Live At Fillmore West (Gatefold LP)

Live At Fillmore West is the ultimate King Curtis live album, a brilliant confirmation of the saxophonist's place in popular music. This is the stuff of Soul legends that belongs in any record collection.

The album showcases three concerts he played with his band The Kingpins at the Fillmore West venue in San Francisco in March 1971. Those nights, the group supported Soul singer Aretha Franklin, as were they her backing band. Famed for their outstanding rhythmic interplay, the group of seasoned session men featured a.o. Cornell Dupree on guitar, Billy Preston on electric organ and Bernard 'Pretty' Purdie on drums, supported by the inimitable Memphis Horns.

Curtis rips through some of the biggest hits of the day including Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" and Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love", transforming them into showcases for the group's soulful playing. Beautiful renditions of "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" and "I Stand Accused" are highlights, and full-throttle rockers like "Changes" and "Memphis Soul Stew" comprise the heart of the album.

Tragically only a week after its release, Curtis was stabbed to death outside his brownstone apartment in New York following an argument with two junkies. The day after he died the album peaked at No. 54 on the Billboard 200 album chart, his greatest success as a solo artist.