Willie Tee / Gaturs Appreciation
jinx74
2,287 Posts
Ive always been a fan of the funky stuff that Willie Tee and the Gaturs did but his soul pieces have gotten the most play at the house in recent days. Just beautiful work on the music and a great voice. Check the clips:
Comments
First Taste, indeed!
ok , his dancing is geting better, but why did you let this fool into this thread??
i love the gaturs. their compilation on tuffcity is truly essential...especially since a couple songs, like the breathtaking "concentrate" (that i got schooled on by the legendary soulman) dont seem to be previously released (let me know if im wrong)
props to the gaturs!!!!!
anyone know how they weathered that storm??
http://blog.nola.com/keithspera/2007/09/funeral_today_for_musician_who.html
Only a few months before Mr. Willie Turbinton passed on 2007, I attempted to conduct a phone interview with him to promote a show he was doing in Austin. I got him on the phone like 4 different times...but he was evidently the kind of dude to spend 15 minutes explaning why he couldn't do a 10 minute interview. I wound up just winging some quotes from those conversations as we never were able to even start the formal interview.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A456668
Mr. Turbinton did call me back way after the fact to see if I still needed him for anything. By that time, it was kind of random and rather weird. Outside of New Orleans, the great man never was really recognized for his beautiful genius. And within New Orleans, as most locals know, it takes more than one or two family memebers gaining a little musical success to lift an entire family tree from the usual rough-around-the-edges existance that the Crescent City offers. And without really wanting to, it's like I could hear all of that in Mr. Turbinton's voice.
In other words, this amazing oldish man was stressed the F*ck out at the very point in his life where he deserved to be kicked back counting his chickens.
I'm glad that posts like this pop up on Soulstrut. Maybe it's too little too late, but at least it's something.
it's produced by david axelrod and worth searching out for anyone who likes late 60's sweet soul w/ dramatic touches.
peace,xavier
Let me guess...was he all like "why you interviewing me when I ain't making any money off this"? 'Cause that's the way it went down when I tried to do an article on former Little Walter sideman Dave Myers (who had an album out at the time)...I sorta knew him personally from attending his blues jam, so I figured it would be a breeze, but it wasn't so...not only did he "spend 15 minutes explaning why he couldn't do a 10 minute interview," but he actually gave me some details about his career along the way! I caught on quick, wrote down some choice quotes from the conversation, and he wound up giving me the interview without him even knowing it, God bless him...was it that way with Willie Tee?
Nah, Mr. Turbinton had grandchildren crying in the background and nieces expecting him to give them a ride somewhere and shit. Literally, the stress that was his life...which likely consisted of him singlehandedly holding down a family of 50, which post-Katrina was scattered all over the place...exuded from his mere phone conversation. He was very forthcoming and while I could tell that his heart was in the right place and he was trying with all his might, the man just simply had too much on his plate.
Totally understandable.
one of my favorites for sure - i think it holds up with axelrod's best stuff.
also, concentrate was released on Gatur before the compilations (it's also on a perfect toy release). that song is
his album for united artists in '76 - anticipation - also really good, although not nearly on the same level as I'm Only A Man.
plus, he helped direct the wild magnolias funk fusion band in the early 70s when the indians first started to sing with full backing bands.
and then there's this line from wikipedia that's not cited and really curious:
"After hearing the band at the Ivanhoe in 1968, jazz musician Cannonball Adderley encouraged Tee to record an instrumental album. The album was never released, but the master tapes were recently rediscovered in the vaults of Capitol Records"
in the top 5 greatest New Orleans piano players for sure, and one of my all time favorites.
Where ever Willie Tee ranks, that's some great company...
Jelly Roll Morton
Professor Longhair
Fats Domino
Allen Toussaint
James Booker
Dr. John
Henry Butler
+ Tuts Washington
+ Eddie Bo
...and I guess I would actually put Willie at #7 - behind all the other guys except for Henry Butler (no offense to Henry)
cant forget about my man here:
Absolutely! one more too: Ellis Marsalis
ive never seen it in person, on the internet or in someones posession
whats the flipside?
anyone have one? for sale?
Ever trip off this?
It's only legit if you throw out all moral fortitude. Just ask Eddie Bo.
Concentrate b/w Get Up is on Gatur with the piano keyboard label.
Had a listen tonight and it's an odd production. The only way to describe it is a cosmic disco tinged mildly funky two stepper.
I'm surprised it is raer. I saw this more than once in US stores BITD. A dollar record back then.
http://www.popsike.com/php/detaildata.php?itemnr=300039643498
http://www.popsike.com/php/detaildata.php?itemnr=170192120831
http://www.popsike.com/php/detaildata.php?itemnr=150131458020
http://www.popsike.com/php/detaildata.php?itemnr=190236241027
http://www.popsike.com/php/detaildata.php?itemnr=120148828021
as to the comment about tuff city, it's really sad how on the back of the Wasted LP it has a picture of a signed copy of Cold Bear made out personally "to aaron...musically yours, willie tee"! you know that was before willie knew he was being totally ripped off...bet he wishes he had never sent Aaron that f*ckin record.
p.s. if anyone has a copy of I'm Only A Man lp for trade/sale, plaese holla. (sealed ernie k-doe s/t with 'here come the girls'?)
wow. cool...ive never seen that gaturs logo. are there other releases with the piano background? anyone got a gatur discography?
how did aron fuks rip off everybody? ive heard that said, but never heard what happened. thats a shame, because that is a great compilation with a beautiful cover.
Gonna have to disagree on two counts: quality and quality.
Nothing to do with the OG music, mind you.