Search - Ike Turner, Kings of Rhythm :: Sun Sessions

Killer early work from R'n'B/R'n'R innovator

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 08/31/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Turner's fame as half of Ike & Tina, along with the infamy he gained from his ex-wife's biographical revelations, has all but erased any popular knowledge of his seminal role in the R 'n' B roots of Rock 'n' Roll. But seminal he was, from his pivotal role on 1951's "Rocket 88" (often considered the first rock 'n' roll record), to his piano backings for Little Milton and Junior Parker and his twangy, whammy-bar heavy guitar playing throughout the 50s, Turner was there, contributing ideas and stretching existing sounds into new territory.As a recording artist, Turner hopped around quite a bit, recording for (or having his recordings leased to) a variety of labels throughout the 50s, including RPM, Modern, Chess and Sun. His nomadic wanderings make a label-centric compilation such as this more like a snapshot than a coherent view of his pre-Ike & Tina work. Even the liner notes (from Bill Dahl) have a difficult time providing context for these tracks without alluding to coincidental tracks (on other labels) that aren't here.Most notably absent is the aforementioned "Rocket 88," recorded in the studio that would be renamed "Sun," and leased to Chess Records for release (and then, under the name of the vocalist, Jackie Brenston). Conversely, present on this disc are several late 50s recordings that Turner cut himself in St. Louis, and leased back to Sun for release. On balance, the absence of "Rocket 88," which is readily available elsewhere, isn't a bad trade for other, less well-anthologized tracks contained herein.Of the actual Sun-cut tracks, there are many stand-outs, including several that weren't released at the time of their waxing. Billy "The Kid" Emerson vocalizes on several of the disc's highlights, including his Sun debut, the tremelo-and-blues "No Teasing Around." Here he mixes R 'n' B crooning (of the sort peaking with Specialty artists like Percy Mayfield and Joe Liggins) with a bit of the rockabilly swagger that would soon flourish. His follow-up, "The Woodchuck," features a lyric that riffs on the childhood rhyme, and is powered by a generous helping of Turner's stinging guitar."Way Down the Congo," features a vocal from Bonnie Turner that's oddly reminiscent of Yma Sumac (of all people), and a song structure that suggests the tempo changes found later in the Cadets' "Stranded in the Jungle." A reunion with Brenston in '53 produced the wild "Ugly Woman," on which Turner really exercises his (then) new-found guitar chops.After leaving Memphis and cutting sides for Federal in '56 and '57, Turner self-produced recordings in St. Louis in 1958 and sold them to Sun. New lead vocalist Tommy Hodge had great style, and the Louis Jordan-like jump-blues of "I'm Gonna Forget About You Baby (Matchbox)" is very catchy. Carlson Oliver's rocking sax solo is a real standout, and Turner's whammy bar gets a full workout on "How Long Will It Last."A number of complementary compilations such as Rhino's "I Like Ike," Jewel's "Ike Turner 1958-59," See For Miles' "Kings of Rhythm," Ace's "Rhythm Rockin' Blues" and Charly's "Trailblazer" each provide a piece of the pre-Ike & Tina puzzle. Varese's 20-track collection serves up seminal early sides recorded at Ground Zero (Sun Studios, Memphis) in '53 and '54 with a handful of late-50s recordings that show what Turner was up to in his St. Louis years. For those weaned on Ike's Ike & Tina years, this will revolutionize your view of his music. For those already familiar with his early work, this is plain great listening."