Artist:Sam Price
Song:Rib Joint
Album:Rockin' the Joint
For most of his long career, Sam Price was a session musician. He recorded as a leader occasionally but he was too busy to care about commercial success. Today he is considered to be highly influential on Rock 'n' Roll with his jump blues style. He was born Oct. 6, 1908 in the small North Texas town of Honey Grove. Price is so obscure that he isn't listed as a famous Honey Grove native. After studying piano, he moved to Dallas to work in a music store. Price started out playing in local clubs. His big break came in 1938 when Decca Records hired him as a session musician. He worked for Decca from 1938-54. Though he would occasionally record as Sam Price and his Texas Bluesicians, he was usually a sideman for among others Cow Cow Davenport, Trixie Smith, Joe Turner, Delta Rhythm Boys, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sidney Bechet and plenty more. Price also worked with Lester Young, Jimmy Rushing and Henry "Red" Allen. After Price left Decca, he recorded for various labels. Rib Joint was released as a single by Savoy Records as Sam Price and his Texas Bluesicians. It says on the cover of this 2019 Jasmine Records release that it contains two Price albums. Rib Joint was on the 1956 album Rock with Sam Price and his Orchestra. It's a killer band with a young Mickey Baker on guitar and an even younger (22 years old) King Curtis on tenor sax. So this is a must for fans of both guys. The rest of the band is jazz bassist Leonard Gaskin and former Benny Goodman drummer Bobby Donaldson. Guitarist Kenny Burrell also appears on this album. Though Price continued to record occasionally, he was a big civil rights activist in the 60s. And in the 70s, he headlined at New York's Roosevelt Hotel at their New Orleans themed restaurant Crawdaddy. Sam Price died on Apr. 14,1992 at age 83. Maybe he shouldn't be so obscure. Here's a video of Rib Joint by Sam Price.
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