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A TRIBUTE TO KING RECORDS
Beginning in 1943, based in Cincinnati, King Records owner and founder Syd Nathan signed, recorded and promoted some of the nation's top R&B, blues, bluegrass and country talent, a veritable "Who's Who" in genres that the mainstream industry at the time marginalized as "race" and "hillbilly" music.
Among his roster of players were John Lee Hooker, Albert King, and Freddie King; The Stanley Brothers, The Delmore Brothers; Hank Ballard & the Midnighters, Little Willie John and - the Godfather of Soul himself - the legendary James Brown.
Under Syd Nathan's stewardship, King Records was the first label to consciously mix black and white forms of music. King's country artists were covering R&B and blues tunes as early as the late 1940s and its roster of rhythm and blues greats brought a touch of soul to a whole host of songs first recorded by country artists.
Hidden Treasures is a tribute to the King Records legacy which features a "Who's Who" of current Cincinnati-based artists, including legends Peter Frampton and Bootsy Collins (both inductees to the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame), Over The Rhine, Blessid Union of Souls, Ass Ponys, Scotty Anderson, and many more. On this CD they recreate and reinterpret songs from among the many popular tunes which originated in the King Records library.
In honor of King's spirit of diversity, proceeds from the sales of Hidden Treasures go the the Inclusion Network, a local non-profit organization promoting inclusion of people with disabilities in the Greater Cincinnati community.
