The Alabama State Troupers - Road Show (1972)

The Alabama State Troupers were a short-lived touring band led by Don Nix.

In 1971 Elektra Records decided to put together a travelling road show to showcase various southern musicians they had signed. The original plan was for it to be led by guitarist Lonnie Mack, but apparently he vanished just days before the tour was to begin. So the role of bandleader fell to singer-songwriter Don Nix (who had that year worked closely with Mack on the latter's The Hills Of Indiana album). The full lineup (credited as The Alabama State Troupers Road Show and The Mount Zion Band & Choir) consisted of Don Nix (vocals/rhythm guitar), Wayne Perkins (guitar), Tippy Armstrong (guitar), Clayton Ivey (piano), Ken Woodley (organ), Bob Wray (bass), Tarp Tarrant (drums), Fred Prouty (drums) and the choir itself (Jeanie Greene, Marlin Greene, Brenda Patterson, Mary Anderson, Carolyn Watkins and Marianna Watkins). They were also joined by veterean bluesman Furry Lewis, who Nix seemed to have taken under his wing (he made cameos on both of Nix's albums from that same year). Lewis was a true character - 78 years old, a heavy drinker, and with just one leg, he had originally performed in the 20s but had recently been brought out of retirement as part of the 60s folk-blues revival.

Recordings were made of the tour, and a double live album was released in 1972, with Don Nix, Jeanie Greene and Furry Lewis on the sleeve as featured artists. Lewis opened the album with a whole side to himself, before three sides of full band arrangements, the vocals shared between Nix, Greene, Brenda Patterson and the choir as a whole. The result was a brilliant southern mix of rock, blues, gospel and country. Nix featured some of his best songs, including the blues classic "Going Down", and "Asphalt Outlaw Hero", which Lonnie Mack was presumeably supposed to sing originally (he had recorded it for The Hills Of Indiana along with several other Nix songs). There were also the traditional songs "Will The Circle Be Unbroken", "My Father's House", "Dixie" and "Jesus On The Mainline", and a cover of Cowboy's "Living In The Country".

After the tour all the musicians went their seperate ways, and the album sunk into obscurity.

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Don Nix - Living By The Days (1971)

Don Nix is an American singer-songwriter and producer.

After the release of his debut album to little notice, Don Nix quickly got to work on its follow-up, this time released on Elektra Records. Living By The Days followed much the same template as In God We Trust, with a piano-driven gospel-flavoured sound, though some of the tracks had a bigger, more ambitious sound, complete with strings. It featured some excellent original songs, alongside a cover of Hank Williams' "I Saw The Light". Like its predecessor, it featured a brief cameo from his bluesman friend Furry Lewis. And also like its predecessor, it unfortunately had no success in launching his solo career.
Backing came from guitarists Jimmy Johnson, Tippy Armstrong, Gimmer Nicholson and Wayne Perkins, keyboardists Barry Beckett and Chris Stainton, bassists David Hood and Duck Dun, and drummer Roger Hawkins (Johnson, Beckett, Hood and Hawkins being the famed Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section).

In God We Trust (1971) <|> The Alabama State Troupers Road Show (1972)
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Don Nix - In God We Trust (1971)

Don Nix is an American singer-songwriter and producer.

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Nix's musical career began back at the beginning of Stax Records. He was a member of the young record label's house band The Mar-Keys, where he played sax. The band had a hit in 1961 with the instrumental "Last Night", and they went on to tour extensively as well as providing studio backing for a host of Stax artists. They later broke up, members going on to form off-shoot groups The Memphis Horns and Booker T & The MGs. Nix himself went on to befriend Leon Russell, and started work behind the scenes as a producer and songwriter. One of his most notable compositions was "Goin' Down", first recorded by Freddie King in 1971, which has since become a blues standard. He also worked with George Harrison on the Concerts For Bangladesh, and produced an album for Albert King (1971's Lovejoy, on Stax).
He released his first solo album the same year, on Leon Russell's Shelter Records label. In God We Trust was a fantastic album, a rootsy blend of rock, R&B and gospel. It was recorded at Muscle Shoals, with backing provided by their house band of Barry Beckett (keyboards), Eddie Hinton (guitar), David Hood (bass) and Roger Hawkins (drums). Mostly made up of original songs (many with strong Christian themes to the lyrics), it also featured versions of the traditional spirituals "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" and "I'll Fly Away". Another song ("He Never Lived A Day Without Jesus") was co-written with Bobby Whitlock, who also featured it on his own solo debut a year later.
Somewhere around this time Nix apparently befriended Furry Lewis, the old one-legged bluesman who originally recorded in the 1920s and had recently returned to popularity through the folk revival. Lewis appears in a bizarre guest spot, one short track consisting of just him talking followed by a quick bit of slide guitar. He would later go on tour with Nix.

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