Alexis Korner

Alexis Andrew Nicholas Koerner(19 April 1928 – 1 January 1984), known professionally asAlexis Korner,was a Britishbluesmusician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a founding father ofBritish blues".A major influence on the sound of the British music scene in the 1960s,he was instrumental in the formation of several notable British bands includingThe Rolling StonesandFree.Korner was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Famein the musical influence category in 2024.

Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner, Musikhalle Hamburg, November 1972
Background information
Birth name	Alexis Andrew Nicholas Koerner
Also known as	"Father ofBritish Blues"
Born	(1928-04-19)19 April 1928 Paris, France
Died	1 January 1984(1984-01-01)(aged 55) London, England
Genres	Blues,blues rock
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, historian, broadcaster
Instrument(s)	Vocals, acoustic & electric guitar, mandolin, piano
Years active	1955–1984
Labels	Decca,Polydor,Spot Records,CBS Records,Transatlantic Records,Fontana,RAK Records,Tempo,Brain Records,Liberty,Atlantic/Metronome,77 Records,Warner Bros.,Charisma
Formerly of	Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated,Free At Last,CCS,Snape

Early career

Alexis Andrew Nicholas Koerner was born on 19 April 1928 in Paris, France,to an Austrian Jewish fatherand a mother of Greek, Turkish and Austrian descent.He spent his childhood in France, Switzerland and North Africa, and arrived in London in 1940 after the start of the Second World War. One memory of his youth was listening to a record by black pianistJimmy Yanceyduring a Germanair raid.Korner said, "From then on all I wanted to do was play the blues."

After the war, Korner played piano and guitar (his first guitar was built by friend and author Sydney Hopkins, who wroteMister God, This Is Anna) and in 1949 joinedChris Barber's Jazz Bandwhere he met blues harmonica playerCyril Davies.They started playing together as a duo, started the influentialLondon Blues and Barrelhouse Clubin 1955 and made their first record together in 1957.

Korner made his first official record onDecca RecordsDFE 6286 in the company ofKen Colyer'sSkiffleGroup. His talent extended to playingmandolinon one of the tracks of this BritishEP,recorded in London on 28 July 1955. Korner encouraged many American blues artists, previously virtually unknown in Britain, to perform at the London Blues and Barrelhouse Club, which he established with Davies at the Round House pub inSoho.

The 1960s

Main article:Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated

In 1961, Korner and Davies formedBlues Incorporated,initially a loose-knit group of musicians with a shared love ofelectric bluesandR&Bmusic.The group included, at various times,Charlie Watts,Jack Bruce,Ginger Baker,Long John Baldry,Graham Bond,Danny ThompsonandDick Heckstall-Smith.It also attracted a wider crowd of mostly younger fans, some of whom occasionally performed with the group, includingMick Jagger,Keith Richards,Brian Jones,Geoff Bradford,Rod Stewart,John Mayall,andJimmy Page.

Although Cyril Davies left the group in late 1962, Blues Incorporated continued to record, with Korner at the helm, until 1966. However, by that time its originally stellar line-up (and crowd of followers) had mostly left to start their own bands. While his one-time acolytes, the Rolling Stones andCream,made the front pages of music magazines all over the world, Korner was relegated to the role of 'elder statesman'.

In 1966, Korner formed the trio Free At Last withHughie FlintandBinky McKenzie.Flint later recalled "I played with Alexis, right after leavingThe Bluesbreakers,in a trio, which Alexis namedFree At Last,a sort of mini and slightly restricted version of Blues Incorporated. Playing with Alexis was very loose. We would play anything fromPercy Mayfield's ‘River's Invitation' toCharles Mingus' ‘Better Get It In Your Soul' – with lots of freaky guitar and bass solos. Alexis, likeJohn Mayallhad the most eclectic taste in music, very knowledgeable, and generous, and I am indebted to both of them for my wide approach to music ".

AlthoughFree At Lastwas short-lived, Korner ensured its name lived on in part by christening another young group of aspiring musicians,Free.Korner was instrumental in the formation of the band in April 1968, and continued to mentor them until they secured a deal withIsland Records.

Although he himself was a blues purist, Korner criticised better-known British blues musicians during the blues boom of the late 1960s for their blind adherence toChicago blues,as if the music came in no other form. He liked to surround himself withjazzmusicians and often performed with ahorn sectiondrawn from a pool that included, among others, saxophone playersArt Themen,Mel Collins,Dick Heckstall-Smith,andLol Coxhill.

While touringScandinaviahe formed the band New Church with guitarist and singerPeter Thorup.They subsequently were one of the support bands at theRolling Stones Free ConcertinHyde Park,London, on 5 July 1969.Jimmy Pagereportedly found out about a new singer,Robert Plant,who had been jamming with Korner, who wondered why Plant had not yet been discovered. Plant and Korner were recording an album with Plant on vocals until Page had asked him to join "the NewYardbirds",a.k.a.Led Zeppelin.Only two songs are in circulation from these recordings: "Steal Away" and "Operator".Korner gave one of his last radio interviews to BBC Midlands on theRecord Collectors Showwith Mike Adams and Chris Savory.

Broadcasting

In the 1960s Korner began a media career, working initially as a showbusiness interviewer and then onITV'sFive O'Clock Club,a children's TV show.Korner also wrote about blues for the music papers, and continued to maintain his own career as a blues artist, especially in Europe. Korner's main career in the 1970s was in broadcasting. In 1973, he presented a six-part documentary onBBC Radio 1,The Rolling Stones Story,and in 1977 he established a Sunday-night show on Radio 1,Alexis Korner's Blues and Soul Show,which ran until 1981.He also used his gravelly voice to great effect as an advertising voice-over artist. In 1983, Korner presented the 13 part BBC Radio 1 series, Guitar Greats, interviewing each of the artists, and playing their music.

1970s

CCS period

Main article:CCS (band)

Korner andPeter ThorupinBremen

In 1970, Korner and Thorup formed a big-band ensemble,CCS– short for "The Collective Consciousness Society" – which had several hit singles produced byMickie Most,including a version ofLed Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love",which was used as the theme for BBC'sTop of the Popsbetween 1970 and 1981. Another instrumental called "Brother" was used as the theme to theBBC Radio 1Top 20/40 whenTom Browne/Simon Batespresented the programme in the 1970s. It was also used in the 1990s on Radio Luxembourg for the Top 20 Singles chart. This was the period of Korner's greatest commercial success in the UK.In 1973, he provided a voice part for theHot Chocolatesingle releaseBrother Louie.

1970s to 1984

Korner with Snape

In 1973, he and Peter Thorup formed another group, Snape, withBoz Burrell,Mel Collins,andIan Wallace,who were previously together inKing Crimson.Korner also played onB.B. King'sIn Londonalbum, and cut his own, similar "supersession" album;Get Off My Cloud,withKeith Richards,Steve Marriott,Peter Frampton,Nicky Hopkinsand members ofJoe Cocker'sGrease Band.In the mid-1970s, while touring Germany, Korner established an intensive working relationship with bassistColin Hodgkinsonwho played for the support actBack Door.They would continue to collaborate right up until Korner's death.

In 1978, for Korner's 50th birthday, an all-star concert was held featuring many of his above-mentioned friends, as well asEric Clapton,Paul Jones,Chris Farlowe,Zoot Moneyand others, which was later released asThe Party Album,and as a video.

In 1981, Korner joined another "supergroup",Rocket 88,a project led byIan Stewartbased onboogie-woogiekeyboard players, which featured arhythm sectioncomprisingJack BruceandCharlie Watts,among others, as well as ahorn section.They toured Europe and released an album onAtlantic Records.He played in Italy withPaul Jonesand the Blues Society of Italian bluesman Guido Toffoletti.

Family life and death

In 1950, Korner married Roberta Melville (died 2021), daughter of art criticRobert Melville.He had a daughter, singer Sappho Gillett Korner (died 2006), and two sons, guitarist Nicholas 'Nico' Korner (died 1989) and sound engineer Damian Korner (died 2008).

Alexis Korner died in London fromlung canceron 1 January 1984, at the age of 55.

Korner was posthumously inducted, byKeith Richards,into theRock and Roll Hall of Famein 2024 in the musical influence category.

Album discography (selected UK and other releases)

• Blues from the Roundhouse10-inch (1957) – Alexis Korner's Breakdown Group
• R&B from the Marquee(1962) – Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated
• Red Hot from Alex(1964) – Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated
• At the Cavern(1964) – Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated
• Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated(1965) – Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated
• Sky High(1966) – Alexis Korner Blues Incorporated
• I Wonder Who(1967)
• Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated(re-issue ofSky High) – Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated
• A New Generation of Blues(1968)
• Both Sides(1970) – New Church
• CCS 1st(1970) – CCS
• Alexis Korner(1971)
• Bootleg Him!(1972)
• CCS 2nd(1972) – CCS
• Accidentally Borne in New Orleans(1972) – with Peter Thorup; Snape
• Live on Tour in Germany(1973) – with Peter Thorup; Snape
• The Best Band in the Land(1973) – CCS
• Alexis Korner(1974)
• Get Off My Cloud(1975)
• The Lost Album(1977)
• Just Easy(1978)
• The Party Album(1979) – Alexis Korner and Friends
• Me(1980)
• Rocket 88(1981) – Rocket 88
• Juvenile Delinquent(1984)
• Testament(1985) – with Colin Hodgkinson
• Live in Paris(1988) – with Colin Hodgkinson

Bibliography

• Bob Brunning(1986),Blues: The British Connection,London: Helter Skelter, 2002.ISBN1-900924-41-2
• Bob Brunning,TheFleetwood MacStory: Rumours and Lies,Omnibus Press, 2004; foreword byB.B. King
• Dick Heckstall-Smith (2004),The Safest Place in the World: A Personal History of British Rhythm and Blues,Clear Books.ISBN0-7043-2696-5.First Edition:Blowing the Blues – Fifty Years Playing the British Blues
• Christopher Hjort,Strange Brew:Eric Claptonand theBritish BluesBoom, 1965–1970,foreword byJohn Mayall,Jawbone, 2007.ISBN1-906002-00-2
• Harry Shapiro,Alexis Korner: The Biography,London: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 1997; Discography by Mark Troster.ISBN0-7475-3163-3

External links

• BiographyatAllMusic
• Biography at British Music Experience
• Alexis Korner page at Radio Rewind
• BBC Radio 2 radio documentary about Alexis KorneronVimeo
• Alexis Kornerdiscography atDiscogs
• Alexis KorneratIMDb