King George grew
up in Virginia in the American South. In the sixties, he moved up to New
York and started singing in Harlem clubs. In 1965 he performed at the
legendary Apollo Theather together with Don Covay, writer of hits like
"Have Mercy" and "Chain Of Fools" After leaving Don
Covay And The Goodtimers King George started his solo career by recording
"Drive On James" for RCA Victor with parts of the Ray Charles
Band such as the drummer Bernard Purdie and J.J. Johnson on trombone.
The single went up on the English charts very soon after the release.
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King George was also
going around clubs like Small's Paradise in Harlem, jamming with among
others, The King Curtis Band and Curtis Knight. His band featured Jimi
Hendrix at the time. This is when Jimi and George really became friends.
They worked together before, for example during the recording of "Have
Mercy" but did not really get together in the studio. At this time
they all lived in the same building on upper west side in New York and
hung around the clubs in the Village. By the time Jimi Hendrix had not
yet became famous.
One night when King
George performed at a club, a Scandinavian agent heard him sing, and offered
him a contract to tour in Europe with a black R&B band by the name
of Harlem Kiddies. This was the first black rhytm'n'bluesband
that came to Europe from the States. Meanwhile Jimi Hendrix was brought
to Europe by Chas Chandler, and George and Jimi's friendship continued
there. The Harlem Kiddies warmed up for The Jimi Hendrix Experience in
Copenhagen, and they met several times, both in England and in Scandinavia.
Last time George saw Jimi Hendrix was one week before he died at a concert
at Gröna Lund in Stockholm.
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King George has worked
as a solo artist with a great number of musicians and groups, both in
Europe and in The States, but meanwhile he has always had an own group.
After Harlem Kiddies broke up he formed King George Discovery and later
The King George Bluesology, also known as The KGB. During the years he
has made several records and tours.
The CD,"Live In Europe" was recorded at CPM, the well-known
jazz and blues club in Geneva, Switzerland during one of the many European
tours the KGB did together. Also here in Europé he has had the
possibility to work with some of the greatest bluesplayers, like Luther
Allison, Louisiana Red, Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland and many more.
King Georges music has a modern sound, but the true blues roots always
shine through. Blues is one of the music styles that is hardest to define,
as many traditional bluesmusicians also do experimental music, but blues
is a feeling you have in the body and it can be performed in many different
ways. Luther Alliso often got sad by people's comments that he ain't playing
he blues. One year later he recieved the WC Hand award, - One of the most
respectable prices in the bluesworld.
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King George is now
based in Gothenburg, Sweden and the cooperation with Swedish musicians
like Peps Persson, Tottas Bluesband, Ulf Wakenius, Tony Ellis, Conny Sjökvist
and Kjell Jansson has contributed to his special way of mixing different
types of music.
The downhome blues of Muddy Waters, the rhythm & blues of Ray Charles,
the Otis Redding soul, the Bob Marley reggae, the teaching and learning
of music has resulted in a new expression, Bluesology! King
George Bluesology is the name of his new group and it's featuring
a new selection of members who gives the group a more soulful sound. A
big part of this sound is built on King Georges special way of playing
bass on a guitar. He has developed a vey individual sound that is hard
to copy.
Even if this is the
basic setting of the group they often bring special guest artists such
as different horn players, keyboard players or percussionists. That's
one of the reasons why one KGB concert never is like another one. The
band developes constantly and the inprovisation with local musicians is
often a big part of the performance. Bluesology is one of King Georges
many project. He is also a member of the R&B band Black Moses which
had a few hits played on MTV. He also made a sinle called "Funky
Kinda Groove" which went up on the dance charts in Scandinavia last
summer. These projects are King Georges own interpretation of blues and
he makes a point of showing that you can create the Blues in many different
shapes. Something that BB King among other people has shown by his cooperation
with U2. Blues is more of a feeling you pass over to the audience through
the music than a set music style that can easily be defined. Many well
known bluesmen, for example Luther Allison and Johnny Copeland has proved
this during the years.
At the moment King
George is preparing to release a new live album with his german group
Sorpresa. In September they sucessfully toured Germany, and in November
they will do their first Scandinavian tour together.
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