American saxophonist and blues shouter
Eddie Vinson
Vinson in May 1980.
Birth name Edward L. Vinson Jr. Also known as Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson Born (1917-12-18 ) December 18, 1917Houston , Texas , United States Died July 2, 1988(1988-07-02) (aged 70)Los Angeles , California , United States Genres Jump blues ,[ 1] R&B ,[ 1] jazz Occupation(s) Saxophonist , singer , composer Years active 1930s–1988 Labels King Records , Mercury , Black & Blue , ABC-BluesWay , Muse
Musical artist
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (born Edward L. Vinson Jr. ; December 18, 1917 – July 2, 1988) was an American jump blues , jazz , bebop and R&B alto saxophonist and blues shouter .[ 1] He was nicknamed "Cleanhead " after an incident in which his hair was accidentally removed by lye contained in a hair-straightening product, necessitating shaving it off; enamoured of the look, Vinson maintained a shaved head thereafter.[ 2] [ 3] Music critic Robert Christgau has called Vinson "one of the cleanest, and nastiest, blues voices you'll ever hear."[ 4]
Biography
Vinson was born in Houston, Texas .[ 5] He started out with Milton Larkin 's orchestra in the 1930s.[ 5] At various times, he was with Tom Archia , while other members of the band included Cedric Haywood and Wild Bill Davis . He then played for Big Bill Broonzy .[ 5] During the 1940s, he was with the Cootie Williams Orchestra. He recorded such tunes as "Cherry Red".[ 6]
There is some controversy over who composed "Four ".[ 7]
He died aged 70 in 1988, from a heart attack while undergoing chemotherapy ,[ 8] in Los Angeles, California.
Discography
Year
Title
Notes
Genre
Label
1957
Clean Head's Back in Town
with Joe Newman , Henry Coker , Bill Graham, Frank Foster , Paul Quinichette , Charlie Rouse , Charles Fowlkes, Nat Pierce , Freddie Green , Turk Van Lake, Ed Jones, Gus Johnson , Ed Thigpen
Blues, Jazz
Bethlehem ; Charly
1962
Back Door Blues
with Cannonball Adderley Quintet; some tracks and alternate takes released as Cleanhead & Cannonball on Landmark
Blues, Jazz
Riverside ; Fresh Sound
1967
Cherry Red
with Mike Bloomfield
Blues
ABC/Bluesway ; One Way
1969
Kidney Stew is Fine
with T-Bone Walker and Jay McShann ; also released as Wee Baby Blues on Black & Blue
Jump Blues, Swing Jazz
Delmark
1969 [1984]
Live! in France
with Jay McShann
Jump Blues, Swing Jazz
Black & Blue
1970
The Original Cleanhead
with Artie Butler, David Cohen, Joe Pass , Arthur Wright, Earl Palmer , Plas Johnson
Blues
Bluestime/Flying Dutchman ; Ace
1971
You Can't Make Love Alone
Live at the 1971 Montreux Jazz Festival
Blues
Mega/Flying Dutchman
1974 [1975]
Jamming the Blues
Live in Montreux
Blues
Black Lion
1978
The "Clean" Machine
with Lloyd Glenn
Blues, Jazz
Muse
1978 [1981]
Live at Sandy's (Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson and the Muse All Stars)
with Arnett Cobb and Buddy Tate
Jump Blues, Swing Jazz
Muse 5208
1978 [1984]
Hold It Right There! (Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson and the Muse All Stars)
with Arnett Cobb and Buddy Tate
Jump Blues, Swing Jazz
Muse 5243
1979 [2003]
Redux: Live at the Keystone Korner
with Larry Vuckovich
Blues, Jazz
Savant
1980
Kansas City Shout
with Count Basie and Big Joe Turner
Blues, Jazz
Pablo
1980
Fun in London
with John Burch, Lennie Bush, Bobby Orr
Blues, Jazz
JSP
1981
I Want a Little Girl
with Art Hillery, Cal Green, John Heard, Roy McCurdy, Martin Banks, Rashid Jamal Ali
Blues, Jazz
Pablo
1982
Mr. Cleanhead's Back in Town
with Stan Greig, Les Davidson, Paul Sealey, Martin Guy
Blues, Jazz
JSP
1982
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson & Roomful of Blues
with Roomful of Blues
Blues, Jump Blues
Muse; Rockbeat
1986
Blues in the Night Volume One: The Early Show
Live in Los Angeles with Etta James
Blues
Fantasy
1986 [1987]
The Late Show: Blues in the Night, Volume 2
Live in Los Angeles with Etta James
Blues
Fantasy
1987
Oscar Peterson + Harry Edison + Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
with Oscar Peterson and Harry "Sweets" Edison
Jazz
Pablo
1996
Kidney Stew (The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions)
with T-Bone Walker and Jay McShann
Jump Blues, Swing Jazz
Black & Blue
2003
Bald Headed Blues (His Complete King Recordings 1949-1952)
compilation
Jump Blues
Ace
2006
Honk for Texas (1942–1954)
with Cootie Williams and Big Jim Wynn; 4-CD box set; compilation
Jump Blues
JSP
2007
Blues, Boogie & Bebop – Meat's Too High
compilation of Fun in London and Mr. Cleanhead's Back in Town
Blues, Jazz
JSP
2008
Jumpin' the Blues (The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions)
with Jay McShann
Jump Blues, Swing Jazz
Black & Blue
2019
Mr. Cleanhead Blows His Greatest Hits (Selected Singles 1944-1950)
compilation
Jump Blues
Jasmine
With Oliver Nelson
With Arnett Cobb and the Muse All Stars
Live at Sandy's! (Muse 5191, 1978 [rel. 1980])
More Arnett Cobb and the Muse All Stars (Live at Sandy's!) (Muse 5236, 1978 [rel. 1983])
With Buddy Tate and the Muse All Stars
With Helen Humes and the Muse All Stars
Helen Humes and the Muse All Stars (Muse 5217, 1978 [rel. 1980]) - with Arnett Cobb and Buddy Tate
References
^ a b c Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The IllustratedEncyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 181. ISBN 1-904041-96-5 .
^ Otis, Johnny. Upside Your Head!: Rhythm and Blues on Central Avenue , Wesleyan University Press, p. 34 (1993) - ISBN 0-8195-6287-4
^ "Vinson Eddie "Cleanhead" " . Encyclopedia.com . Retrieved 17 October 2021 .
^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: V" . Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields . ISBN 089919026X . Retrieved March 21, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
^ a b c Colin Larkin , ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books . pp. 1219–20. ISBN 1-85227-745-9 .
^ Vladimir, Bogdanov. All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues , Backbeat Books, pg. 571 (2002); ISBN 0-87930-736-6
^ Koster, Rick. Texas Music , St. Martin's Press, pg. 319 (2000); ISBN 0-312-25425-3
^ Doc Rock. "The 1980s" . The Dead Rock Stars Club. Retrieved 2015-10-07 .
External links
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, unless stated otherwise.
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