| Big Al Downing |
R&B
An unsung figure of early black rock & roll, Big Al Downing had a series of enjoyable if derivative singles in the late '50s and early '60s for a several small labels that didn't achieve anything other than regional success. Downing was an eclectic pianist/singer who did not owe his allegiance to pure R&B, but also had a taste for rockabilly, country & western, and occasional hints of New Orleans music, hewing closer to white rock & roll than most African-American performers of his era. On some of his early sides, in fact, Downing sounds like a black Jerry Lee Lewis, with impressively hyper piano runs and slicing electric guitar breaks; at other points, he landed closer to Little Richard or Fats Domino territory. His material and production wasn't strong enough to place him in the major leagues, but his early work has an engaging looseness (sometimes verging on sloppiness). Long active, he started to focus on country & western in the late '70s, although he still played some rock & roll in his live shows. Richie Unterberger
|
|
|
