R&B with Todd Rhodes

One of the first LPs ever presented here was an R&B album (by Steve Gibson), but I've neglected the genre since then. The reason is largely that 10-inch R&B LPs are scare (and very expensive). So I've decided to break out 12-inch LPs from a few of the R&B bands that were so popular after the war. These LPs in themselves can be rare and pricy - this original King issue by Detroit pianist and bandleader Todd Rhodes has auctioned as high as $900.

The LP collects singles Rhodes made for Vitacoustic, Sensation, and King from about 1949-53. Rhodes' basic style was post-Hampton riff blues, but he varied that with pretty ballads reminiscent of the kind of thing that Johnny Hodges did with Duke Eillington. It's a good band, although its tuning can be adventurous.

Rhodes also had vocalists, including the young LaVern Baker, but only Connee Allen is featured here, with an opus called Rocket 69. Double-entendre records were quite popular on the R&B charts back then.

The sound here is pretty good, although whoever did the LP transfer for King slapped on a bit of reverb.

I'll be back later on with Freddie Mitchell's band and perhaps some others.

Cash Box ad, November 1947