Ike Turner

During the mid-'60s, while much of the Midwest did its best to resist the British Invasion and R&B still ruled the circuit, the guitar solos of Ike Turner set the standard by which St. Louis club guitarists judged themselves and each other. Musicians packed the after-hours joints of East St. Louis to hear Turner play the opening riff of "Prancin'". But Turner's influence on R&B, blues and rock began a decade earlier. The piano player on B.B. King's 1951 hit "Three O'Clock Blues"? Ike Turner. The second guitarist on the 1958 Buddy Guy and Otis Rush Cobra sessions, which included Rush's "Double Trouble" and "All Your Love"? Ike Turner. And who served for awhile as the second guitarist in Turner's Kings of Rhythm? Jimi Hendrix. This September, Turner will release his next CD, Risin' with the Blues, which in many respects pays tribute to his musical roots and demonstrates his ability on both guitar and piano. Press release »