Johnny OTIS

⬇️ JOHNNY OTIS ⬇️
(Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes)
DISCOGRAPHY 1951-2021 (62CD)
 BIOGRAPHY 
Johnny Otis (born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes; December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) was an American singer, musician, composer, arranger, bandleader, talent scout, disc jockey, record producer, television show host, artist, author, journalist, minister, and impresario. He was a seminal influence on American R&B and rock and roll.

He discovered numerous artists early in their careers who went on to become highly successful in their own right, including Little Esther Phillips, Etta James, Big Mama Thornton, Johnny Ace, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John, Hank Ballard, and The Robins (who eventually changed their name to The Coasters), among many others. Otis has been called the "Godfather of Rhythm and Blues".

Otis was born in Vallejo, California, to Greek immigrant parents, Alexander J. Veliotes, a Mare Island longshoreman and grocery store owner, and his wife, the former Irene Kiskakes, a painter.[3] He had a younger sister, Dorothy, and a younger brother, Nicholas A. Veliotes, who became the U.S. Ambassador to Jordan (1978–81) and Egypt (1984–86). Johnny grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood in Berkeley, California, where his father owned a grocery store. He became known for his choice to live his professional and personal life as a member of the African-American community. He wrote, "As a kid I decided that if our society dictated that one had to be black or white, I would be black."

Otis began playing drums as a teenager, having bought a set by forging his father's signature on a credit slip. Soon after, he dropped out of Berkeley High School, in his junior year. He joined a local band, the West Oakland House Rockers,[10] with his pianist friend "Count" Otis Matthews. By 1939, they were performing at many local functions, mostly in and around Oakland and Berkeley, and were popular among their peers.

In the early 1940s Otis played in swing orchestras, including Lloyd Hunter's Serenaders[11] and Harlan Leonard's Rockets.[12] He founded his own band in 1945; they had one of the most enduring hits of the big-band era, "Harlem Nocturne", a composition by Earle Hagen. His band included Wynonie Harris, Charles Brown, and Illinois Jacquet, among others. In 1947, he and Bardu Ali opened the Barrelhouse Club in the Watts district of Los Angeles.

Otis reduced the size of his band and hired the singers Mel Walker, Little Esther (born Esther Mae Jones and later known as Esther Phillips) and the Robins (who later became the Coasters).[13] He discovered the teenaged Esther Jones when she won a talent show at the Barrelhouse Club. With this band, he toured extensively in the United States as the California Rhythm and Blues Caravan, and had a string of rhythm-and-blues hits through 1950.

Otis and his Orchestra played at the third annual Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on September 7, 1947. Woody Herman, The Valdez Orchestra, The Blenders, T-Bone Walker, Slim Gaillard, The Honeydrippers, Sarah Vaughn and the Three Blazers also performed that same day..... (Wikipedia)

All Nite Long
(LP)
JOTI-1951-All Nite Long (LP) @320

Midnight at the Barrel House
(1945-54)
(LP)
JOTI-1954-Midnight At The Barrel House (1945-54) (LP) @320

Rock 'n Roll Hit Parade
DIG LP104 - FLY 550
 
JOTI-1957-Rock n Roll Hit Parade Vol.1 (LP-DIG LP104) @-192
JOTI-1957-Rock n Roll Hit Parade Vol.1 (LP-FLY 550) @320
CD-ACE
JOTI-1957-Rock n Roll Hit Parade (CD-ACE) @FLAC


Cold Shot
1969-Cold Shot @FLAC


Snatch & The Poontangs
(LP)
JOTI-1969-Snatch & The Poontangs (LP) @FLAC24-96

Cold Shot
+ Snatch & The Poontangs
JOTI-1969-Cold Shot+Snatch & The Poontangs @FLAC

Formidable
(LP)
JOTI-1969-Formidable (LP) @320
(Thanks to Günther)

Cuttin' Up
(LP/CD)
JOTI-1970-Cuttin' Up (LP) @320 *
JOTI-1970-Cuttin' Up (CD @320
Thanks to Günther

LIVE BBC
The Johnny Otis Show
1972-08-08-LIVE BBC Johhny Otis Show @320


Back To Jazz
(LP)
JOTI-1977-Back To Jazz (LP) @256

The Original Johnny Otis Show
(2LPs/CD)
 
JOTI-1978-The Original Johnny Otis Show (2LP) @320
JOTI-1978-The Original Johnny Otis Show (CD) @FLAC
Vol.2 (1949-51)
(2LPs)
JOTI-1980-The Original Johnny Otis Show Vol.2 (1949-51)(2LPs) @256

Rock n' Roll Revue
(1957-60)
JOTI-1982-Rock n Roll Revue (1957-60) @320


Barrelhouse Stomp
(1946-51)
(LP)
JOTI-1985-Barrelhouse Stomp (1946-51)(LP) @320

The Capitol Years
JOTI-1989-The Capitol Years @160

Creepin' With The Cats
JOTI-1991-Creepin With The Cats @FLAC

Let's Live It Up
JOTI-1991-Let's Live It Up @320

(Thanks to Günther)

The New Johnny Otis Show
(with Shuggie Otis)
JOTI-1991-The New Johnny Otis Show @FLAC

Spirit of the Black Territory Bands
JOTI-1992-Spirit of the Black Territory Bands @FLAC

The Complete Savoy Recordings
(3CDs)
JOTI-1999-The Complete Savoy Recordings (3CDs) @FLAC

Watts Funky
JOTI-2001-Watts Funky @320

The Story of the Blues
(2CD)
JOTI-2004-The Story of the Blues {2CD} @FLAC


Rocks
Ain't Nothin' Shakin'
JOTI-2006-Rocks-Ain't Nothin' Shakin' @192

(Thanks to Günther)

Rock Me Baby
The Mercury & Peacock Sides
(1950-55)
 
JOTI-2007-Rock Me Baby The Mercury & Peacock Sides (1951-55)
JOTI-2020-Rock Me Baby! (Remastered) @FLAC

Hand Jive
JOTI-2011-Hand Jive @320
(Thanks to Günther)

That's Your Last Boogie!
The Best of Johnny Otis
(3CD)
JOTI-2012-That's Your Last Boogie (3CD) @FLAC

Essential Recordings
(2CD)
JOTI-2014-Essential Recordings (2CD) @320
(Thanks to Günther)

Live In Los Angeles 1970
JOTI-2015-Live In Los Angeles 1970 @FLAC


Honey Love
JOTI-2018-Honey Love @FLAC

Good Ole Blues
(1949-50)
JOTI-2020-Good Ole Blues (1949-50) @FLAC

Doin' the Hully Gully
JOTI-2021-Doin' the Hully Gully @FLAC

Songs of Love & Baby
JOTI-2021-Songs of Love & Baby @FLAC

The Fabulous Johnny Otis Show!
(Remastered)
JOTI-2021-The Fabulous Johnny Otis Show! (Remastered) @FLAC24-96


 COLLECTION 
⬇️BLUES COLLECTION⬇️
The Godfather of R&B
& R&B Caravan
Vol.1 (1945-50)
BLCL-JOTI-Godfather of R&B Vol.1 (1945-50) @192

(Thanks to Günther)

(1945-47)
CHLL-Johnny Otis-Chronological Classics (1945-47) @FLAC
(1949-50)
CHLL-Johnny Otis-Chronological Classics (1949-50) @FLAC
(1950)
CHLL-Johnny Otis-Chronological Classics (1950) @FLAC
(1951)
CHLL-Johnny Otis-Chronological Classics (1951) @FLAC

Vol.3-8
 
Great Rhythm & Blues Oldies Vol.03 @FLAC *
Great Rhythm & Blues Oldies Vol.08 @FLAC *
Vol.13
Great Rhythm & Blues Oldies Vol.13 @FLAC *
* Thanks to Günther

CD17 - Live At Monterey
TPBC-CD17 Johnny Otis @FLAC

Vol.04 - The Original Otis Show
(2LP)
TROR&R-Vol.04-The Original Otis Show (2LP) @320


 COLLABORATION 
⬇️GUITAR SLIM GREEN⬇️
Stone Down Blues
(with Johnny & Shuggie OTIS)
GSGR-1970-Stone Down Blues @FLAC

JOHNNY OTIS PRESENTS:
Little Esther, Robins, Nic Nacs
(1949-53)
(LP)
JOTI-1983-Little Esther, The Robins, The Nic Nacs (1949-53)(LP) @320
Barbara Morrison
Ooh Shoobie Doo
JOTI-2000-Barbara Morrison-Ooh Shoobie Doo @320
The Robins
JOTI-2004-The Robins @FLAC

⬇️Heather Marie⬇️
Got My Mojo Workin'
HEMA-JOTI-1999-Got My Mojo Workin' @320


⬇️VARIOUS ARTISTS⬇️
Jasmine Presents:
The Johnny Otis Show
VA-Jasmine Presents the Johnny Otis Show @FLAC

8 comments:

mwilson said...

Some other people that J Otis helped their career were his son Shuggie Otis and my all time favorite Don Sugarcane Harris. There are others too but these two have always been my favorites. Thank you for posting Johnny Otis.

Doccus Rockus Maximus said...

I'm very glad you did add Johnny Otis to your list of artists.. but there's still others on the list I posted last week --
Bo Diddley
Johnny Otis
Chuck Berry
Carl Perkins
Freddy Robinson
Albert Washington
-- that certainly deserve inclusion..
Of special note would be Bo Diddley and Duster Bennett. If (somehow!) you or your readers haven't heard of Duster, just know that he was a fixture of the late 60s british blues scene, and wrote several songs that the original fleetwood mac covered - most notably "Jumpin' At Shadows". Although he generally preferred the "one man band" format just like Joe Hill Louis, he often recorded with a full band, usually with Peter Green on either guitar or bass.
And Chris, after I've sorted out some archives I'm sure I could start out your category for you
Regards Doccus

Manhatan said...

Hi Doccus,

I did share them on a second blog dedicated to Jazz/Pop/Rock (JAPORO) but, due a lack of users, my cloud erased one by one the whole set for inactivity so I closed this blog !!
B.T.W. I don't like that much Bo Diddley cause, like reggae : you hear one your hear all !! Same with Chuck Berry : I saw him live several years ago : a real shame !! I love Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Vince Taylor, etc ... instead but this blog is dedicated to Blues so I cross the line sometimes with artists I like a lot like Aretha Franklin in Soul or Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday in Jazz ! ie: Betty Carter, Brian Setzer & friends coming soon ...

That's all Folks
Cheers
Chris-France

Doccus Rockus Maximus said...

Well, I mentioned Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry because both have a few albums specifically oriented to the blues ("Bo's Blues" and Berry's "On The Blues Side" specifically come to mind) The others aren't jazz so much as "proto blues" which is why they're includewd in the Chronological Blues & Rhythm series..
However, your comments can\t possibly apply to Duster Bennett.. a through and through blues artist and one of the diehards of the UK blues scene.. Only his untimely death in 1976 prevented him getting more exposure..

Rhodb said...

Thanks for the wondeful Johnny Otis share Great work

Regards

Dennis said...

Hi Chris, thanks for the Johnny Otis Show shares on your great blog, I had some of them on record or tape last century and am looking forward to seeing if they are as good as I remember.

cheers

Dennis

dormouse said...

Just discovered yousayblues - I say thank you so much - this is wonderful ! I checked out Johnny Otis and the Mega-Link under "THE PERFECT BLUES COLLECTION
CD17 - Live At Monterey"
turned out to be Hubert Sumlin...I have the vinyl so no problem for me.

Manhatan said...

Hi dormhouse,

Thanks to notice this wrong link.
Corrected!

Happy New Year
Chris-France