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KEEPING classic r&b ALIVE |
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Preserving the Heritage Promoting the Music Educating The Public |
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Recently I had the occasion to be at a fund raising meeting. The planners wanted to hire a “good” Rhythm & Blues (R&B) band for the gig. Under consideration were various live bands, karaoke vocal groups and DJs’. As the discussion progressed, it became clear that there was some confusion about what a “good R&B band” did. Each contributor had their own perception of what a “good R&B Band” was and the perceptions ranged from “playing songs we all know” to “playing a variety of good music”. However, all the planners held the common perception that any band, karaoke group, vocalist or DJ that claimed to play R&B would be OK and therefore, the selection should be based on the “cheapest price”.
At no time was “showmanship and feeling”, the heart and soul of classic R&B, ever mentioned as part of the selection criteria. It became apparent that the planners could talk the R&B talk but, like most of the general public, lacked a clear understanding of what it is, especially when faced with a major R&B entertainment decision.
Being older than dirt and having performed classic R&B for many years inside and outside the state, I seized the opportunity to point out that R&B is more than just words or just playing the right notes. R&B is a distinct, classic, blues style where the music is played from the heart and the showmanship performed from the soul to make people feel the pull into the performance.
Simply stated, classic R&B is an emotionally charged connection with the audience through the music and showmanship that involves working the crowd and connecting with individuals. The style had a very short life span. Classic R&B bands like Big Jay McNeely, Lock Jaw Davis, and Louis Jordan and locally, the Preservation Hall R&B Band, are clear examples. R&B Quartets and quintets, like The Orioles, the Dominoes, the Four Hearts and the Castileers as seen on PBS, tended to round out many of the R&B performance packages.
Typical R&B bands of today appear to be very serious, highly trained, artists. Most seem to copy classic R&B tunes from 40s and 50s recordings almost note for note, usually seem emotionally disengaged from the audience and play the music without much improvisation or showmanship. By contrast, the Classic R&B performers improvise, have fun on the bandstand and project it. Performing rather than just playing, they engage the audience by reaching out and inviting them to join in a hand clapping, finger popping, foot patting, bantering back and forth, hand dancing, good time. The classic R&B band and the audience feel the heart and soul of the musical experience.
Historically R&B was a category for bouncy blues tunes that didn’t seem to fit into any other category. Today, R&B appears to be just a catchy label from the past minus the heart and soul and, maybe the new R&B audience tends to reflect this disconnect in not caring attitude as long as the entertainment product includes the words rhythm & blues in the promotion. However, I found the true meaning of R&B when I had the pleasure to perform with the Preservation Hall Rhythm & Blues Band, a group struggling to keep the music alive by playing classic R&B to promote and preserve the memory of this local legacy.
With that said, I believe the last living testament to the classic R&B era in Rhode Island may be The Preservation Hall Rhythm &Blues Band, the house band of the Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society. The band was formed in 2005 by this writer, an early 1950s rhythm & blues man and leader of Prof Coates and the Dynamics the first local organ R&B band in RI.
Currently, the Preservation Hall R&B Band core members consists of classic R&B leftovers like Bandleader Max Whiting on bass, Thomas “Jose” Santos on Keyboards and vocals, Freddie Morrison on drums Dave (Be Bop) Hamel on Trumpet, Ed (Prof) Coates on Sax and youngsters like, Steve Morrison on percussion and Paul “Sweet P” Williams on guitar and vocals,. The band attracts and invites so many performers in the house to the bandstand to jam that you never know who you might see at any given gig. The band performs the style of classic R&B played on the chittlin circuit and the northern urban areas between1943 -1969.
These days the Band is sleeping, expected to awaken in 2010 and may be found at different locations around the state until a home base is established. For a good time listening, dancing, clapping your hands, connecting with the band members or just patting your feet, Like the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in New Orleans, this Preservation Hall R&B Band is a local landmark on the state R&B trail and worth seeing if you are there early enough to get a seat. Watch this newsletter for play dates, times and locations.
Bottom line, there are very good, highly trained, R&B performers in RI that play the right notes and there is the Preservation Hall R&B Band that plays the heart and soul of classic R&B with a few wrong notes but lots of feeling. However, when deciding on entertainment for an event, it should be remembered that rhythm & blues is more than just words or playing the notes and you can’t get more Rhode Island than classic R&B performed by the Preservation Hall R&B Band.
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EDDIE (PROF) COATES: NAIJA HOTEL SEOUL, KOREA.
Photographer Unknown |
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RHODE ISLAND: KEEPING CLASSIC R&B ALIVE! By Eddie (Prof) Coates |
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THE ARCADE BALLROOM: PROVIDENCE, RI 1956
Photo donated by Mrs. Mary Pena |
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THE PRESERVATION HALL RHYTHM & BLUES BAND. Photo by Norm Grant |
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The Four Hearts: Right to left: Danny Jett, Joe Hill, Thomas “Jose” Santos and Boot Black. Photo donated by Thomas “ Jose” Santos |
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THE GOLDEN TONES QUINTET : FROM GOSPEL TO R&B
By Ed “ Prof” Coates, Oral Historian
In 1949 there was a gospel quintet called The Golden Tones. Found singing on the corner of Salem and Wadsworth Streets Providence by the local pastor, this vocal group sang in church and that was the beginning of the local Doo Wop groups in the state of RI.
By 1952, this Wadsworth AME Zion Street Church gospel quintet, had evolved into a little known Doo Wop group called the Jelly Stompers, the first known R&B vocal group in RI.
The group performed at recreation centers, especially the John Hope Community Center, and competed in talent shows around the city to include Bovi’s Tavern in East Providence where they won a $10 first prize. Sometimes the group performed with Albert Brown on drums, Eddie Coates piano and a sax player whose name I can’t recall..
In 1952, the Jelly Stompers became the first local Doo Wop group to perform at the famous Celebrity Club. This was during a talent show in the front bar. However, by this time, Bobby Rollins, Gerald Washington and Richard Maynard had been replaced by lead singer Thomas Jose Santos and backup singer Joe Hill.
The group dissolved in December 1952 when Eddie Coates left for military duty with the Navy.
Among the locals that followed in the footsteps of the Jelly Stompers were Randy and the Stompers, The Four Hearts, The Mysterians, Dipsey and the Doodles, The Castileers, The Dials, Chubby and the Turnpikes (Tarvares), Prof Coates and the Dynamics, Elaine Smith and Jeffery Osborne.
Eddie Coates later formed Prof Coates and the Dynamics, the first organ R&B band in RI.
Thomas Santos went on the form the Five Hearts the first R&B recording Doo Wop group in RI and became the band leader of the Sultans.
Joe Hill later became a member of the Castileers a popular Doo Wop recording group.
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THE GOLDEN TONES QUINTET: 1949
Left to right: Bobby Rollins, Eddie Coates, Ronnie Barnett, Richard Maynard and Gerald Washington. |
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THE JELLY STOMPERS: 1952
Left to right: Eddie Coates, Ronnie Barnet, Joe Hill and Thomas Jose Santos.
Photo Donated by Mrs. Millison Barnett |
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PROF COATES & THE DYNAMICS 1961:
Left to right: rear: Eddie Coates, Teddy “ Stix” Baskins. Keeling: Thomas Jose Santos
Photo donated by: Mr. Thomas Santos |