Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Wayne Jackson passes on


Yet another Memphis music legend has died - this time trumpet player Wayne Jackson at the age of 74. Wayne's career stretched back to the very beginnings of Stax when he played with the Mar-Keys on Last Night. Nicknamed the 'West Memphis Flash' he was an integral part of the Stax organisation throughout the sixties and played on dozens of records by Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Rufus Thomas and many others. He teamed up with sax player Andrew Love, who died in 2012, to form the Memphis Horns, and played on recordings by the like of Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond, Al Green and Dusty Springfield. They toured extensively and it was a real pleasure to see them at the Porretta Soul Festival on several occasions. (My photo shows Wayne there in 2006). They relocated to Nashville in 1996 but remained in demand, recording with Bonnie Raitt, Sting and Mark Knopfler.
This really has been a terrible year for music, particularly Memphis soul music, with Otis Clay and Chips Moman both passing on in the last few months. RIP Wayne.
The Vinyl Word also raises a glass to Chess studio drummer Morris 'Moe' Jennings, aged 77, who played behind Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Ramsey Lewis among others.
Also to Dave Swarbrick, one of the UK's top fiddle players in the folk field, who played in Fairport Convention for many years, as well as having great success playing at festivals and with other folk musicians. The Daily Telegraph famously printed his obituary in 1999, when he was admitted to hospital for a chest infection. He allegedly commented: 'It's not the first time I've died in Coventry.'

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