again (Sequel), which gathers most of its Atlantic titles of which number of its successes of rock' roll

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