Billy Butler • Night Life

Biography by Ron Wynn

A tasty soul-jazz and blues guitarist, Billy Butler adroitly mixed a Charlie Christian approach with '50s R&B grooves and backbeats. He coaxed a warm, fat tone from his hollow-bodied electric guitar, and provided deceptively simple solos and fills that became staples of the R&B guitar vocabulary. Bill Doggett's "Honky Tonk," featuring Butler, is perhaps the prototype R&B guitar instrumental. "Ram-Bunk-Shush" and "Big Boy" are other highlights of his tenure with Doggett. He began playing with doo wop/R&B group the Harlemaires in the late '40s, then led combos until 1952, when he joined Doc Bagby's trio. Butler co-wrote "Honky Tonk" while playing with Doggett from 1954 to 1961. He also recorded with King Curtis, Dinah Washington, Panama Francis, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Smith, and David "Fathead" Newman in the '60s. Butler worked in Broadway pit bands beginning in the late '60s, but found time for recording sessions with Houston Person and Norris Turney in the late '60s and '70s. He led his own band and recorded for Prestige in the late '60s and early '70s. Butler also recorded with Al Casey and Jackie Williams. He toured Europe frequently in the '70s and '80s, doing sessions there and in America.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-butler-mn0000070150/biography

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Biografía de Ron Wynn

Un sabroso guitarrista de soul-jazz y blues, Billy Butler mezcló hábilmente un enfoque de Charlie Christian con ritmos de R&B de los años 50. Consiguió un tono cálido y gordo de su guitarra eléctrica de cuerpo hueco, y proporcionó solos y rellenos engañosamente simples que se convirtieron en elementos básicos del vocabulario de la guitarra R&B. "Honky Tonk" de Bill Doggett, con Butler, es quizás el prototipo de instrumento de guitarra R&B. "Ram-Bunk-Shush" y "Big Boy" son otros aspectos destacados de su trabajo con Doggett. Empezó a tocar con el grupo de doo wop/R&B los Harlemaires a finales de los 40, luego dirigió combos hasta 1952, cuando se unió al trío de Doc Bagby. Butler co-escribió "Honky Tonk" mientras tocaba con Doggett de 1954 a 1961. También grabó con King Curtis, Dinah Washington, Panama Francis, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Smith y David "Fathead" Newman en los años 60. Butler trabajó en las bandas de Broadway a finales de los 60, pero encontró tiempo para grabar sesiones con Houston Person y Norris Turney a finales de los 60 y 70. Dirigió su propia banda y grabó para Prestige a finales de los 60 y principios de los 70. Butler también grabó con Al Casey y Jackie Williams. Hizo frecuentes giras por Europa en los 70 y 80, haciendo sesiones allí y en América.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-butler-mn0000070150/biography
 

 

 

Tracks:

A1. Nightlife {Walt Breeland, Paul Buskirk, Willie Nelson} (5:57)
A2. Wave {Antonio Carlos Jobim} (5:52)
A3. Watch What Happens {Jacques Demy, Norman Gimbel, Michel Legrand} (5:03)
B1. Peacock Alley {Billy Butler, Bill Doggett} (4:08)
B2. Prelude To A Kiss {Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Irving Gordon} (5:07)
B3. In A Mellotone {Duke Ellington, Milt Gabler} (9:44)


Personnel:
Billy Butler - Guitar
Johnny "Hammond" Smith - Organ, Electric Piano (#A3)
Jesse Powell - Tenor Saxophone
Houston Person - Tenor Saxophone (#A3,B3)
Bob Bushnell - Electric Bass
Jimmy Johnson – Drums
Recording Engineer - Rudy Van Gelder


Label: Prestige Records (Catalog#: PR 7854)

Recorded in 1971 at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

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