Conrad Frederick

The pianist Conrad Frederick appears to have been extremely busy in the ’40s and ’50s, wandering around recording studios in the brand new York Town area, expressing himself in a number of styles including R&B, doo wop, gospel, as well as softcore pornography. Discographer Tom Lord accuses him to be a jazz musician on what may be one of is own earliest recording periods in 1940, but from wherever that was he proceeded to a normal function as piano accompanist using the Golden Gate Quartet, an exceptionally popular gospel tranquility group. As the ’40s symbolized a blossoming in industrial recognition for the sanctified musical blossom, many performers such as for example Frederick nonetheless finished up tilling the secular row. By the first ’50s Frederick was producing himself designed for classes with vocal organizations that were not really interested in performing about salvation, an example becoming the Del Rio Sisters in 1953. Studio room bandleader Fred Norman place the pianist in outstanding company, otherwise referred to as the “regulars,” a clutch that included trumpeter Taft Jordan, drummer Bobby Donaldson, and bassist Milt Hinton. As the preliminary practice during this time period in the music business had not been to credit program players, occupied bees in the study hives of potential decades have recorded just how nice it had been. Frederick joined a fascinating trio with guitarist Mundell Lowe and bassist Arvell Shaw, all of the instrumentation Dean Barlow as well as the Crickets appeared to possess needed. Another amazing group including this pianist was the tempo section vocalist and songwriter Otis Blackwell employed in 1954, offering Frederick alongside drummer Panama Francis and bassist Frank Carroll. Heading from your Golden Gate Quartet to the classes just mentioned is usually a fairly common progression for music artists from Frederick’s history. With regards to Vicki Ford, nevertheless, the current presence of a guy who had performed gospel music might increase several eyebrows. Ford, certainly even more talented like a model when compared to a vocalist, recorded a set of cover variations of naughty blues ditties that experienced already produced controversy on the Faye Richmond recording entitled Girlesque. For Frederick to become presented as the single accompanist on music entitled “My Pussy Belongs to Daddy” and “Tony’s Got Scorching Nuts” is certainly historically speaking not outrageous. On the height from the traditional blues craze, he’d have been regarded a typical functioning program pianist. The ’50s was a different period compared to the ’20s, nevertheless, a lot more repressive, therefore Frederick was lucky never to have already been tossed in the hoosegow for his involvement in these recordings. Frederick’s set of credits being a composer are scant, but once again display something of the astonishing breadth. Once more one end from the spectrum may be the Golden Gate Quartet, for whom he helped arrange the versatile traditional hymn “Anyhow.” On the various other end from the hundred years, the hip-hop action JT Playaz sampled a few of Frederick’s playing for a bit entitled “Simply Playin’,” crediting him within a genre that didn’t also can be found when the pianist himself was energetic.