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ABOUT OUR NEW ISSUES 210
In our latest issue (#210 March) we embark on a mammoth project where we aim to chronicle the musical life and activities of Big Joe Turner, a true giant in the history of the American music we cherish. The story starts in Kansas City where Joseph Vernon Turner was born on May 18th 1911; and is then picked-up in the summer of 1932 when the new and swanky ‘Hawaiian Garden’ night club opened in the city, and where we find Turner often featured as one of the entertainers. He was billed as the ‘singing bartender’. A couple of years later Joe had engagements at the ‘East Side Musicians Sunset Club’ where Pete Johnson - the renowned boogie-woogie pianist and fellow Kansas Citian – also appeared. Johnson was to play a pivotal part in Turner’s career.
Then in late 1935 Joe is appointed night-club manager at the newly re-opened ‘Lone Star Gardens’ venue on East 12th Street where he ‘sang the blues’ most nights. Johnson and Turner became a team and their popularity grew, by 1938 they were attracting wider attention including that of music agent and talent scout, John Hammond. In June that year they set off by train for a one week engagement at New York’s ‘The Famous Door’ club on West 52nd Street, a location famed for its jazz clubs. There they opened for Benny Goodman and gained national exposure with Goodman’s show being aired by the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). The following week they appeared at the Apollo Theatre on a bill headed by Louis Armstrong. Most accounts say these New York appearances were a great success, even sensational, and they returned to Kansas City and the Lone Star with many plaudits. However, even better was to follow with their return to New York in December to be on the bill at John Hammond’s legendary ‘From Spirituals to Swing’ concert at the city’s magnificent Carnegie Hall.
1938 closed with Joe Turner and Pete Johnson at a Vocalion recording date in New York with the session including ‘Roll’ Em Pete’, a favourite which they included at the Carnegie Hall concert. This is also where we conclude this instalment of Joe’s story but look out for further treats over the coming months and years As usual, the feature is presented in our acclaimed ‘day by day’ format and lavishly illustrated with contemporary photos, ads, newspaper and magazine articles – these include many surrounding the ‘Spirituals to Swing’ concert. This captivating 64 page issue then rounds-off with a short review section.
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ABOUT THE MAGAZINE
American Music Magazine is published by the Swedish Rock 'n' Roll Club. We are a non profit organisation devoted to the 1950s rock 'n' roll music and our intention is to document, as far as possible, the early years of rock-a-billy, rock 'n' roll and its related artforms. The text of the magazine is in Swedish and English. Each issue is full of original photographs and discographies.
AM works in co-operation with the "Tales From The Woods" Roots Music Social Networking Group in the U.K. The aim is to collaborate to keep rock ‘n' roll, its history, and its many talented artists and musicians alive for posterity and future generations – this through sharing articles that have appeared in our magazines over the years, helping each other with publicity and generally spreading the word not just to the converted, but also to those yet to share our enthusiasm.
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American Music Magazine är producerad av 1950s fans för fans och är en svensk tidning med både svensk och engelsk text. Tidningen utkommer med tolv nummer om året och handlar företrädesvis om 50-tals rock 'n' roll, och relaterade musikformer som exempelvis hillbilly/country och rhythm ’n’ blues. American Music Magazine drivs helt ideelt utan ekonomisk vinning.
American Music Magazine samarbetar med "Tales From The Wood - Roots Music Social Networking Group" som är ett namnkunnigt engelskt nätverk med bred verksamhet inom vår musik. Syftet är att gemensamt arbeta för att hålla rock 'n' rollmusiken, dess historia och dess många talangfulla artister och musiker levande för eftervärlden och kommande generationer - detta genom att dela artiklar som publicerats i våra respektive tidningar genom åren, hjälpa varandra med publicitet och sprida det glada budskapet inte bara till de redan frälsta utan också till sådana som ännu inte delar vår entusiasm och passion för denna musik.
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