| Louis Satterfield | |
| Birth Name: | Louis Edward Satterfield |
| Birth Date: | 3 April 1937 |
| Birth Place: | Shaw, Mississippi, United States |
| Death Place: | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Genre: | Blues, soul, jazz, pop, rock, R&B, funk |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Instrument: | Bass, trombone, vocals |
| Years Active: | 1971–2004 |
| Associated Acts: | The Pharaohs, Earth, Wind & Fire, Phenix Horns |
Louis Edward Satterfield (April 3, 1937 – September 27, 2004) was an American bassist and trombonist. Satterfield was a member of both The Pharaohs and the Phenix Horns. He also collaborated with prominent artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Muddy Waters, Phil Collins, B. B. King, The Emotions, Ramsey Lewis, The Whispers and The Gap Band.[1] [2]
Satterfield was born in Shaw, Mississippi, a city in Bolivar and Sunflower counties, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region, on April 3, 1937.
In the late 1950s–early 1960s, Satterfield, Charles Handy on trumpet, and Don Myrick on alto saxophone formed The Jazzmen, a student jazz trio at Crane Junior College in Chicago, Illinois. They were backed by Fred Humphrey on piano, Ernest McCarthy on bass guitar, and Maurice White on drums. Satterfield as a session bassist, White, and Handy were studio musicians at Chess Records in Chicago. Satterfield most memorable contribution being the bassline to Fontella Bass's "Rescue Me" with White on drums. The Jazzmen collaborations and live concerts with Philip Cohran and the Artistic Heritage Ensemble at the Affro Arts Theater on the south side of Chicago went on to form The Pharaohs. In 1971, the band recorded its first and only studio album The Awakening, and in 1972 In the Basement, an album reissued by Luv N' Haight in November 1996 that features four tracks recorded live at High Chaparral in Chicago, a track from the original master tapes for The Awakening album, and "Love and Happiness", which was the B-side of "Freedom Road" single for Scarab Records. After leaving an early incarnation of the Pharaohs to play in the Ramsey Lewis Trio, White went on to start the band Earth, Wind & Fire.While at Chess Records, Satterfield was also teacher to up and coming electric bassists, most notably, White's younger brother Verdine White.
The inception of the Phenix Horns, as the main horn section for Earth, Wind & Fire, originally known as the EWF Horns, came about in 1975 when White expanded the band's timbral palette to include more horns. At first the horn section included Satterfield and his bandmate from The Pharaohs, saxophonist Don Myrick along with lead trumpet player Michael Harris. They started touring with the band in 1975 and played on all EWF albums from 1975 until 1983. Satterfield and Earth, Wind & Fire bass player and Maurice White's younger brother Verdine White wrote a book, Playing the Bass Guitar, first published by Almo in 1978. 1979 saw the arrival of trumpeter Rahmlee Michael Davis for the recording of the album I Am. In 1981, the foursome joined Genesis drummer Phil Collins and producer Hugh Padgham in the studio for the recording of Collins's debut solo album, Face Value. Five of the musically diverse album's 12 tracks featured horns, with a sixth, a rendition of the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows", featuring electronically manipulated samples of the section. The group's extreme precision was put to good use in up-tempo numbers like "Behind the Lines" and the mostly instrumental "Hand in Hand". The section also joined Collins's band Genesis on the song "No Reply at All" on their album Abacab, as well as on "Paperlate", a song from the band's EP 3×3, which was also included on the U.S. release of the album Three Sides Live.
The foursome developed a strong kinship with Collins and elected to join him on tour and for the recording of subsequent albums, while still performing and recording with EWF intermittently. Early concert footage shows the section doing considerably more than playing their instruments by singing and playing percussion on virtually every song that does not feature horns. During the extended intro to "Hand in Hand", the foursome join Collins at the front of the stage for a vocal call and response. Satterfield played baritone saxophone to brighten the section's sound for certain parts. Following the 1985–1986 tour, Michael Harris departed the group and was replaced by Harry Kim, and the horn section saw a diminished role in Collin's live shows. Following the 1990 live album and video Serious Hits... Live! Don Myrick also departed, largely due to continued struggles with drug addiction. Myrick was shot to death by a Santa Monica Police Department officer in the doorway of his home in 1993.[3] [4] He was replaced by erstwhile EWF co-saxophonist Andrew Woolfolk. By the time of the recording of 1996's Dance into the Light, the Phenix Horns had dissolved. They were replaced by the Vine Street Horns, featuring Phenix Horns replacements Woolfolk and Harry Kim along with 2nd trumpet Daniel Fornero, and trombonist Arturo Velasco.
Louis Satterfield performed until his death on September 27, 2004, in Chicago. He was 67.
| Year | Album | Artist | Genre | Type | Label | Credit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soul Sounds | Soul | Studio | MCA | Electric bass | |||
| 1967 | Blues Is King | Blues, rock | Live | BluesWay, MCA | Bass | ||
| Rotary Connection | Rotary Connection | Electronic, jazz, rock | Studio | Cadet, Chess, MCA | Bass | ||
| 1967 | Groovin' with the Soulful Strings | Funk, soul | Studio | Cadet, Chess | Bass | ||
| 1967 | Mellow Yellow | Blues, funk, soul, jazz, Latin | Studio | Chess | Bass | ||
| 1967 | Blues | Studio | Verve Forecast | Trombone | |||
| Electric Mud | Blues | Studio | Cadet | Bass | |||
| 1968 | His Best - The Electric B.B. King | Blues | Compilation | MCA | Bass | ||
| 1968 | On the Beach | Jazz | Studio | Zulu | Bass, trombone | ||
| 1969 | Upchurch | Funk, soul, jazz | Studio | Cadet | Bass | ||
| After the Rain | Blues | Studio | Cadet | Bass | |||
| 1969 | Howlin' Wolf | Blues, rock | Studio | Cadet | Electric bass | ||
| 1969 | The Way I Feel | Upchurch, Phil | Studio | Cadet | Bass | ||
| Everything Is Everything | Soul | Studio | Atco | Bass | |||
| 1970 | Free Delivery | Funk, soul, jazz | Studio | Cadet | Bass | ||
| 1971 | Willie Dixon's Peace? | Blues | Studio | Yambo | Bass | ||
| 1971 | Funk, soul, jazz | Studio | Scarab | Bass, Cowbell, vocals, mixing | |||
| 1972 | Back in the Alley: The Classic Blues of B.B. King | Blues | Studio | Bluesway, MCA | Electric bass | ||
| 1972 | What Color Is Love | Funk, soul | Studio | Cadet | Bass | ||
| 1972 | Funk, soul | Studio | Cadet | Bongos, congas | |||
| 1972 | Funk, soul | Studio | Atlantic | Electric bass | |||
| 1973 | I Just Can't Help Myself | Funk, soul, jazz | Studio | Cadet | Bass | ||
| 1973 | Watch Out | Folk, world, country, funk, soul | Studio | Ovation | Bass | ||
| 1973 | Catalyst | Blues | Studio | Ovation | Bass | ||
| 1973 | Crouching on the Outside | Rock, folk, world, country | Compilation (2×LP) | Janus | Bass | ||
| 1974 | Chicken Heads | Blues, funk, soul | Studio (promo) | Ovation | Bass | ||
| Gratitude | Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B, jazz | Live (2×LP) | Columbia, CBS | Trombone | ||
| 1976 | Flowers | R&B | Studio | Columbia | Trombone | ||
| 1976 | Mighty Joe Young | Blues | Compilation | Ovation | Bass | ||
| Spirit | Earth, Wind & Fire | Funk, soul, jazz | Studio | Columbia, CBS | Trombone | ||
| 1976 | Moods and Grooves | Ju-Par Universal Orchestra | Funk, soul | Studio | Ju-Par | Bass | |
| 1976 | Happy Being Lonely | Funk, soul | Studio | Mercury | Trombone | ||
| Rejoice | Soul | Studio | Columbia, CBS | Trombone | |||
| 1977 | Family Tree | Funk, soul | Studio | Warner Bros. | Trombone | ||
| 1977 | Just a Stone's Throw Away | Funk, soul, rock | Studio | Columbia, CBS | Bass | ||
| 1977 | For the First Time Out | Funk, soul, pop | Studio | United Artists | Trombone | ||
| Song Bird | R&B | Studio | Columbia, CBS | Trombone | |||
| 1977 | Funk, soul | Studio | Warner Bros. | Horn | |||
| 1977 | Soul, funk | Studio | Tattoo | Horn | |||
| 1977 | Come Go With Us | Pockets | Funk, soul | Studio | Columbia, CBS | Trombone | |
| All 'n All | Earth, Wind & Fire | Electronic, funk, soul, pop, rock | Studio | Columbia, CBS | Trombone | ||
| Closer to the Source | Electronic, jazz | Studio | Curtom | Bass, horn | |||
| 1978 | Chanson | Chanson | Disco | Studio | Ariola | Horn | |
| 1978 | Heaven and Earth | Heaven & Earth | Funk, soul | Studio | Mercury | Bass | |
| 1978 | Music of the Sun | Funk, soul | Studio | Tabu | Horn | ||
| 1978 | Sunbeam | R&B | Studio | Columbia | Trombone | ||
| 1978 | You Fooled Me | Grey and Hanks | Funk, soul | Studio | RCA Victor | Horn | |
| 1978 | Trying to Get to You | Funk, soul | Studio | Warner Bros. | Bass, trombone | ||
| 1979 | Bad for Me | Disco | Studio | Elektra | Trombone | ||
| I Am | Earth, Wind & Fire | Soul, disco, funk | Studio | CBS | Horn section, trombone | ||
| 1979 | Stargard | Funk, soul | Studio | Warner Bros. | Horn | ||
| 1979 | Soul, funk | Studio | Mercury | Horn | |||
| 1979 | Whisper in Your Ear | Soul, funk | Studio | S.O.L.A.R. | Trombone | ||
| 1979 | Sky | Sky | Soul, funk, jazz | Studio | EMI | Trombone, lead vocals, writer | |
| So Delicious | Pockets | Funk, soul | Studio | ARC, Columbia | Trombone | ||
| 1979 | Come into Our World | Electronic, funk, soul | Studio | ARC, Columbia, CBS | Trombone | ||
| 1979 | Welcome to My Fantasy | Funk, soul | Studio | Warner Bros. | Saxophone | ||
| 1980 | Back for More | Funk, soul | Studio | Columbia | Brass | ||
| Faces | Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Studio | ARC, Columbia | Soloist, trombone | ||
| 1980 | La Toya Jackson | Pop, dance, soul, R&B, disco | Studio | Polydor | Horn | ||
| 1980 | Routes | Soul, funk, jazz | Studio | Columbia, CBS | Trombone, musical assistance | ||
| 1980 | Celestial Sky | Starship Orchestra | Funk, soul | Studio | CBS | Trombone | |
| Love Uprising | Tavares | Funk, soul | Studio | Capitol | Trombone | ||
| Face Value | Pop, rock, R&B | Studio | Virgin, Atlantic | Trombone | |||
| 1981 | New Affair | Funk, soul | Studio | ARC | Trombone | ||
| Tender Togetherness | Jazz | Studio | Elektra | Horns arrangements, trombone | |||
| Raise! | Earth, Wind & Fire | Soul, R&B, funk | Studio | CBS | Trombone | ||
| 1981 | Jazz | Compilation | Columbia | Trombone | |||
| 1981 | Blues for the Night Owl | Jazz | Compilation | Columbia | Trombone | ||
| 1981 | Whatever Turns You On | Funk, soul | Studio | 20th Century Fox | Trombone | ||
| 1981 | Me and You | Funk, soul | Studio | 20th Century Fox | Trombone | ||
| 1981 | Endless Flight | Funk, soul | Studio | Columbia | Horn | ||
| 1981 | This Kind of Lovin | Funk, soul | Studio | RCA | Trombone | ||
| 1982 | Live at the Savoy | Jazz | Live | Columbia, CBS | Trombone | ||
| 1982 | Earland's Jam | Jazz | Studio | CBS | Trombone | ||
| Changes | Studio | RCA | Electronic, funk, soul | Horn | |||
| Something's Going On | Frida | Pop | Studio | Polar Music, Epic, Atlantic | Trombone | ||
| Hello, I Must Be Going! | Pop rock, soft rock | Studio | Virgin, Atlantic, WEA | Horn, trombone | |||
| 1982 | Weekend Fly to the Sun | Funk, soul, pop, reggae | Studio (promo) | RCA | Trombone | ||
| 1982 | Superior Movement | Funk, soul | Studio | C.I.M. | Horn | ||
| 1983 | Earth, Wind & Fire | Electronic, funk, soul, jazz | Video | Vestron | Bass, trombone | ||
| Powerlight | Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Studio | Columbia | Trombone | ||
| Heaven 17 | Synthpop | Studio | Virgin | Trombone | |||
| 1983 | MCB | MCB | Funk, soul | Studio | Epic | Trombone | |
| 1983 | Funk, soul | Compilation | Chess | Bass | |||
| 1983 | Live at Perkins Palace | Rock, pop | Video | Picture Music International, Palace Benelux, EMI | Trombone | ||
| 1983 | Hot on a Thing | R&B | Compilation | BR Music | Trombone | ||
| 1984 | My Rhythm | Electronic | Studio | Pool, Ariola | Trombone | ||
| How Men Are | Heaven 17 | Synthpop | Studio | Virgin | Trombone | ||
| Chinese Wall | Pop, soul, rock | Studio | Columbia | Trombone | |||
| 1984 | His Greatest Sides | Blues | Compilation | Chess | Bass | ||
| No Jacket Required | Pop, rock | Studio | Virgin, Atlantic, WEA | Trombone | |||
| 1985 | Souljazzz | Soul, jazz | Studio | Honest | Violin | ||
| Between a Rock and a Hard Place | Australian Crawl | Rock | Studio | Freestyle | Trombone | ||
| 1986 | Pleasure One | Heaven 17 | Synthpop | Stucio | Virgin | Trombone | |
| 1986 | From Cotton with Verve | Blues | Compilation | Black Magic | Trombone | ||
| 1987 | Vini Pou | Kassav' | Zouk | Studio | Columbhia | Trombone | |
| Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Compilation | Columbia | Trombone | |||
| Chanson | Live | Apache | Trombone | ||||
| 1988 | Various artists | Funk, soul | Compilation | Chess | Bass, electric bass | ||
| 1988 | One More Time: The Chess Years | Funk, soul | Compilation | Chess | Electric bass | ||
| Pop rock, soft rock | Studio | Virgin, Atlantic, WEA | Trombone | ||||
| Majestik Zouk | Kassav' | Zouk | Studio | Columbia, CBS | Trombone | ||
| 1990 | Serious Hits... Live! | Pop, rock | Live | Virgin, Atlantic, WEA | Trombone | ||
| Live at Knebworth | Various artists | Rock | Live (2×CD) | Eagle | Trombone | ||
| 1990 | Knebworth: The Album | Various artists | Rock | Live (2×CD) | Polydor | Trombone | |
| Music of Quality and Distinction Volume Two | British Electric Foundation | Electronic, funk, soul | Studio | Virgin | Trombone | ||
| 1991 | Milans | Zouk | Studio | Columbia, CBS | Horn | ||
| 1991 | What It Takes: The Chess Years | Blues, funk, soul | Compilation | Chess | Bass | ||
| 1991 | Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947–1974 | Various artists | R&B | Box set | Atlantic | Bass | |
| 1991 | Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Compilation | Sony Music Distribution | Trombone | ||
| Jazz | Compilation | Blue Note | Electric bass | ||||
| 1992 | Pop, rock | Video | Warner Music Vision | Trombone | |||
| 1992 | Chess Blues | Various artists | Blues | Compilation | Chess, MCA | Bass | |
| King of the Blues | Blues | Box set | MCA | Bass | |||
| Din Daa Daa: The Album | Electronic, pop, rock | Compilation | Hot Productions | Trombone, trumpet | |||
| 1992 | None But the Righteous: Chess Gospel Greats | Various artists | Gospel | Compilation | Chess | Bass | |
| Rescued: The Best of Fontella Bass | R&B | Compilation | Chess, MCA | Bass | |||
| 1992 | Shake It All About | Rock and roll | Studio | Trombone | |||
| Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Box set | Columbia | Trombone | |||
| 1994 | Blues | Compilation | Tomato | Trombone | |||
| 1994 | Chess Rhythm & Roll | Various artists | R&B, pop, rock | Compilation | Chess | Bass | |
| 1994 | Welcome to the Club: The Essential Chess Recordings | Blues, R&B | Compilation | Chess, MCA | Bass | ||
| 1994 | Funk, soul | Compilation | PolyGram, Mercury, Chronicles | Horn | |||
| 1995 | Best of the Verve Years | Blues, pop, rock | Compilation | Verve | Trombone | ||
| Dance Tracks | Earth, Wind & Fire | Dance | Compilation | TriStar Music | Trombone | ||
| Best of My Love: The Best of the Emotions | R&B | Compilation | Columbia | Trombone | |||
| Gonna Take a Miracle: The Best of Deniece Williams | R&B, pop, eocj, soul | Compilation | Sony Music Distribution | Trombone, trumpet | |||
| Soul | Compilation | Sony Music Distribution | Bass | ||||
| Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Compilation | Columbia | Trombone | |||
| How Blue Can You Get? Classic Live Performances 1964 to 1994 | Blues, R&B | Live compilation | MCA, Interscope | Bass | |||
| 1996 | Feelin' Good | Blues | Compilation | Eclipse | Trombone | ||
| 1996 | History of Chess Jazz | Various artists | Jazz | Compilation | Chess | Bass | |
| In the Basement | Funk, soul, jazz | Live | Luv N' Haight | Bass, Cowbell, vocals, mixeding | |||
| It Only Takes a Minute: A Lifetime with Tavares | Tavares | R&B | Compilation | EMI, Capitol | Trombone | ||
| 1997 | Chess Blues Classics: 1957–1967 | Various artists | Blues | Compilation | Chess | Bass | |
| This Is Jazz, Vol. 27 | Jazz | Compilation | Sony | Trombone | |||
| Greatest Hits (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection) | Blues, R&B | Compilation | Chess, MCA | Bass | |||
| Chess Soul: A Decade of Chicago's Finest | Various artists | Soul | Compilation (2×CD) | Chess | Bass, guitar | ||
| Pop, rock | Compilation | Face Value, Virgin, Atlantic, WEA | Trombone | ||||
| 1998 | By George & Ira: Red Hot on Gershwin | Various artists | Jazz | Compilation | Verve | Bass | |
| 1998 | Greatest Hits | Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Compilation | Legacy | Trombone | |
| 1998 | I Think I Got the Blues | Blues | Studio | Prevue | Bass | ||
| 1998 | Leavin' the Plantation | Pop, rock, blues | Studio | Terra Nova | Photography | ||
| More Where that Came From: The Best of Leroy Hutson, Vol. 2 | R&B | Compilation | Deep Beats | Bass, Horn | |||
| Essential Blues, Vol. 3 | Various artists | Blues | Compilation (2×CD) | House of Blues | Bass | ||
| 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Billy Stewart | R&B | Compilation | Chess, MCA | Bass, electric bass | |||
| Anthology | Blues, R&B | Compilation (2×CD) | MCA | Bass | |||
| Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Live | Columbia | Percussion, trombone | |||
| Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Compilation | Columbia | Flugelhorn, trombone | |||
| Live in Rio | Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Live | Kalimba | Trombone | ||
| Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Godfathers and Sons | Various artists | Blues, R&B | Compilation | Hip-O | Bass | ||
| Chicago Soul | Various artists | Soul, blues, R&B | Compilation | Soul Jazz | Bass | ||
| Love Songs | Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Compilation | Columbia | Trombone | ||
| Pop, pop rock | Box set | Virgin | Trombone | ||||
| Hits Live 1990/1997 | Rock | Live compilation (CD+DVD) | WEA | Trombone | |||
| Anthology: Sound+Vision | Blues, R&B | Compilation, video (2×CD + DVD) | MCA, Geffen | Bass | |||
| Chronicles: Live at the Regal / Blues Is King / Live in Cook County Jail | Blues, R&B | Live box set | MCA, Geffen | Bass | |||
| 2005 | Chess Northern Soul | Various artists | Funk, soul | Compilation | Chess | Bass | |
| Beautiful Ballads | Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Compilation | Columbia | Trombone | ||
| Best of B.B. King | Blues | Compilation (3×CD) | Madacy | Bass | |||
A 1968 recording at the Afro Arts Theater in Chicago of Philip Cohran's tribute to the life of Malcolm X. Originally self-released on LP in 1968, in an edition of 1000. | Jazz | Live compilation | Mississippi | Bass | |||
| 2007 | Singles | Jazz | Compilation | Midday Music | Bass | ||
| Original Album Classics | Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Box set | Columbia, Sony | Trombone | ||
| Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Box set | Columbia, Sony | Trombone | |||
| 2009 | Ultimate Blues | Various artists | Blues | Compilation | Decca | Electric bass | |
| Earth, Wind & Fire | R&B | Box set | Sony | Trombone | |||
| Unbelievable / Cross My Heart: Chess Recordings 1964–1969 | Pop, rock, R&B | Compilation | Shout!, UMC | Bass | |||
| 2011 | Armageddon Album conceived in 1958 and written down in 1963. This performance was recorded live at the Affro Arts Theatre, Chicago, on February 11, 1968. | Funk, soul, jazz | Live compilation | Tizona | Bass | ||
| Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums from the Iconic Atlantic Label | Various artists | Soul | Box set | Rhino, Warner Bros. | Bass | ||
| Ladies and Gentlemen… Mr. B.B. King | R&B, blues | Box set | Universal, Hip-O | Bass | |||
| 2012 | The Spanish Suite (Martina, Delores & Marguirite) Live performance at the Afro Arts Theatre, Chicago, in February 1968. | Folk, world, country, jazz | Live compilation | Tizona | Bass |