Big John Greer

Never attaining the same glistening level of fame that fellow New York sax blasters <a href="spotify:artist:0BmKK2APo4jh7ArrA9JpNQ">Sam "The Man" Taylor</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0WxOgeRxUt0MwPrI7A5atQ">King Curtis</a> enjoyed, Big John Greer nevertheless blew strong and sang long on a terrific series of waxings for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22RCA+Victor%22">RCA Victor</a> and its <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Groove%22">Groove</a> subsidiary from 1949 to 1955.

Greer was a childhood pal of future <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22King+Records%22">King Records</a> producer <a href="spotify:artist:0uPVHRoA0cMZVrFTGdtve1">Henry Glover</a>. The pair attended high school together in Hot Springs and progressed to Alabama A&M College. <a href="spotify:artist:0uPVHRoA0cMZVrFTGdtve1">Glover</a> moved up quickly, playing trumpet and arranging for popular bandleader <a href="spotify:artist:4tdVYQWfsBth04tc1mmQ23">Lucky Millinder</a> by 1948; when <a href="spotify:artist:4tdVYQWfsBth04tc1mmQ23">Millinder</a> saxist <a href="spotify:artist:7LvQ7F9il2LSzH7iwR4N2p">Bull Moose Jackson</a> split the aggregation to promote his blossoming solo career, <a href="spotify:artist:0uPVHRoA0cMZVrFTGdtve1">Glover</a> called his pal Big John Greer to fill <a href="spotify:artist:7LvQ7F9il2LSzH7iwR4N2p">Moose</a>'s chair. Greer's first record date as a leader was for Bob Shad's fledgling Sittin' in With label, but the great majority of his discography lies in <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Victor%22">Victor</a>'s vaults.

Initially recording as a singer/saxist with <a href="spotify:artist:4tdVYQWfsBth04tc1mmQ23">Millinder</a>'s unit for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22RCA%22">RCA</a>, Greer stayed put when <a href="spotify:artist:4tdVYQWfsBth04tc1mmQ23">Millinder</a> defected to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22King%22">King</a> in 1950. That worked out nicely for Greer, who blew scorching tenor sax behind <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22King%22">King</a> stars <a href="spotify:artist:4Imc3wiT22cuynvQNpXcVn">Wynonie Harris</a> (on "Mr. Blues Is Coming to Town" and "Bloodshot Eyes") and <a href="spotify:artist:7LvQ7F9il2LSzH7iwR4N2p">Bull Moose Jackson</a> (on the incredibly raunchy "Nosey Joe"). Greer enjoyed his biggest hit as a vocalist in 1952 with the tasty blues ballad "Got You on My Mind" for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22RCA%22">RCA</a>. The <a href="spotify:artist:05DR7lRYx9Rlock1L16KhC">Howard Biggs</a>-<a href="spotify:artist:7lc0kBaokUkqhTjrjkqoLF">Joe Thomas</a> composition attracted covers over the years from a mighty disparate lot, notably <a href="spotify:artist:7EPI9RLrU6kU6ZQLTqB7wY">the Big Three Trio</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6GqL4bwmVbFVhvupr8HF4u">Cookie & the Cupcakes</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2zyz0VJqrDXeFDIyrfVXSo">Jerry Lee Lewis</a>.

Greer's <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22RCA%22">RCA</a> and (from 1954 on) <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Groove%22">Groove</a> platters were of uncommonly high standards, even for the polished New York scene. But no more hits ensued ("Bottle It Up and Go" and "Come Back Maybellene" certainly deserved a wider audience) for the powerful saxist. <a href="spotify:artist:0uPVHRoA0cMZVrFTGdtve1">Glover</a> brought him over to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22King%22">King</a> in 1955, but a year there didn't slow his slide. Booze was apparently taking its toll on Greer's employment prospects; by 1957, he was back in Hot Springs, through as anything but a local attraction. He died at age 48, forgotten by all but the most dedicated R&B fans. ~ Bill Dahl, Rovi