Jimmy Preston born 18 August 1913

Jimmy Preston (August 18, 1913 – December 17, 1984), was an American R&B bandleader, alto saxophonist, drummer and singer who made an important contribution to early rock and roll. 

James Alfred Smith Preston was born in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1913 and twenty years later started his career as a saxophonist as a local attraction in Philadelphia and surrounding areas. Like many he was increasingly drawn towards the records and style of Louis Jordan whose unprecedented run of hits throughout the 1940’s laid the foundation for much of rock ‘n’ roll down the road. 

Louis Jordan

By the time Preston got the opportunity to record rock had arrived and his work on the Philly based Gotham label moved further into that realm, though with some Jordan-like sensibilities still apparent at times. Perhaps because of this schism in approach he never fully emerged as a major player in rock circles, especially once more artists who were not beholden to any prior stylistic compromises made names for themselves and took the music further away from its earliest influences. Preston however proved more than willing to head that way himself as his records increasingly showed, as the backbeat was further emphasized along with grittier and wilder sax solos and a more raucous sensibility in the vocals. 

                                    

They scored three national Top Ten hits, the second of which, “Rock The Joint” (with sax breaks from tenor sax player Danny Turner), quickly became a rock standard, covered immediately in an even more over-the-top arrangement by Chris Powell’s Blue Flames, then a few years down the road becoming the first noisemaker from Bill Haley & The Saddlemen, the record that convinced them to give up their cowboy outfits and country music leanings and fully dive into rock ‘n’ roll. 

Danny Turner

The Pennsylvania-born Haley had picked up on the song thanks to plenty of first-hand exposure to local hero Preston, who despite the national hits remained ensconced in the Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey region as a club attraction throughout his hit-making years. Still drawing well, having moved to New York’s Derby Records in 1950 where he scored his third hit that year, Preston abruptly gave up music altogether in 1952 when he became a minister. A decade later he founded the Victory Baptist Church, his sinful life as a rock ‘n’ roller apparently forgiven in the eyes of the congregation. 

Preston died December 17, 1984, aged 71,his role in rock music’s rise not altogether forgotten thanks to the connection with the more modernly known Bill Haley. Yet the scope of his own larger career which epitomized the shift from the Jordan-esque jump blues of the early to mid-40’s to the rock mayhem of the late 40’s has been largely pushed aside. 

Discography 

Jimmy Preston & His Prestonians on Gotham Records...

166 Let Me Call You Sweetheart // Messin' With Preston (11/1948)

170 Numbers Blues // Chop Suey, Louie (1/1949)

175 Hucklebuck Daddy // Sugar Baby (3/1949)

180 Hold Me, Baby // Home Cookin' (5/1949)

188 Rock The Joint // Drinking Woman (8/1949)

204 The Bells of St. Mary's // Foolish Me (11/1949)

206 Going Away // Credit Blues (12/1949)

216 They Call Me The Champ // Swingin' In The Groove (1950)

228 Hay Ride // Early Morning Blues (1950)

240 Estellina Bim Bam // Do The Bump (1950)

246 Let's Hang Out Tonight // Potato Salad (1950) 

Jimmy Preston With The Jimmy Preston Orchestra on Derby Records... 

748 Oh Babe! // Stop That Baby (10/1950) both sides with Burnetta Evans-vocal

751 Rock With It Baby // My Baby Done Left Me (1950)

755 Roll, Roll, Roll // Front Door Blues (1951) 

(Edited from Spontaneous Lunacy & Wikipedia)