Album of the Day

A brilliant saxophone player, bandleader and producer, King Curtis was the secret weapon on many a recording session, and the artists he's backed would fill an entire wing of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Curtis was a star in his own right with a string of releases on Atlantic, and 1967's KING SIZE SOUL remains one of his most enjoyable. With Atlantic stalwarts like Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd in the booth and his band The Kingpins joining him at the mic, the sax sensation cut ten tracks touching on rock and country as well as R&B, and both “Ode To Billie Joe” and signature song “Memphis Soul Stew” became Top 40 singles. King Curtis was born on this day in 1934, so we'll cue up KING SIZE SOUL to pay tribute to musical royalty.