Tiger Man: Earliest Recordings 1950-1957 [PA]

Performer: Rufus Thomas
Distributor: Allegro Corporation (Dist

Notes: Personnel: Rufus Thomas (vocals); Robert Carter (guitar); Evelyn Young (tenor saxophone); Evans Bradshaw (piano); Red Davis (drums). Before he became the godfather of Stax soul in the 1960s, Rufus Thomas had a long, rich run in the '50s, churning out bar-room boogie, jump blues, and what would have been called rock & roll if he'd had a paler complexion. TIGER MAN neatly documents this underexposed period in the soul giant's career. Collectors should note that TIGER MAN contains an almost identical track listing to the Thomas compendium BEFORE STAX: THE COMPLETE '50s RECORDINGS, the only difference being the tune that (perhaps not coincidentally) gives the former album its title.

The Crown Prince of Dance, Rufus Thomas is one of the most significant figures in Memphis music history, and is also an important contributor to the development of early rock & roll, classic Southern soul, and funk. Thomas began singing in the 1940s and made his name as a radio DJ in Memphis before recording the classic Sun Records side "Bear Cat." Thomas signed on with the legendary Stax Records in the early '60s where he released a series of fun yet hard-hitting soul records, many of which--"Do the Funky Chicken," "Do the Penguin," "Walking the Dog"--were directives for the latest dance crazes. Although Thomas was a genial entertainer, he was also one mean soulster, a reputation he upheld dutifully until his death in 2001.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.5