''Memphis Underground'' is a 1969 album by
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
flutist
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with Reed (instrument), reeds, a fl ...
Herbie Mann
Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet (incl ...
, that fuses the genres of jazz and
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
(R&B). While Mann and the other principal soloists (
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer, vibraphone player, and music producer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Pol ...
,
Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist.
Early life
Larry Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas, United States. He never knew his biological father, a musician. He w ...
and
Sonny Sharrock
Warren Harding "Sonny" Sharrock (August 27, 1940 – May 25, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. He was married to singer Linda Sharrock, with whom he recorded and performed.
One of only a few prominent guitarists who participated in the firs ...
) were leading jazz musicians, the album was recorded in
Chips Moman
Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman (June 12, 1937 – June 13, 2016) was an American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is known for working in R&B, pop music and country music, operating American Sound Studios and producing hit albums lik ...
's
American Sound Studio
The American Sound Studio was a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee which operated from 1964 to 1972. Founded by Chips Moman, the studio at 827 Thomas Street came to be known as American North, and the studio at 2272 Deadrick Street c ...
in Memphis, a studio used by many well-known R&B and pop artists. The
rhythm section
A rhythm section is a group of musicians within a music ensemble or band that provides the underlying rhythm, harmony and pulse of the accompaniment, providing a rhythmic and harmonic reference and "beat" for the rest of the band.
The rhythm sec ...
was the house band at American Studios. The recording was engineered and produced by
Tom Dowd
Thomas John Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multitrack recording method. Dowd worked on a veritable "who's who" of recordings ...
.
Three of the five songs on the album were covers of songs originally released by soul artists. "
Hold On, I'm Comin'
''Hold On, I'm Comin is the 1966 debut album by Atlantic Records soul duo Sam & Dave, issued on the Atlantic-distributed Stax label in 1966.
The album reached number one on the ''Billboard'' R&B Albums chart and number 45 on the ''Billboa ...
" (by
Sam & Dave
Sam & Dave were an American soul and R&B duo who performed together from 1961 until 1981. The tenor (higher) voice was Sam Moore (born 1935) and the baritone/tenor (lower) voice was Dave Prater (1937–1988).
Nicknamed "Double Dynamite", "The ...
), who recorded at Stax records (with the Stax rhythm section), and "
Chain of Fools
"Chain of Fools" is a song written by Don Covay. Aretha Franklin first released the song as a single in 1967 and subsequently it appeared on many of her albums. It hit number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rhythm & Blues chart and number two on ...
" (by
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
) who recorded that song with the classic
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section is a group of American session musicians based in the northern Alabama town of Muscle Shoals. One of the most prominent American studio house bands from the 1960s to the 1980s, these musicians, individually or as ...
at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
Two members of the rhythm section on Franklin's recording (
Gene Chrisman
The American Sound Studio was a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee which operated from 1964 to 1972. Founded by Chips Moman, the studio at 827 Thomas Street came to be known as American North, and the studio at 2272 Deadrick Street ...
and
Tommy Cogbill
Thomas Clark Cogbill (April 8, 1932 – December 7, 1982) was an American bassist, guitarist and record producer known for his work in R&B, soul and country music.
Life and career
Cogbill was born in Johnson Grove, Tennessee. He was a high ...
) perform on ''Memphis Underground''.
A third song, "
", was also released by R&B artist (
Gary U.S. Bonds), who recorded in Virginia.
So though the only one song was certifiably of Memphis vintage, the conglomeration of young New York jazz musicians with one of the most storied Southern rhythm sections proved to be the catalyst for creating strong, fresh music that sounds like neither Memphis soul nor New York jazz. This unique sound appealed to a large audience.
Reception
The record is one of the best-selling Jazz albums of all time.
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
said "''Memphis Underground'' is a piece of musical alchemy, a marvelously intricate combination of the "Memphis sound" and jazz lyricism".
''Memphis Underground'' was a favorite album of writer
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson (July 18, 1937 – February 20, 2005) was an American journalist and author who founded the gonzo journalism movement. He rose to prominence with the publication of '' Hell's Angels'' (1967), a book for which he s ...
, who mentions it positively in several chapters of his book ''
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail''. In the article ''
The Battle of Aspen
"The Battle of Aspen" is an article published in ''Rolling Stone'' , dated October 1, 1970, and written by Hunter S. Thompson. The cover of the magazine ran the teaser "Freak Power in the Rockies," and the article was later reprinted with that t ...
'', Thompson states that his "Freak Power" campaign used Mann's recording of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" as the background music for their commercials.
Another writer, the British author
Stewart Home
Kevin Llewellyn Callan (born 24 March 1962), better known as Stewart Home, is an English artist, filmmaker, writer, pamphleteer, art historian, and activist. His novels include the non-narrative ''69 Things to Do with a Dead Princess'' (2002), an ...
, as a tribute to this Mann album, titled his 2007 novel (some call it an antinovel) ''Memphis Underground''. In the novel, Home makes multiple references to soul, northern soul and jazz soul music.
Track listing
# "Memphis Underground" (Herbie Mann) — 7:07
# "
" (
Frank Guida
Frank Guida (May 26, 1922 – May 19, 2007) was a Sicilian-American songwriter and music producer credited with discovering Gary U.S. Bonds, whose hits, including "New Orleans" and " Quarter to Three", he produced. He was also a songwriter for ...
, Joseph Royster) — 2:07
# "
Hold On, I'm Comin'
''Hold On, I'm Comin is the 1966 debut album by Atlantic Records soul duo Sam & Dave, issued on the Atlantic-distributed Stax label in 1966.
The album reached number one on the ''Billboard'' R&B Albums chart and number 45 on the ''Billboa ...
" (
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwri ...
,
David Porter) — 8:52
# "
Chain of Fools
"Chain of Fools" is a song written by Don Covay. Aretha Franklin first released the song as a single in 1967 and subsequently it appeared on many of her albums. It hit number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rhythm & Blues chart and number two on ...
" (
Don Covay
Donald James Randolph (March 24, 1936 – January 31, 2015), better known by the stage name Don Covay, was an American R&B, rock and roll, and soul singer-songwriter most active from the 1950s to the 1970s.
His most successful recordings incl ...
) — 10:42
# "
Battle Hymn of the Republic
The "Battle Hymn of the Republic", also known as "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" or "Glory, Glory Hallelujah" outside of the United States, is a popular American patriotic song written by the abolitionist writer Julia Ward Howe.
Howe wrote her l ...
" (Traditional, arranged by Herbie Mann) — 7:12
Personnel
* Herbie Mann – flute
*
Reggie Young
Reggie Grimes Young Jr. (December 12, 1936 – January 17, 2019) was an American musician who was lead guitarist in the American Sound Studio house band, The Memphis Boys, and was a leading session musician. He played on various recordings with ...
– guitar
*
Bobby Emmons
Bobby Gene Emmons (February 19, 1943 – February 23, 2015) was an American keyboard player and songwriter. He was an active session musician in Memphis, Tennessee, and was the keyboardist of The Memphis Boys, playing keyboards on tracks by E ...
– organ
* Bobby Wood – electric and acoustic piano
*
Gene Chrisman
The American Sound Studio was a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee which operated from 1964 to 1972. Founded by Chips Moman, the studio at 827 Thomas Street came to be known as American North, and the studio at 2272 Deadrick Street ...
– drums
*
Tommy Cogbill
Thomas Clark Cogbill (April 8, 1932 – December 7, 1982) was an American bassist, guitarist and record producer known for his work in R&B, soul and country music.
Life and career
Cogbill was born in Johnson Grove, Tennessee. He was a high ...
or Mike Leech - Fender bass (individual tracks not specified)
* Also appearing on selected tracks:
*
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer, vibraphone player, and music producer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Pol ...
– vibes, conga on "Battle Hymn of the Republic"
*
Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist.
Early life
Larry Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas, United States. He never knew his biological father, a musician. He w ...
– guitar
*
Sonny Sharrock
Warren Harding "Sonny" Sharrock (August 27, 1940 – May 25, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. He was married to singer Linda Sharrock, with whom he recorded and performed.
One of only a few prominent guitarists who participated in the firs ...
– guitar
*
Miroslav Vitouš
Miroslav Ladislav Vitouš (born 6 December 1947) is a Czech jazz bassist.
Biography
Born in Prague, Vitouš began the violin at age six, switching to piano after about three years, and then to bass at age fourteen. As a young man in Europe, ...
- Fender bass on "Hold On, I'm Comin'"
;Technical
*
Tom Dowd
Thomas John Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multitrack recording method. Dowd worked on a veritable "who's who" of recordings ...
– producer and engineer
*
Joel Brodsky
Joel Lee Brodsky (October 7, 1939 – March 1, 2007) was an American photographer, best known for his photography of musicians, particularly his iconic "Young Lion" photographs of Jim Morrison. In his lifetime, he is credited with photographing o ...
– cover photograph
*
William Albert Allard
William Albert Allard (born 1937) is an American documentary photographer who worked in color from 1964.
He was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of Minnesota in 1994, the Joseph A Sprague Memorial Award from the Nation ...
– back liner photograph
Renditions
In 1993, flutist
Alexander Zonjic
Alexander Zonjic (Serbian Cyrillic: Александар Зоњић; born April 30, 1951) is a flutist born in Windsor, Ontario, who performs both light jazz and classical compositions in the United States, based in Detroit, Michigan.
He is the s ...
covered the title track in his album "Passion."
See also
*
1969 in music
List of notable events in music that took place in the year 1969.
__TOC__
Specific locations
* 1969 in British music
* 1969 in Norwegian music
Specific genres
* 1969 in country music
*1969 in jazz
Events
Summary
Perhaps the two most famo ...
*
Herbie Mann discography
This is a Herbie Mann discography. Mann spent his early years recording for a number of jazz oriented record labels, and signed with Atlantic Records in 1961. He recorded with them through the 1960s and 1970s, including their subsidiary Cotillion R ...
References
{{Authority control
1969 albums
Atlantic Records albums
Herbie Mann albums
Albums produced by Tom Dowd
Albums with cover art by Joel Brodsky