Spirit of the Black Territory Bands

1992 studio album by Johnny Otis

Spirit of the Black Territory Bands

Studio album by

Johnny Otis

Released| 1992
Label| Arhoolie[1]
Producer| Johnny Otis, Tom Morgan
Johnny Otis chronology
| Let's Live It Up
(1991)  | Spirit of the Black Territory Bands
(1992)  | Otisology
(1995)

|
|

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]

Professional ratingsReview 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]

1. ^ Vacher, Peter (September 17, 2015). Swingin' on Central Avenue: African American Jazz in Los Angeles. Rowman & Littlefield.
2. ^ Ouellette, Dan (March 1993). "Johnny Otis". DownBeat. Vol. 60, no. 3\. p. 14.
3. ^ "Lowell Fulson & Johnny Otis To Headline Troyce Key Music Scholarship Fund Benefit". Oakland Post. Vol. 29, no. 106\. April 28, 1993. p. 9.
4. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6\. MUZE. p. 353.
5. ^ Toombs, Mikel (March 20, 1991). "Otis' drive: Keep black music alive". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. C1.
6. ^ 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.
7. ^ "Johnny Otis". Recording Academy. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
8. ^ Clark, Rick (March 26, 1994). "Know Your Neighbors". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 13\. p. 84.
9. ^ The Encyclopedia of Record Producers. Billboard Books. 1999. p. 600.
10. ^ Otis, Johnny (November 19, 1993). Upside Your Head!: Rhythm and Blues on Central Avenue. Wesleyan University Press.
11. ^ Lipsitz, George (July 31, 2010). Midnight at the Barrelhouse: The Johnny Otis Story. U of Minnesota Press.
12. ^ a b Selvin, Joel. "Johnny Otis and His Orchestra: Spirit of the Black Territory Bands". Sunday Datebook. San Francisco Chronicle. p. 39.
13. ^ Jowers, Andrew (November 16, 1994). "Shuggie Otis Back on the Blues Scene". The Press Democrat. p. P1.
14. ^ "Johnny Otis: Black by Persuasion". JazzTimes. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
15. ^ a b "Johnny Otis Spirit of the Black Territory Bands". AllMusic.
16. ^ MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 438.
17. ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books Ltd. 2006. p. 507.

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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*[No.]: Number