A.C. Reed

To listen to tenor saxist A.C. Reed bemoan his destiny on-stage, one might glean the impression that he really detests his work. But from the tongue-in-cheek issue — Reed’s raspy, gutbucket blowing and laid-back vocals belie any feeling of boredom. Sax-blowing blues bandleaders are scarce as hen’s tooth in Chicago; apart from Eddie Shaw, Reed’s about all there’s. Blessed in Missouri, youthful Aaron Corthen (whether he’s linked to blues star Jimmy Reed continues to be hazy, but his laconic vocal drawl certainly mirrors his namesake) was raised in downstate Illinois. A big-band enthusiast, he enjoyed the audio of Paul Bascomb’s horn with an obscure Erskine Hawkins 78 he noticed tracking on the tavern jukebox a lot that he was motivated to get a sax himself. Arriving in Chicago through the battle years, he found continuous gigs with Earl Hooker and Willie Mabon prior to the ’40s had been over. In 1956, he became a member of pushes with ex-Ike Turner cohort Dennis “Long Guy” Binder, gigging over the southwest for a long period. Reed became a very important session participant for manufacturer Mel London’s Age group and Chief brands through the early ’60s; furthermore to playing on edges by Lillian Offitt, Ricky Allen, and Hooker, he cut a locally well-known 1961 one of his very own for Age group, “This Little Tone of voice.” Even more gems for Age group — “Seriously House,” “Mean Cop,” “I Stay Mad” — implemented. He cut 45s for USA in 1963 (“I’d Rather Combat Than Change”), Great (“My Baby IS OKAY,” a tune he’s recut countless situations since) and Nike (“Talkin’ ‘Bout My Close friends”) in 1966, and “Stuff I’D LIKE You to accomplish” in 1969 for T.D.S. Reed became a member of Buddy Guy’s music group in 1967, going to Africa using the mercurial guitarist in 1969 and, after harpist Junior Wells teamed with Man, touring as starting action for the Rolling Rocks in 1970. He still left the make use of of Man and Wells once and for all in 1977, and then attach with Alligator serves Son Seals, and the Master from the Telecaster, Albert Collins. Reed made an appearance on Collins’ initial five icy Alligator LPs, like the seminal Glaciers Pickin’. During his tenure with Collins, Reed’s single career begun to reignite, with four slashes on the next batch of Alligator’s Living Chicago Blues anthologies in 1980 and two following LPs of his very own, 1982’s Consider These Blues and Shove ‘Em! (on Glaciers Cube Information, a logo design co-owned by Reed and drummer Casey Jones) and I’m in the incorrect Business! five years later on for Alligator (with cameos by Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Ray Vaughan). Until his loss of life from tumor in Feb of 2004, Reed continued to be an active push for the Chicago circuit along with his music group the Spark Plugs (obtain it? AC spark plugs? Sure you perform!).