*Since I Met You Baby- The Music Of Ivory Joe Hunter

Click on the headline to link to a "YouTube" film clip of Ivory Joe Hunter performing his classic "Since I Met You Baby."

CD REVIEW

Since I Met You Baby: The Best of Ivory Joe Hunter, Razor and Tie Records, 1994

Here is a little quiz. Ask someone from the Generation of ’68 (forget anyone younger) if they know who the legendary rhythm and blues pianist Ivory Joe Hunter was. Probably, no response. Then ask whether they remember the song "Since I Met You Baby". They will start singing out the verses for you from a time of young love, class proms or school dances. Yes, that is Ivory Joe Hunter. While he never was at the top of my list of rhythm and blues artists who played piano he nevertheless was one of those instrumental artists who, kind of behind the scenes, influenced a whole generation of musicians to play and sing in that very sweet sing-song way. This, in fact, was the key to white kids like me in the 1950’s getting hip to black music. Nobody, at least who I knew, started with a dose of Ike Turner doing "Rocket 88" to beat the band. Or Elmore James stomping on that slide guitar doing "Dust My Broom". Or even Big Joe Turner jumping on "Shake, Rattle and Roll". We all learned about that ‘black’ thing from Ivory Joe then moved to the big boys (and girls).

As far as the work in this best of album goes, obviously "Since I Met You Baby" is tops. A few others using that same basic melody, like "Empty Arms", are here. Some early boogie woogie work like "Rockin’ Chair Boogie" jumps out at you. However overall, despite the importance of Ivory Joe to the roots of rhythm and blues and to our young love lives, there are, frankly, other artists I would run out and buy first now that I know what’s what with this kind of music.


IVORY JOE HUNTER lyrics - Since I Met You Baby

(Ivory Joe Hunter)

Since I met you baby
My whole life has changed
Since I met you baby
My whole life has changed
And everybody tells me
That I am not the same

I don't need nobody
To tell my troubles to
I don't need nobody
To tell my troubles to
'Cause since I met you baby
All I need is you

[Instrumental Interlude]

Since I met you baby
I'm a happy man
Since I met you baby
I'm a happy man
I'm gonna try to please you
In every way I can