Representative Albums: "Bop 'n' Blues," "Can't Get Through," "Coast to Coast"
Biography
A veteran of over 2,500 recording sessions, guitarist Cornell Dupree worked most prolifically in R&B and blues, but he was equally at home in jazz, particularly funky fusion and soul-jazz. Dupree was born in Fort Worth, TX, in 1942, and by the age of 20 was playing in King Curtis' R&B group. He became a session musician soon after, playing on Brook Benton's "Rainy Night in Georgia," as well as records by stars like Lou Rawls, Paul Simon, Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, Roberta Flack, Joe Cocker, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, and countless others. Dupree was also a member of Aretha Franklin's touring band from 1967-1976, and during that time also became a presence on many jazz-funk recordings, the sort that would find favor with rare groove and acid jazz fans in the years to come. Dupree's first jazz session as a leader was 1974's Teasin', which was followed by Saturday Night Fever in 1977, and Shadow Dancing in 1978. During the same period, Dupree was a member of the studio-musician fusion supergroup Stuff, which signed with Warner Bros. in 1975 and recorded four albums. They also reunited periodically in the '80s and spawned a mid-'80s spin-off group called the Gadd Gang, which Dupree also belonged to. Some of Dupree's most rewarding jazz albums came in the late '80s and early '90s; 1988's Coast to Coast was nominated for a Grammy, and funky sessions like 1991's Can't Get Through, 1992's live Uncle Funky, and 1993's Child's Play received positive reviews. 1994's Bop 'n' Blues was his most straight-ahead jazz album, also ranking as one of his best. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Notable albums include the aforementioned Aretha and King Curtis records, Joe Cocker's Stingray and Luxury You Can Afford, and Cornell's solo albums Teasin', Can't Get Through, Coast to Coast, Uncle Funky and Bop 'n' Blues.
Dupree possesses a unique style that involves double stops and partial chording. His style is sometimes compared to Steve Cropper, both guitarists sounding as if they play rhythm and lead guitar simultaneously.[citation needed]
Dupree uses a Fender "red-knob" Twin reverb and plays a Yamaha signature guitar called the Dupree Super Jam (it used to be a model similar to the SJ-550 HM, but now is closer to a 3-pickup Pacifica with a maple neck).
He played on Brook Benton's "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Please Send Me Someone to Love", and is featured on 2 tracks of Peter Wolf's (of J. Geils Band fame) critically acclaimed 1998 CD Fools Parade.
