King Pleasure

King Pleasure (March 24, 1922 - March 21, 1981) was a jazz vocalist and an early master of vocalese, where a singer sings words to a famous instrumental solo.

Born as Clarence Beeks in Oakdale, Tennessee, he moved to New York City in the mid-1940s and became a fan of bebop music. King Pleasure first achieved popularity by singing the Eddie Jefferson vocalese classic "Moody's Mood for Love," based on a James Moody saxophone solo to "I'm in the Mood for Love" in 1949. Pleasure's recording in 1952 is considered a jazz classic. He cites Jefferson as an influence and predecessor. 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. Pleasure was cited as a significant influence by Van Morrison, especially on his album Astral Weeks. Genya Ravan's big inspiration for her singing ability was King Pleasure. She recorded Moodys Mood For Love with James Moody on her CBS Recording ' Genya Ravan'

Discography

• King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings
• Moody's Mood for Love [Blue Note]
• Golden Days
• Swan Song

External links

• Allmusic
• Image of Van Morrison holding a King Pleasure album

Persondata
Name	Pleasure, King
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 24, 1922
Place of birth
Date of death	March 21, 1981
Place of death