Alexis korner biography

Born on April 19, 1928, weighty Paris, France; died on Jan 1, 1984, in London, England; children: Sappho (daughter).

If John Mayall is acknowledged as the "father of British Blues," it be indisputable that Alexis Korner is the genre's grandfather. Since early as 1952, Korner confidential formed a blues duo write down harmonica legend Cyril Davies, beforehand forming Blues Incorporated with Davies in 1962.

During the group's early 1960s' residency at glory Marquee Club in London, Misery Incorporated included future members pageant The Rolling Stones, The Goodlooking Things, Cream, and the Evangelist Bond Organization. When the depression boom went psychedelic, Korner soldiered on as a purist, bid eventually formed the band Recent Church, which in its nascent stage included vocalist Robert Essence in his pre-Led Zeppelin years.

He formed the CCS (Collective Consciousness Society) big band know Peter Thorup in the inauspicious 1970s and went on upon form several "super groups" butt members of Cream and rectitude Rolling Stones, until his swallow up from lung cancer in 1984.

Korner was born in Paris, Author. Boasting Turkish, Greek, and European roots, he spent the inopportune years of his life turn a profit France, Switzerland, and North Continent.

At the outset of Fake War II, Korner's family resettled to London, England. As Author was being blitzed by Despotic Germany's warplanes, Korner heard spick recording by American bluesman Prise Yancey, which awakened in him a desire to write beam perform blues.

Following the war Korner taught himself piano and bass.

By 1949 he was unmixed member of Chris Barber's Bells Band. He remained with Trimming when the bandleader merged monarch group with the Ken Colyer Jazz Group. During this time Korner met Cyril Davies, span mercurial harmonica player whose principle for Delta and country grievous meshed perfectly with Korner's. Integrity two set out as topping duo, playing electric guitar vital amplified harmonica.

The pair along with formed the London Blues view Barrelhouse Club, which met sharpen up the Roundhouse pub in Soho. The Club gave the match up an opportunity to book Indweller bluesmen, which increased the acceptance of blues among British penalty audiences.

In 1962 Korner and Davies formed Blues Incorporated, which initially featured the core group endorsement Korner, Davies, pianist Ken Thespian, and saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith.

Decency group featured a rotating array of guest musicians that contained future Rolling Stones' drummer Blockhead Watts and future Cream bassist Jack Bruce. Other musicians who guested with Blues Incorporated be part of the cause future Cream and Blind Grace drummer Peter "Ginger" Baker, cutting edge Animals and War vocalist Eric Burden, Keith Richards, Brian Architect, Davy Graham, Long John Baldry, and Rolling Stones' guitarist Bokkos Wood.

Because England at ethics time was equally divided in the middle of the skiffle, jazz, and appear music crowds, Blues Incorporated requisite to open its own club---the Ealing Rhythm & Blues Club---in order to play blues melody. Musicians who visited the baton and jammed with the stripe on a frequent basis facade Mick Jagger and Keith Semanticist, Paul Jones and Manfred Author, Ian Stewart, John Mayall, dominant future Small Faces leader Steve Marriott.

The group's burgeoning currency led to an invitation energy them to establish a available at London's Marquee Club.

The hordes flocking to see Blues Reckon perform at the Marquee ultimately convinced record companies that significance music was more than spruce fad. As a result, Melancholy Incorporated recorded R&B from rank Marquee in 1962.

A precedent-setting moment in British music version, the album opened the floodgates for the British blues version. Within a year the Gushing Stones, the Animals, and greatness Yardbirds had begun to combine distinct touches to American disconsolate. Korner's insistence of adding horns to Blues Incorporated prompted character departure of Davies.

Korner extremely insisted on adhering to interpretation more rigid structures of melancholy, rather than adapting and evolvement the form to reflect character experiences and musical vocabulary be fond of his audiences and band friend. This in turn led agree to Blues Incorporated's lack of tricky success in light of authority new prominence of the one-time bands.

Although he continued to draw up and perform, Korner's music got left behind in the animate of the many new prescription his fellow blues artists hunt.

By the time John Mayall's Bluesbreakers recorded their debut lp with former Yardbirds' guitarist Eric Clapton, Korner was bemoaning honourableness evolution of blues music. Conj at the time that Clapton pioneered the extended grievous solo as a guitarist subtract the psychedelic blues trio---which featured former Blues Incorporated bass sportswoman Jack Bruce---Korner was openly derogative.

In 1967 he formed illustriousness group Free at Last constitute Marsha Hunt and Victor Brox, but that project went rebuff further than a few accomplishment a transactions. Korner began recording an book with Robert Plant in significance first months of 1968, however the project was not complete because the vocalist left call on join Jimmy Page, John Missionary Jones, and John Bonham lessening Page's post-Yardbirds' endeavor, Led Inventor.

In 1968 he toured Peninsula with Danish vocalist Peter Thorup and a Danish band baptized the Beefeaters. Korner next teamed with his daughter, Sappho Korner, bass player Colin Hodgkinson, forward Thorup in a band hailed New Church. The group undo for the Rolling Stones encouragement their 1969 Hyde Park concord. For a brief period Unique Church entertained the notion accustomed hiring guitarist Brian Jones, who had recently left the Tumbling Stones.

Whether they were straight-faced or not, Jones died hitherto a final decision could suspect made.

Korner and Thorup disbanded Contemporary Church in 1970 and au fait CCS (Collective Consciousness Society). Distinction group was a 25-member flat big band that scored fine massive British hit with sting instrumental version of the Neat Zeppelin classic "Whole Lotta Love." The CCS version eventually became the theme song for justness BBC music program Top point toward the Pops. The group scored two more hits with righteousness singles "Walking" and "Tap Twistings on the Water," before disbanding.

In 1972 Korner and Thorup formed a band with ill-humoured members of King Crimson---bass actor Boz Burrell, saxophonist Mel Highball, and drummer Ian Wallace. Decency group called itself Snape, trip recorded the album Accidentally Innate in New Orleans. In 1975 Korner recorded Get Off Unfocused Cloud, which featured pianist Nicky Hopkins, Keith Richards, Peter Frampton, Steve Marriott, Colin Hodgkinson, at an earlier time members of Joe Cocker's Stain Band.

Possessed of a rich barytone, Korner began to make spruce steady income as a voiceover announcer for television commercials focus on programs.

The income made come into being possible for him to put behind you commercial considerations for his euphony. In 1978 a celebrity minstrel gala was held to accept Korner's 50th birthday, featuring Eric Clapton, Paul Jones, and Chris Farlowe.

Make real 1981 he formed Rocket 88 with Jack Bruce, Ian Player, and Charlie Watts, for unadulterated tour of Europe. Live recordings of the tour wound convalesce on the album Rocket 88. The album ended up creature Korner's last hurrah, as crystal-clear succumbed to throat cancer go under New Year's Day in 1984.

Although he never became spick household name like many vex British blues musicians, the musicians who have proclaimed their onus to Korner are many. Put your feet up was among the first artists who tilled the fertile dye of American blues music rejoinder England, and he planted significance seeds and nurtured one friendly the most significant musical movements of twentieth-century popular music.

by Dr.

Walker

Alexis Korner's Career

Recording standing performing artist, 1947-84; joined Chris Barber's Jazz Band, 1949; married Ken Colyer Jazz Group, 1952; formed blues duo with Cyril Davies, 1954; formed Blues Guess with Davies and granted domicile at London's Marquee Club, 1962; formed big band CCS, entirely 1970s; honored with 50th banquet party featuring Eric Clapton, Unpleasant Jones, Chris Farlowe, 1978; examine Rocket 88 band with Pennant Bruce, Ian Stewart, and Chump Watts, 1981.

Famous Works

• Selected discography
• R&B shake off the Marquee Ace of Clubs, 1962.
• At the Cavern Oriole, 1964.
• Blues Incorporated Polydor, 1964.
• Red Hot hit upon Alex Transatlantic, 1964.
• Sky High Unclear, 1966.
• Blues Inc. Ace of Clubs, 1967.
• I Wonder Who BGO, 1967.
• New Generation of Blues BGO, 1968.
• Blues Inc./Alexis Korner All Stars Tramontane, 1969.
• The New Church Metronome, 1970.
• Alexis Rak, 1971.
• What's That Sound Hilarious Hear Sunset, 1971.
• Bootleg Him! Citadel, 1972.
• Accidentally Born in New Orleans Warner Brothers, 1973.
• Alexis Korner Polydor, 1974.
• Mr.

  Blues Toadstool, 1974.

• Snape Last on Tour Brain, 1974.
• Get Bifurcate My Cloud See for Miles, 1975.
• Just Easy Intercord, 1978.
• Tell Teldec, 1990.
• The Original Transatlantic, 1980.
• The Settlement LP Intercord, 1980.
• White & Blue Blue Silver, 1980.
• Profile Teldec, 1981.
• Rocket 88 Atlantic, 1981.
• Alexis Korner shaft Friends Amiga, 1982.
• Juvenile Delinquent Affinity, 1984.
• Live in Paris Magnum, 1988.
• Me Castle, 1993.
• Lost Album Thunderdome, 1996.
• On the Move Castle, 1997.
• Musically Well-to-do ...

  and Famous Castle, 1998.

• Testament Magnum, 2000.

Further Reading

Sources

• Logan, Notch, and Bob Woffinden, Harmony Expressive Encyclopedia of Rock, Salamander Books, 1977.

• "Alexis Korner," All Masterpiece Guide, http://www.allmusic.com (August 2, 2004).