Bobby King

Not to end up being confused using the past due R&B singer from the same name, Bobby Ruler is a superb, though underexposed, jazz reedman/pianist that has played a number of instruments and may handle outside and inside playing similarly well. The L.A. indigenous moved around a whole lot over time, living in NY aswell as SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, Cleveland, and NEVADA. Classically trained in the Juilliard College of Music, Ruler got his 1st break in jazz when, in 1956, Lionel Hampton employed him for any UNITED STATES tour in the suggestion of pianist Elmo Wish. Ruler toured with Stan Kenton in 1960 and continued to try out live with Ray Charles, Sonny Rollins, Philly Joe Jones, Sonny Stitt, and a number of others in the 1960s. On stage, he performed many two-tenor duets with Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, and 1967 discovered him sitting along with John Coltrane at New York’s Town Vanguard. But regrettably, King’s live shows weren’t extremely well-documented, and his studio room albums like a innovator were few in number. King’s debut recording as innovator, Staten Isle Blues, was documented for the Jazzer label in 1965 and used such notables as vibist Mike Mainieri, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Mickey Roker. He continued to record five even more albums for numerous labels before employing trumpeter Expenses Shew, pianist Expenses Mays, drummer Shelly Manne, as well as others for the outstanding In the Outer Kingdom in 1983. The recording proceeded to go unreleased until 1995, when it arrived on Del-Fi. Aside from Kingdom, non-e of King’s albums became on Compact disc. The past due ’90s found Ruler continuing to try out live around L.A.