Before rock and roll and “soul”, and after jazz, the music that was most influential post WWII was Rhythm and Blues. Big bands were too expensive and bebop to esoteric, so black musicians stripped things down into blues with rhythm, with jazz saxers keeping it simple, stupid on this collection of juke box classics.
Swing Era vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Ray, Arhtur Prysock, Dinah Wasington and Billy Eckstine adapted well, with songs like”Smooth Sailing”, “I Didn’t Sleep A Wink Last Night” “New Blowtop Blues”, “Kiss Of Fire”. Down home southern blues and Chicago blues were led by Charles Brown (“Seven Long Days:”), Joe Turner (“The Chill Is On”), Howlin’ Wolf (“How Many More Years”), BB King (“Three O’Clock Blues) and Muddy Waters (“She Moves Me”)
Progenitors of rock and roll include Lightnin Hopkins on “Give Me Central 209”, Lloyd Price belting out “Oooh, Oooh, Oooh”, and Fats Domino pounding it on “Poor Poor Me”. Tenor saxists surviving the swing era included big toned Jimmy Forrest on “Night Train” and Illinois Jacquet” bopping out “Port of Rico” while big voiced singers Joe Williams and Ruth Brown grind out “Every Day I Have The Blues” and “Daddy Daddy” respectfully.
Doo Wop was at its heyday as well, with The Ravens harmonizing on “Rock Me All Night Long”, The Clovers regaling on “I Played The Fool” and The Orioles bluesing up “Baby Please Don’t Go”. Some fancy jazz chops still made the charts, with alto saxist Tab Smith going bel canto on “Because of You” and vocalese pioneer King Pleasure glowing on “Moody’s Mood For Love”. Not a hint of “Auto Tune” here; simply timeless tunes.