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Cornell Dupree

American R&B/soul jazz guitarist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cornell Dupree
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Cornell Luther Dupree (December 19, 1942 – May 8, 2011)[1] was an American jazz fusion and R&B guitarist. He worked at various times with Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway, King Curtis, and Steve Gadd, appeared on Late Night with David Letterman,[2] and wrote a book on soul and blues guitar, Rhythm and Blues Guitar. He reportedly recorded on 2,500 sessions.[3]

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Biography

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Dupree at a 2008 tribute concert for Bill Withers, performing with the singer

Dupree was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, where he graduated from I.M. Terrell High School.[4] He began his career playing in the studio band for Atlantic Records, recording albums by Aretha Franklin (Aretha Live at Fillmore West) and King Curtis[3] as a member of Curtis's band The King Pins (Dupree grew up with Curtis in Fort Worth). He appeared on the 1969 Lena Horne and Gábor Szabó recording Lena & Gabor and on recordings with Archie Shepp, Grover Washington Jr., Snooky Young, and Miles Davis.

Dupree played guitar on Brook Benton's 1970 hit "Rainy Night in Georgia" in 1969.[5] In December 1972, the British music magazine New Musical Express reported that Dupree, Roberta Flack, and Jerry Jemmott were injured in an auto accident in Manhattan.[6] Dupree appeared on Joe Cocker's albums Stingray and Luxury You Can Afford. He also released solo albums such as Teasin' (1974), Cornell Dupree's Saturday Night Fever (1977), Shadow Dancing (1978), Coast to Coast (1988), Can't Get Through (1991), Child's Play (1993), Bop 'n' Blues (1995), and Uncle Funky (1998).[7]

In the late 1970s, Dupree formed the new jazz fusion group Stuff[2] with Eric Gale, Richard Tee, Steve Gadd, Chris Parker, and Gordon Edwards. Dupree and Tee recorded together on many occasions.

In 1989, Cornell recorded a video for guitar teacher Arlen Roth called Mastering R&B Guitar, which documented his style, technique, and influences.

In 2002, Yamaha produced a signature guitar called the Cornell Dupree Model.[8] Dupree appeared in the 2009 documentary entitled Still Bill, about the life of soul legend Bill Withers. He appeared in the film on stage playing a guitar-led version of Withers' single "Grandma's Hands"; Withers, at first sitting in the audience, ultimately joins Dupree on stage to sing the song. The scene also shows Dupree playing guitar on a stool while breathing with an oxygen tank, foreshadowing his battles with emphysema.

Dupree died on May 8, 2011 at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, where his wife Erma, daughter Celestine, and granddaughter Bernice (named after his mother) were by his side. He had been waiting for a lung transplant as a result of emphysema.[9]

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Discography

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As leader

  • Teasin' (Atlantic, 1974)
  • Cornell Dupree's Saturday Night Fever (Versatile, 1977)
  • Shadow Dancing (Versatile, 1978)
  • Coast to Coast (Antilles, 1988)
  • Can't Get Through (Amazing, 1991)
  • Child's Play (Amazing, 1993)
  • Guitar Riffs for DJs Vol. 1 (Tuff City, 1993)
  • Guitar Riffs for DJs Vol. 2 (Tuff City, 1993)
  • Bop 'n' Blues (Kokopelli, 1995)
  • Uncle Funky (Kokopelli, 1998)
  • Double Clutch (TKO Magnum Music, 1998)
  • I'm Alright (Dialtone, 2011)
  • Doin' Alright (P-Vine, 2011)

With Gadd Gang

  • The Gadd Gang (Columbia, 1986)
  • Here & Now (Columbia, 1988)
  • Live at the Bottom Line (A Touch, 1994)

With Rainbow

  • Crystal Green (East Wind, 1978)
  • Over Crystal Green (Eighty-Eights, 2002)
  • Harmony (Eighty-Eights, 2003)

With Stuff

  • Stuff (Warner Bros., 1976)
  • More Stuff (Warner Bros., 1977)
  • Live Stuff (Warner Bros., 1978)
  • Stuff It (Warner Bros., 1979)
  • Live in New York (Warner Bros., 1980)
  • Made in America (Bridge Gate, 1994)
  • Now (Skip, 2001)
  • Live at Montreux 1976 (Eagle, 2008)

As sideman

With Joe Cocker

With Hank Crawford

With Aretha Franklin

With Donny Hathaway

With The Joneses

  • Keepin' Up with the Joneses (Mercury, 1974)
  • Our Love Song (P-Vine, 1992)
  • Come Back to Me (P-Vine, 1993)

With Margie Joseph

  • Margie Joseph (Atlantic, 1973)
  • Sweet Surrender (Atlantic, 1974)
  • Margie (Atlantic, 1975)

With King Curtis

  • Live at Small's Paradise (Atco, 1966)
  • Get Ready (Atco, 1970)
  • Live at Fillmore West (Atco, 1971)
  • Everybody's Talkin' (Atco, 1972)
  • Blues at Montreux (Atlantic, 1973)

With Roland Kirk

With Van McCoy

  • And His Magnificent Movie Machine (H&L, 1977)
  • My Favorite (MCA, 1978)
  • Lonely Dancer (MCA, 1979)

With Geoff Muldaur

  • Is Having a Wonderful Time (Reprise, 1975)

With David "Fathead" Newman

With Esther Phillips

  • Burnin' (Atlantic, 1970)
  • From a Whisper to a Scream (Kudu, 1971)
  • Alone Again Naturally (Kudu, 1972)

With Wilson Pickett

  • In the Midnight Hour (Atlantic, 1965)

With Lou Rawls

With Archie Shepp

  • Attica Blues (Impulse, 1972)
  • The Cry of My People (Impulse, 1973)
  • The Impulse Story (Impulse!, 2006)

With Stanley Turrentine

With Zulema

  • Zulema (Sussex, 1972)
  • R.S.V.P. (RCA Victor, 1975)
  • Z-licious (London, 1978)

With others

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References

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