jsmith
03-04-2012, 06:43 AM
Music folklore tells us that Earl Van Dyke [[while touring with Lloyd Price) met fellow Detroiter James Jamerson [[who was backing Jackie Wilson) in Rockville, NY, in 1959. Jamerson struck up a friendship and recommended that EVD return home to Detroit to start working in the recording studio at Motown. EVD eventually took his advice & by 1962 was a member of Motown's studio band.
However, that tale can't be 100% right as it was Earl [[as a member of the Chris Columbo Quintet) that was playing in support of Jackie Wilson; not Jamerson.
'Crazy' Chris Columbo [[aka Joseph Morris) was the famous jazz drummer who for many years led the house band at famed Atlantic City nightery, the Club Harlem. In the mid 50's he was the drummer with Bill Doggett's group [[he also held the same position for a spell with Louis Jordan's Tympany Five). By 1957, Chris had signed his own recording deal with King Records and this resulted in the 45 "Oh Yeah" [[credited to Chris Columbo & the Swinging Gentlemen) being released in February 1957. At the time of that recording [[early 57?), Columbo's group consisted of himself on drums plus Gil Askey [[trumpet), Johnny Smith [[organ), Jimmy Tyler [[tenor) & Floyd Smith [[guitar).
In 1956, jazz guitarist Emmett Sleigh had hired Earl Van Dyke to play in his band, Emmett Sleigh and the Sleighriders. When organist Johnny 'Hammond' Smith quit Chris Columbo's band, Earl was hired to replace him [[sometime around 1958 I'd guess).
It's documented by Gil Askey in 'The Jackie Wilson Story' book, that Chris Columbo's group were touring behind Jackie in the late 1950's [[1958 to 1960) and Earl was part of the set up for some of that time. A big show staged at Carrs Beach starring Lloyd Price & Jackie took place in September 1960 [[see ad). Askey says that although Lloyd Price's band numbered 14 guys in all and Jackie's band was only 5 strong, Jackie put on such an intense show that Lloyd's performance didn't even come close with regard to crowd reaction.
So who was Jamerson backing up when he met up with EVD. He must have been in Lloyd Price's band at that time ......... unless its documented elsewhere who Jamerson was touring with in the period around 1959 / 1960.
After Gil Askey & EVD had left his group, Columbo remained a force on the music scene, touring when he wasn't leading the house band back at the Club Harlem and cutting further records -- "You Can't Sit Down" for Battle in November 62, "Minerology" for Philly based Casino Records plus NY's Strand Records in 1963 [[and I'd guess "Tighten Up 70" as Chris Columbus & the Swinging Gaites in 1970).
BTW, Chris Columbo was a member of Louis Jordan's Tympany Five when they made an appearance on 'The Beat' TV show in 1966 and can be seen on youtube clips from that show [[they performed 4 tunes, one of which was a cover of Bill Doggett's 1957 hit "Ram-Bunk-Shush").
4566
However, that tale can't be 100% right as it was Earl [[as a member of the Chris Columbo Quintet) that was playing in support of Jackie Wilson; not Jamerson.
'Crazy' Chris Columbo [[aka Joseph Morris) was the famous jazz drummer who for many years led the house band at famed Atlantic City nightery, the Club Harlem. In the mid 50's he was the drummer with Bill Doggett's group [[he also held the same position for a spell with Louis Jordan's Tympany Five). By 1957, Chris had signed his own recording deal with King Records and this resulted in the 45 "Oh Yeah" [[credited to Chris Columbo & the Swinging Gentlemen) being released in February 1957. At the time of that recording [[early 57?), Columbo's group consisted of himself on drums plus Gil Askey [[trumpet), Johnny Smith [[organ), Jimmy Tyler [[tenor) & Floyd Smith [[guitar).
In 1956, jazz guitarist Emmett Sleigh had hired Earl Van Dyke to play in his band, Emmett Sleigh and the Sleighriders. When organist Johnny 'Hammond' Smith quit Chris Columbo's band, Earl was hired to replace him [[sometime around 1958 I'd guess).
It's documented by Gil Askey in 'The Jackie Wilson Story' book, that Chris Columbo's group were touring behind Jackie in the late 1950's [[1958 to 1960) and Earl was part of the set up for some of that time. A big show staged at Carrs Beach starring Lloyd Price & Jackie took place in September 1960 [[see ad). Askey says that although Lloyd Price's band numbered 14 guys in all and Jackie's band was only 5 strong, Jackie put on such an intense show that Lloyd's performance didn't even come close with regard to crowd reaction.
So who was Jamerson backing up when he met up with EVD. He must have been in Lloyd Price's band at that time ......... unless its documented elsewhere who Jamerson was touring with in the period around 1959 / 1960.
After Gil Askey & EVD had left his group, Columbo remained a force on the music scene, touring when he wasn't leading the house band back at the Club Harlem and cutting further records -- "You Can't Sit Down" for Battle in November 62, "Minerology" for Philly based Casino Records plus NY's Strand Records in 1963 [[and I'd guess "Tighten Up 70" as Chris Columbus & the Swinging Gaites in 1970).
BTW, Chris Columbo was a member of Louis Jordan's Tympany Five when they made an appearance on 'The Beat' TV show in 1966 and can be seen on youtube clips from that show [[they performed 4 tunes, one of which was a cover of Bill Doggett's 1957 hit "Ram-Bunk-Shush").
4566