King Pleasure

• Name — King Pleasure • Birth Name — Clarence Beeks • Born — 24 March 1922 • Birthplace — Oakdale, Tennessee, U.S. • Origin — New York City, U.S. • Died — 21 March 1981 • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Vocalist • Label — * Prestige • Jubilee • Aladdin • United Artists

Born Clarence Beeks, in Oakdale, Tennessee, he moved to New York City in the mid-1940s, working as a bartender, where he became a fan of bebop. King Pleasure first gained attention by singing the Eddie Jefferson vocalese classic "Moody's Mood for Love", based on a 1949 James Moody saxophone solo to "I'm in the Mood for Love". Pleasure's 1952 recording, his first after signing a contract with the Prestige label, is considered a jazz classic; the female vocalist featured is Blossom Dearie. He and Betty Carter also recorded a famous vocalese version of "Red Top", a jazz classic penned by Kansas Citian Ben Kynard and recorded by Gene Ammons and others. Other notable recordings include a presciently elegiac version of "Parker's Mood", the year before Charlie Parker died in 1955, and Pleasure's take on Ammons's "Hittin' the Jug", retitled as "Swan Blues" in 1962. Pleasure has been cited as a significant influence by Van Morrison, especially on his album Astral Weeks. Genya Ravan, drawing inspiration for her singing from King Pleasure, recorded "Moody's Mood for Love" with James Moody on her 1972 CBS album Genya Ravan. Pleasure died on March 21, 1981, aged 58.

• 1957: King Pleasure Sings (Prestige #PREP-1338) – four tracks recorded 1952–53; includes the singles: Prestige 821A&B and 860A&B

• 1955: King Pleasure Sings (Prestige #LP-208) – eight tracks recorded 1952–54; includes the singles: Prestige 821A&B, 860A&B, 880A&B, 908A, and 913A

• Release year — A-side / B-side — Label, catalog no. number — Personnel / Notes • 1957 — King Pleasure Sings / Annie Ross Sings — Prestige #PRLP-7128 — Reissued in 1986 by Original Jazz Classics (#OJC-217) with four Annie Ross tracks added; these are from Annie Ross Sings, Prestige #PREP-1301). Note: the CD reissue has all twelve King Pleasure recordings plus the four Annie Ross tracks. • 1960 — Golden Days — HiFi Jazz #J-425 — King Pleasure (vocals); Matthew Gee (trombone); Teddy Edwards, Harold Land (tenor saxophone); Gerald Wiggins (piano); Wilfred Middlebrooks (bass); Earl Palmer (drums). Reissued in 1991 by Original Jazz Classics (#OJC-1772) • 1962 — Mr. Jazz — United Artists #UAJ-14012/UAS-15012 — Unknown personnel. Reissued in 1968 by Solid State (#SS-18021) • 1968 — Original Moody's Mood — Prestige #PR-7586 — Compilation with all twelve recordings made for the Prestige label • 1972 — The Source — Prestige #PR-24017 — 2-LP set/reissue of Golden Days and Original Moody's Mood albums • 1972 — Moody's Mood For Love — United Artists #UAS-5634 — CD reissue in 1992 by Blue Note (#84463) of material from Mr. Jazz. Note: the CD also includes the two Jubilee and the four Aladdin tracks, plus three previously unreleased recordings as a bonus.

King Pleasure is recorded with the occupation jazz musician. Recorded as a citizen of United States. Classed in the genre jazz.