Atlantic Jazz Years

The Atlantic partners, Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abrahmson, felt that Turner zould thrive in the R&B , vie that was so popular with black audiences. Turner ^ponded with big hits such as 'Chains Of Love', •Honey Hush' and 'Shake, Rattle & Roll', forming an important link between the blues and the forthcoming rock'n'roll style. He recorded in.Chicago (with electric guitarist Elmore James) and New Orleans, but more often in New York with the arrangements of Jesse Stone. Atlantic also recorded a jazz album, The Boss Of The Blues (1956), which reunited Turner with Pete Johnson. The Atlantic association lasted until 1961 and for the next decade Turner freelanced with various different labels. He settled in southern California in the mid-1950s; by the early 1960s he was a regular at European clubs and festivals. In the US, apart from when touring the festivals, he mainly worked in California. His career was revived by an association with Norman Granz and Pablo records, which produced LPs with top jazz stars such as Count Basie on a regular basis, from 1973 until Turner's death. He was prominently featured in the film Last of the Blue Devils (1979), a reunion of Kansas City musicians from the 1930s and 1940s. He earned a Grammy nomination for his Muse album Blues Train (1982), recorded with the young New England-based band, Roomful of Blues. Below