Sad news from our friends at Alligator Records:
- A.C. REED, MAY 9, 1926 - FEBRUARY 25, 2004
Famed Chicago-based blues saxophonist, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader A.C. Reed - a leading elder figure and the best-known sax player of the Chicago blues scene - died Wednesday, February 25, 2004, from complications due to cancer. He was 77.
During the course of his career, Reed played his fat-toned, elegantly simple tenor sax with artists like Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Son Seals both on stage and on record, as well as leading his own band, the Spark Plugs.
His three solo albums and numerous singles all featured his wry, humorous songs - some of which have been covered by other artists including Magic Slim, Charlie Musselwhite and Eddie Shaw.
Born Aaron Corthen in Wardell, Missouri in 1926, and raised in downstate Illinois, A.C. first heard blues saxophone on an Erskine Hawkins 78 he heard on a jukebox. He was so inspired by the sound of the big honking horn, he decided he wanted to learn how to play the saxophone. DownBeat called Reed, "one of the blues' most incisive originals."
He moved to Chicago in early 1942 and found work at a steel mill. With his first paycheck, he bought a saxophone at a pawnshop. He studied at the Chicago Conservatory of Music for a few years, emulating his musical hero, tenor man Gene Ammons. While working at the mill during the day, Reed began gigging on weekends with a variety of blues combos, eventually coming under the tutelage of J.T. Brown, Elmore James' tenor sax player.
By the end of the 1940s, Reed was gigging regularly with Willie Mabon and Earl Hooker. During the 1950s he toured across the Midwest and Southwest with Hooker and Dennis "Long Man" Binder. Returning to Chicago in the early 1960s, Reed became an in-demand session player for the Chief and Age labels, and recorded his first single for Age, "This Little Voice," in 1961.
Article comments
1 - HW Saxton Jr.
Thoughtful post Eric.Very sad to hear as
well.I saw AC last year & he was in fine
form.A powerful,uncompromising and 100%
FON-KAY performance. The art of "Blues" tenor playing is such a small sub-genre,
that the loss of a stellar player such as Reed is a major loss.If you haven't
already seen Eddie Shaw & The Wolf Gang,
I'd try to if at all possible.Eddie can
still wail like a son of a gun and is
one of the best Chicago Blues playing Tenor cats out there still working.
2 - Eric Olsen
HW, can't take credit for the writing - it's straight from Alligator - but I was sad to hear it and happy to pass the tribute on.
3 - Dan S.
A loss to the blues world....
4 - John P. Travis
I saw A.C. here in Traverse City in the early '80's in a tiny club. It was a fantastic performance.
5 - AlexF
Had the wonderful good fortune to see AC in a small club in Atlanta around 1990, it was one of the most enjoyable gigs i have ever attended. He was astounding. What ever 'star quality' is, AC had it in bucket loads.
Goodbye to a real master
Al
6 - Eric Olsen
Thanks John and Alex, I'm certain AC appreciates it.
7 - Brian Greene
I went to go see A.C. in Cambridge at a place called Nightstage and got to speak with Him.Not only was He a great musician but He was a great human being who was happy to take time to talk to anyone.
8 - Heather
Wow- it's so nice to read these comments. I was very fortunate to be able to play bass in A.C.'s band. He was the only person i have ever played for- where i could be 100% myself musically. He helped me to gain courage as a player. He was such a great and kind human being.
9 - Susan
@ work. 2 much time on my hands. just decided to key in my friend A.C.'s name. I had the great good fortune to meet and hang out with A. C. & his Spark Plugs the last several years of his life thanks to a blues singing friend of mine who performed with A.C. a lot. He was the sweetest man. I loved his smile. He gave me his three CDs (autographed them too) which I cherish. I see a post from a Heather. I met Heather at the funeral home when I went to pay my respects at the viewing here in Chicago. There was another downstate. A.C. was laid out like he was on stage sunglasses and cap on and the sax propped up on him, tip in mouth and hands in position. Before that moment I never appreciated just how big that sax was/is. Heather you came after the Spark Plug lineup I knew but I know it was a blessing for you. We traded numbers but never got in touch. If by some strange chance you revisit this blog answer these questions in a response. We'll figure out how to get in touch. I suggested the blues singing friend that A.C. often asked to sing with him might have need for a bass player, still might on occasion. I don't know if the guitarist was still in the lineup with you, but what was his first name? He was REAL talented, played just as good drunk as sober. What area did A.C. live in?
10 - Saxmandodge (Australia)
Time is slowly taking away the masters who are such powerful and important influences. I'm in the wrong business cause I don't play for a living no more. Thanks A.C. R.I.P
11 - roland
well ac was one in a class all buy himself a excellent songwriter and a wicked saxaphone player ac gave me a job in the eighties as a guitar player and it was a excellent experience i used to always laugh with the sparkplugs on stage i was happy cause we were promoting im in the wrong business but ac used to make me and the band laugh between songs i can remember the first night in new york he was jumping up and down going im full of shit im full of shit the drummer looked at me and we both just bussed out laughing ac always had something funny to say and if any of the sparkplugs can remember the jokes in the hotel room i aint gonna say but they would remember anyways ac had interesting stories to tell and i had a lot of respect for him that was the best band i ever toured with and there will never be a better songwriter story teller saxaphone player of that calibre again sometimes ac drove buy the exit when he use to say i know these roads buy the back of my hand we knew it was because he was old or maybe ac was just playing with us just to take the stress of being on the road for long hours anyways sometimes grumpy but on stage hilarious professional love his sax sound and excellent blues singer storyteller a major loss to the blues community rest in peace ac your friend and partner in blues roland .
12 - Bill Miller
The article states that "Reed joined with Buddy Guy and Junior Wells' band in 1967, toured Africa with Guy and Wells" It was actually in 1976. I caught their show at the University of Cape Coast while in the Peace Corps, and a great show it was! I still have a recording of a few of their songs. The drummer was named Snake and I didn't catch the name of the Bass player. Junior Wells just called him "My brother".
13 - jessica ruben robbins
I travelled with the band and hung out with ac in the nineties. It was such a trip to travel with his band cross country. I never forgot the blues song grown taught me
14 - Phil Towne
In 1982 I met AC when I was interviewing Albert Collins for WRVU radio after a concert at Vanderbilt University. At the time I was also booking a night club in Nashville called Cantrell's. I booked him there which led to my becoming his manager/agent for about 5 years. Only 20 years old, learned so much about the blues world from A.C. . So many cool stories about Earl Hooker, Albert Collins, Willie Dixon, the Rolling Stones. He had an odd combination of both child-like humor and blues world cynicism
that endeared him to so many musicians and fans alike. He was one of the true colorful characters. I remember A.C. complaining -"Who the hell is Stevie Ray Vaughan?" all the way to the recording studio in Austin. He didn't want to do the session
but we convinced him that it would be beneficial down the line.
Years later, when I came back broke from performing on a tour in Europe, I went to see A.C. play at a club the day after I returned.
He came off the bandstand with that big cheshire grin, "So
Booker Phil I heard you just got back from your 1st tour in Europe ( even bigger grin), So did you make any money? I replied, "What do you think, AC? He said, " I just wanted to see what you would say. Come on by Ed Burke's club tomorrow night. That record with Stevie Ray Vaughan has sold a lot of copies and I haven't forgotten that you insisted that I do that session!" The next night he paid my rent!
A.C. I'm sure you helping your friends and holding court at that
Bullshit Lounge in the sky!