As a young boy in Detroit and Highland Park, Michigan I saw T-Bone Walker, Ivory Joe Hunter and Amos Milburn - Texas Blues Men - perform on the Ed McKenzie weekly Saturday television program that began in 1954. I also remember seeing Art Tatum, Charlie Parker, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Charlie Ventura on McKenzie's show. What a thrill for a grade school kid. Take a look at the Ed Mckenzie Collection website at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. It contains 67 photographs of musicians who appeared on his radio and television shows.
http://chwmaah-archive.com/?page_id=3413&album=9&gallery=12
I also remember watching the fledgling NBA basketball games on Saturdays too. This was during the period in the NBA's reign when the only Black players that I knew of were Earl Lloyd and Nat "SweetWater" Clifton.
Charles Brown, "T-Bone" Walker, Ivory Joe Hunter and Amos Milburn were of Texas, as were my mother and her parents. I must have heard these wonderful musicians on the radio, because their music has been with me for such a long time - since grade school! I've always liked my blues with guitars and horns. In addition, I preferred bluesmen in the company of jazz musicians (or rather jazzmen in the company of bluesmen). These Texas bluesmen were very able pianists. "T-Bone" Walker was a great guitarist. And to my way of hearing, Charles Brown was a great pianist. There's a snap and twang to their playing that I associate with Texas tenormen - Booker Erwin, Dewey Redman, Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb, Ornette Coleman and others. It's almost a "T-Bone" Walker guitar sound on the tenor saxophone. I've had the great fortune of hearing these saxophone magicians in person.
http://chwmaah-archive.com/?page_id=3413&album=9&gallery=12
I also remember watching the fledgling NBA basketball games on Saturdays too. This was during the period in the NBA's reign when the only Black players that I knew of were Earl Lloyd and Nat "SweetWater" Clifton.
Charles Brown, "T-Bone" Walker, Ivory Joe Hunter and Amos Milburn were of Texas, as were my mother and her parents. I must have heard these wonderful musicians on the radio, because their music has been with me for such a long time - since grade school! I've always liked my blues with guitars and horns. In addition, I preferred bluesmen in the company of jazz musicians (or rather jazzmen in the company of bluesmen). These Texas bluesmen were very able pianists. "T-Bone" Walker was a great guitarist. And to my way of hearing, Charles Brown was a great pianist. There's a snap and twang to their playing that I associate with Texas tenormen - Booker Erwin, Dewey Redman, Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb, Ornette Coleman and others. It's almost a "T-Bone" Walker guitar sound on the tenor saxophone. I've had the great fortune of hearing these saxophone magicians in person.
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