Retrospective
Montreux 71
My friend and student Fred Paterno gave me the audio from a radio broadcast of this show over 30 years ago. Claude Nobs has archived every performance at Montreux and I saw them in pristine quality during the 40th Anniversary festival in 2006. Thank you all for posting the videos.
The performance of Aretha Franklin, at the Montreux Jazz Festival on June 12th, 1971 was the last live performance with the King Curtis and the Kingpins band that also recorded Aretha Franklin Live At The Filmore West. Billy Preston, Poncho Morales and the Memphis Horns were replaced with Truman Thomas, Warren Smith, Danny Moore, Martin Banks, and others. This was the way Aretha and King envisioned the music which took the studio versions up a notch, and not just in tempo.
It was the next to the last stop of the tour with Aretha that started in February in Houston, Texas and 3 months after the historic Filmore West shows. King Curtis always brought the heat so we were all on fire!
During the days leading up to and following our performances we hung out with the other musicians and artist that included Roberta Flack, Freddie Hubbard, Mongo Santamaria, Gato Barbieri, Roy Ayers and Champion Jack Dupree. On June 17th after a 30 minute rehearsal with Champion Jack in the afternoon, we performed that evening for a live show broadcast, throughout Europe with Oliver Jackson on drums while Bernard Purdie took a business trip to Germany. I didn't know it but that would be my last performance with King Curtis. The Newport Jazz Festival was our next stop but our 4th of July, Saturday night show was cancelled after rowdy fans crashed the gates on Friday, July 3rd causing the death of Susan Solo and the city of Newport shut down both concerts.
When King Curtis appeared in my Yonkers, New York kitchen
the very next morning after his death in front of his house on west 86th
St in Manhattan, the previous evening of August 13th, I began a spiritual
journey that helped me to survive a near fatal auto accident 16 months
later. As a result of the accident and the injuries, life as I knew it
would slowly slip away but my new found belief led me to this new life
of true happiness and contentment through the practice of Nichiren Shoshu
Buddhism. Your appreciation has made me look at theses videos with a new
set of eyes fore they have become a bench mark for me to work around. Much thanks. I hope you all enjoy these clips.
AUDIO 9 MINUTES Memphis Soul Stew- King Curtis
Ridin’ Thumb – King Curtis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfRN5cLTI5I
Share Your Love With Me – Aretha Franklin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yLlvywMDEY
Call Me – Aretha Franklin
|
| close window | |