Oh-so-silky, swinging, and mellow, with lyrics that are made for that type of club with heavy red leather booths, discreet lighting, a semi-circle stage with sublime illumination, and long velvet curtains shrouding the performance area.  Men would be circulating in their dark suits with stylish pocket squares in adornment, with patent leather shoes glossed to a brilliance, and heavy gold rings with bright red jewels.  The ladies would be in their sequined finery, with dresses slit up to there, with sparkling agreeing heels, necklaces draping their necks, with their hair ever-so-coiffed.  White jacketed waiters would shuttle the evening’s cocktails, and the combination of cigarette smoke and stale cologne and perfume would occupy the aromatic backdrop.  Conversations would be hushed as couples and lovers reveled in their evening out, with each wanting to see and be seen.

This was the club scene I imagined when I first heard “S.K. Blues – Pt.1” by Saunders King, a 1942 release on the Rhythm Recordings, Inc. label, with “S.K. Blues – Pt.2” on the “B” side.  The tune just flows and evokes a west coast mellow vibe, and astounds with its restraint, touch, and cadence.  The lyrics detail the combination of heartbreak and frustration over the singer’s partner, and are sung not with a roaring intensity, but the smooth resignation arising from the relationship’s lost pathway.

In short, the whole of King with his tasteful guitar work and sleek vocals, Johnny Cooper’s subtle piano, Eddie Taylor’s framing saxophone, Sammy Deane’s summoning trumpet, Joe Holder’s walking bass offering, and Bunny Peters’ discerning drumming on “S.K. Blues – Part 1” was a pleasing revelation.

The entirety of “S.K. Blues – Pt. 1” immediately brought to mind the work of a number of west coast purveyors of this melodious easygoing brand of blues including Charles Brown, T-Bone Walker, Pee Wee Crayton, and Llyod Glenn.  Moreover, I needed to do my research on Saunders King, for his style of laid-back blues had instant appeal for me.

Saunders Samuel King came into the world in March, 1909 in Staples, Louisiana, an area located in Caddo Parish, a locale in the uppermost northwest part of the state.  He came from a religious home, with his parents Bishop Judge King and Anasilistine King responsible for the establishment of a Louisiana house of worship before moving the family first to Texas, and then further westward to Oroville, California where they again founded another church.

But this was not the family’s final home base, as again, the Kings moved further southwest in California to Oakland where they began yet another place of worship. 

It was during this time in his youth that King’s musical interests prompted him to devote himself to the study of piano, ukulele, and banjo, plus saw him singing in his family’s church. 

But it wouldn’t be until he was 29 years of age until he took up the guitar.  Also, during this late 1930s time period, King began to sing with a gospel assemblage named the Southern Harmony Gospel Quartet, resulting in the group performing on an NBC radio outlet based in San Francisco. 

King continued to apply himself to his guitar studies, and most likely due to the emotional impact of gospel lyrics, he developed an interest in the blues.  Due to his devotion to the guitar and his natural singing ability, his proficiencies were recognized and in 1942 he recorded “S.K. Blues – Pt. 1” for Rhythm Recordings.  The cut, as referenced above, was backed with “S.K. Blues – Pt. 2”. 

“S.K. Blues – Pt. 1” became a gigantic success, nationwide in scope, and King’s blues career was off and running.  In fact, the song is recognized as being one of the first to feature electric guitar, and was in a framework that would become huge for another practitioner of understated and elegant guitar styling, the highly-influential T-Bone Walker.

Combined with King’s effortlessly silky-smooth guitar elegance, he sang in a downy vocal manner, and his performances, in whatever band format he chose, whether it be in a pared-down trio configuration or a larger sextet arrangement, were known to be impeccable examples of musical invention.

During the 1940s, King recorded for the Rhythm Recordings, Inc., Aladdin Records, and Modern Records labels, scoring two hits in 1949 for “Empty Bedroom Blues” and “Stay Gone Blues”.  These cuts reached number nine and number 14, respectively, on the US Billboard R&B Charts.

But not all was perfect for King, as certain private matters quite possibly prevented him form reaching an even broader level of success on the west coast blues scene.  He lost his wife in 1942 to suicide, and was shot and badly injured as a result of a confrontation with his landlord in 1946.  Plus, King served a stint in California’s San Quentin Prison as a result of a conviction for heroin possession.

In 1948, King made his way north to Chicago for a performance, and there he met a woman and eventually married, ultimately having two daughters, and establishing roots, raising his girls, and being a family in San Francisco. 

King’s recording career continued, as he recorded in the 1950s for the RPM Records label, while continuing to perform at various clubs.

In 1961, King decided to leave the music business and, like his parents, dedicate himself to religion.  He did continue to play his guitar, only doing so, however, in church. 

In 1973, his daughter, Deborah, married rock icon Carlos Santana.  King did return to the music business very briefly in 1979 when he performed on Santana’s Oneness album.

King continued to work in the church and lived in San Raphael, California with his wife until the effects of a stroke led to his decline, and he passed away at the age of 91 in 2000.

King was a pioneer who brought electric guitar to the forefront of blues recording, and he set the stage for performers such as T-Bone Walker, Pee Wee Crayton, and a host of other who embraced the smooth restrained blues sounds that got their start on the west coast.

Ace Records, the U.K. reissue label, had a couple of Saunders King compilations in their catalog entitled Cool Blues, Jumps & Shuffles and The First King Of The Blues.  Both are highly recommended.  You may have to do some investigative work to find them, but they are very much worth the effort.