Eddie Vinson

American saxophonist and blues shouter (1917–1988)

Eddie Vinson

Vinson in May 1980.

Background information
Birth name| Edward L. Vinson Jr.
Also known as| Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
Born| (1917-12-18)December 18, 1917
Houston, Texas, United States
Died| July 2, 1988(1988-07-02) (aged 70)
Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres| Jump blues,[1] R&B,[1] jazz
Occupation(s)| Saxophonist, singer, composer
Years active| 1930s–1988
Labels| King Records, Mercury, Black & Blue, ABC-BluesWay, Muse

Musical artist

Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (born Edward L. Vinson Jr.; December 18, 1917 - July 2, 1988) was an American jump blues, jazz, bebop and R&B alto saxophonist and blues shouter.[1] He was nicknamed "Cleanhead" after an incident in which his hair was accidentally removed by lye contained in a hair-straightening product, necessitating shaving it off; enamoured of the look, Vinson maintained a shaved head thereafter.[2][3] Music critic Robert Christgau has called Vinson "one of the cleanest, and nastiest, blues voices you'll ever hear."[4]

## Biography

[edit]

Vinson was born in Houston, Texas.[5] He started out with Milton Larkin's orchestra in the 1930s.[5] At various times, he was with Tom Archia, while other members of the band included Cedric Haywood and Wild Bill Davis. He then played for Big Bill Broonzy.[5] During the 1940s, he was with the Cootie Williams Orchestra. He recorded such tunes as "Cherry Red".[6]

There is some controversy over who composed "Four".[7]

He died aged 70 in 1988, from a heart attack while undergoing chemotherapy,[8] in Los Angeles, California.[9][10]

## Discography

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Notes  | Genre  | Label

|
|
|
|

1957  | Clean Head's Back in Town | with Joe Newman, Henry Coker, Bill Graham, Frank Foster, Paul Quinichette, Charlie Rouse, Charles Fowlkes, Nat Pierce, Freddie Green, Turk Van Lake, Ed Jones, Gus Johnson, Ed Thigpen | Blues, Jazz  | Bethlehem; Charly
1962  | Back Door Blues | with Cannonball Adderley Quintet; some tracks and alternate takes released as Cleanhead & Cannonball on Landmark | Blues, Jazz  | Riverside; Fresh Sound
1967  | Cherry Red | with Mike Bloomfield | Blues  | ABC/Bluesway; One Way
1969  | Kidney Stew is Fine | with T-Bone Walker and Jay McShann; also released as Wee Baby Blues on Black & Blue | Jump Blues, Swing Jazz  | Delmark
1969 [1984]  | Live! in France | with Jay McShann  | Jump Blues, Swing Jazz  | Black & Blue
1970  | The Original Cleanhead | with Artie Butler, David Cohen, Joe Pass, Arthur Wright, Earl Palmer, Plas Johnson | Blues  | Bluestime/Flying Dutchman; Ace
1971  | You Can't Make Love Alone | Live at the 1971 Montreux Jazz Festival | Blues  | Mega/Flying Dutchman
1974 [1975]  | Jamming the Blues | Live in Montreux  | Blues  | Black Lion
1978  | The "Clean" Machine | with Lloyd Glenn | Blues, Jazz  | Muse
1978 [1981]  | Live at Sandy's (Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson and the Muse All Stars)  | with Arnett Cobb and Buddy Tate | Jump Blues, Swing Jazz  | Muse 5208
1978 [1984]  | Hold It Right There! (Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson and the Muse All Stars)  | with Arnett Cobb and Buddy Tate  | Jump Blues, Swing Jazz  | Muse 5243
1979 [2003]  | Redux: Live at the Keystone Korner | with Larry Vuckovich | Blues, Jazz  | Savant
1980  | Kansas City Shout | with Count Basie and Big Joe Turner | Blues, Jazz  | Pablo
1980  | Fun in London | with John Burch, Lennie Bush, Bobby Orr  | Blues, Jazz  | JSP
1981  | I Want a Little Girl | with Art Hillery, Cal Green, John Heard, Roy McCurdy, Martin Banks, Rashid Jamal Ali  | Blues, Jazz  | Pablo
1982  | Mr. Cleanhead's Back in Town | with Stan Greig, Les Davidson, Paul Sealey, Martin Guy  | Blues, Jazz  | JSP
1982  | Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson & Roomful of Blues | with Roomful of Blues | Blues, Jump Blues  | Muse; Rockbeat
1986  | Blues in the Night Volume One: The Early Show | Live in Los Angeles with Etta James | Blues  | Fantasy
1986 [1987]  | The Late Show: Blues in the Night, Volume 2 | Live in Los Angeles with Etta James  | Blues  | Fantasy
1987  | Oscar Peterson + Harry Edison + Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson | with Oscar Peterson and Harry "Sweets" Edison | Jazz  | Pablo
1996  | Kidney Stew (The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions) | with T-Bone Walker and Jay McShann  | Jump Blues, Swing Jazz  | Black & Blue
2003  | Bald Headed Blues (His Complete King Recordings 1949-1952) | compilation  | Jump Blues  | Ace
2006  | Honk for Texas (1942–1954) | with Cootie Williams and Big Jim Wynn; 4-CD box set; compilation  | Jump Blues  | JSP
2007  | Blues, Boogie & Bebop – Meat's Too High | compilation of Fun in London and Mr. Cleanhead's Back in Town | Blues, Jazz  | JSP
2008  | Jumpin' the Blues (The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions) | with Jay McShann  | Jump Blues, Swing Jazz  | Black & Blue
2019  | Mr. Cleanhead Blows His Greatest Hits (Selected Singles 1944-1950) | compilation  | Jump Blues  | Jasmine

With Oliver Nelson

* Swiss Suite (Flying Dutchman, 1971 [rel. 1972])

With Arnett Cobb and the Muse All Stars

* Live at Sandy's! (Muse 5191, 1978 [rel. 1980])
* More Arnett Cobb and the Muse All Stars (Live at Sandy's!) (Muse 5236, 1978 [rel. 1983])

With Buddy Tate and the Muse All Stars

* Live at Sandy's (Muse 5198, 1978 [rel. 1980])
* Hard Blowin' (Live at Sandy's) (Muse 5249, 1978 [rel. 1984])

With Helen Humes and the Muse All Stars

* Helen Humes and the Muse All Stars (Muse 5217, 1978 [rel. 1980]) - with Arnett Cobb and Buddy Tate

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The IllustratedEncyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 181\. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
2. ^ Otis, Johnny. Upside Your Head!: Rhythm and Blues on Central Avenue, Wesleyan University Press, p. 34 (1993) - ISBN 0-8195-6287-4
3. ^ "Vinson Eddie "Cleanhead"". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
4. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: V". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 21, 2019 - via robertchristgau.com.
5. ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 1219–20\. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
6. ^ Vladimir, Bogdanov. All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues, Backbeat Books, pg. 571 (2002); ISBN 0-87930-736-6
7. ^ Koster, Rick. Texas Music, St. Martin's Press, pg. 319 (2000); ISBN 0-312-25425-3
8. ^ Doc Rock. "The 1980s". The Dead Rock Stars Club. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
9. ^ "Eddie (Cleanhead) Vinson, 70, Alto Saxophonist and Blues Singer". New York Times. July 4, 1988.
10. ^ "Obituaries : E. Vinson; Bluesman, Saxophonist". Los Angeles Times. July 3, 1988.

## External links

[edit]

* Houston's own, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson!
* NBR: Blues and Jazz Get Rollicking Together
* Blues Lyrics: Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson at the Wayback Machine (archived October 27, 2009)
* All About Jazz: Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
* 'I Remember Eddie Cleanhead Vinson', by Steve Holt

* v
* t
* e

Eddie Vinson

Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, unless stated otherwise.

Studio albums|

* Clean Head's Back in Town (1957)
* Back Door Blues (1961 & 1962)
* Cherry Red (1967)
* Kidney Stew Is Fine (1969)
* The Original Cleanhead (1969)
* The "Clean" Machine (1978)
* Kansas City Shout (1980)
* I Want a Little Girl (1981)
* Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson & Roomful of Blues (1982)
* Oscar Peterson + Harry Edison + Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (1986)

Live albums|

* You Can't Make Love Alone (1971)
* Live at Sandy's (1978)
* Hold It Right There! (1978)

Authority control databases

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* ISNI
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Artists|

* MusicBrainz

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* DDB

Other|

* IdRef
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