David "Fathead" Newman (February 24, 1933 – January 20, 2009) – Keep The Dream Alive (1978)
An ultra funky dancefloor workout, the jazz-funk-disco title track to Newman's 1978 LP featured Bill Summers, Lee Ritenour, and Idris Muhammad.
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David "Fathead" Newman played saxophone on most of Ray Charles' classic recordings of the 1950s and early 60s. His solo career lasted for five decades and he released nearly forty of his own albums.
David Newman was born in small town Corsicana, Texas but grew up in Dallas. He learned to play piano and saxophone and was a member of his high school's band. Newman got the nickname "Fathead" when his music teacher caught him playing a Sousa march from memory instead of reading the sheet music.
He went to college on a scholarship to study theology and music. During this time he was playing saxophone in local jazz bands. Newman left before graduating and went on the road with Buster Smith, Count Basie's former saxophonist who mentored Charlie Parker. The band toured Texas and neighboring states, with occasional dates in California.
On one tour in early 1951, Newman met Ray Charles. At the time, Charles was playing piano in Lowell Fulson's band, who were also on the night's bill, and the two sidemen became friends.
When Charles formed his own band in 1954, he asked Newman to join. Initially he was on baritone sax, but became the star tenor player when Don Wilkerson left the band. He played on classic Ray Charles recordings including “I Got A Woman” and “What’d I Say.”
Newman spent twelve years with Charles, from 1954-64 and then again from 1970-71. His first album as leader was Fathead: Ray Charles Presents David Newman, released in 1959 with Charles on piano. It was the first of 37 solo albums he would put out over the next five decades.
After leaving Charles' band for good in the early 70s, Newman joined Herbie Mann's group for a short time. He played on many other artists' recording sessions while continuing to release his own records.
In 1978 he put out Keep The Dream Alive, a solid jazz-funk album with some disco heat thrown in for good measure. The ultra-funky title track was its masterpiece, a jazz-funk-disco workout guaranteed to get dancefloors moving. It was the only cut on the album written solely by Newman.
He also co-wrote the funky jam "Freaky Beat" with arranger William S. Fischer, who co-produced the LP with Orrin Keepnews. The album was recorded in two sessions at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA during May and July, 1977, and released on Prestige Records.
The title track featured Wilbur Bascomb on electric bass, George Davis and Lee Ritenour on guitar, Bill Summers on congas and percussion, and Idris Muhammad on drums. Renée Manning and Yvonne Fletcher contributed backing vocals.
It was released as a 12" single, with a special disco mix credited to "Blecman and Hedges." Marty Blecman was a San Francisco DJ/producer/remixer who worked extensively with synthesizer genius Patrick Cowley and after his death became co-owner of Megatone Records along with the label's president, fellow producer/remixer Johnny "Disco" Hedges.
It is not known whether the 12” made the U.S. dance charts. However, it stayed on the UK disco charts for six weeks starting December 16, 1978, peaking at #58. The single probably would have done even better if it hadn't been released at a moment when the disco market was arguably more flooded with product than at any other time during the 70s. Even great dancefloor records like this one had a hard time getting noticed.
#jazz #funk #disco #IdrisMuhammad #DavidFatheadNewman
Another great read, one of many for this newsletter. I love the way these pieces shine a light on so many different interesting, talented, and in many cases under-appreciated artists.