Spirit of the Black Territory Bands
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| Spirit of the Black Territory Bands | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Label | Arhoolie[1] | |||
| Producer | Johnny Otis, Tom Morgan | |||
| Johnny Otis chronology | ||||
| ||||
Spirit of the Black Territory Bands is an album by the American musician Johnny Otis, credited as Johnny Otis and His Orchestra.[2][3] It was released in 1992.[4] The album is a tribute to the music of the territory bands of Otis's youth; Otis played with several such bands in the 1940s.[5][6]
The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance".[7][8]
Production
[edit]The album was produced by Otis and Tom Morgan.[9][10] Otis's son, Shuggie, played guitar and helped to arrange the songs. His other son, Nicky, played drums.[11] Otis employed a 10-piece horn section.[12] The album was largely made up of Count Basie and Duke Ellington songs.[13] The album cover is a painting by Otis.[14]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [15] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
| MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide | [16] |
The San Francisco Chronicle wrote that "the arrangements lay curling, fine-point filigree behind blasting individual efforts with a prevailing robust spirit that simply smokes."[12]
AllMusic deemed the album "competent but hardly thrilling."[15] The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings noted Otis's "continued engagement with jazz," and concluded that "it's unlikely that swing fans will be disappointed."[17]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Swinging the Blues" | |
| 2. | "Margie" | |
| 3. | "You're Drivin' Me Crazy / Moten Swing" | |
| 4. | "The Mooche" | |
| 5. | "Flying Home" | |
| 6. | "Harlem Nocturne" | |
| 7. | "Jumpin' at the Woodside" | |
| 8. | "Sophisticated Lady" | |
| 9. | "Jumpin' the Blues" | |
| 10. | "Creole Love Call" | |
| 11. | "Rock-a-Bye Basie" |
References
[edit]- ^ Vacher, Peter (September 17, 2015). Swingin' on Central Avenue: African American Jazz in Los Angeles. Rowman & Littlefield.
- ^ Ouellette, Dan (Mar 1993). "Johnny Otis". DownBeat. Vol. 60, no. 3. p. 14.
- ^ "Lowell Fulson & Johnny Otis To Headline Troyce Key Music Scholarship Fund Benefit". Oakland Post. Vol. 29, no. 106. 28 Apr 1993. p. 9.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 353.
- ^ Toombs, Mikel (March 20, 1991). "Otis' drive: Keep black music alive". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. C1.
- ^ Hale, Mike (October 16, 1994). "Roots of Rhythm & Blues: Johnny Otis Plants His Feet and Makes Real an Old Dream". Arts. San Jose Mercury News. p. 3.
- ^ "Johnny Otis". Recording Academy. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
- ^ Clark, Rick (Mar 26, 1994). "Know Your Neighbors". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 13. p. 84.
- ^ The Encyclopedia of Record Producers. Billboard Books. 1999. p. 600.
- ^ Otis, Johnny (November 19, 1993). Upside Your Head!: Rhythm and Blues on Central Avenue. Wesleyan University Press.
- ^ Lipsitz, George (July 31, 2010). Midnight at the Barrelhouse: The Johnny Otis Story. U of Minnesota Press.
- ^ a b Selvin, Joel. "Johnny Otis and His Orchestra: Spirit of the Black Territory Bands". Sunday Datebook. San Francisco Chronicle. p. 39.
- ^ Jowers, Andrew (16 Nov 1994). "Shuggie Otis Back on the Blues Scene". The Press Democrat. p. P1.
- ^ "Johnny Otis: Black by Persuasion". JazzTimes. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Johnny Otis Spirit of the Black Territory Bands". AllMusic.
- ^ MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 438.
- ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books Ltd. 2006. p. 507.
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