Floyd Newman

Floyd Newman is a saxophonist, session musician and bandleader. As a baritone sax player, he was long associated with Stax Records, and as a member of The Mar-Keys’ horn section and the Memphis Horns.

Born in Memphis, in the late 1940s he became a member of the B.B. King Review, with, among others, George Coleman and George Joyner. Newman later moved to Detroit and recorded with Jackie Brenston,^[1] and toured with Sam Cooke before returning to Memphis. Newman also led a band featuring Howard Grimes on drums, Joe Woods on guitar and Isaac Hayes on keyboards, and which performed at the Plantation Inn. This line-up also recorded a 45, “Frog Stomp”, co-written by Newman and Hayes. Newman and Hayes had previously coincided in Ben Branch’s house band at the Tropicana Club, with Hayes as a vocalist.^[2]

As a member of the House horn section at Stax, in 1965 he would go on to become a founding member of the Memphis Horns, with Wayne Jackson and Gene "Bowlegs" Miller on trumpets, Floyd Newman on baritone sax and Andrew Love on tenor.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

• "Frog Stomp"/"Sassy" (Stax)

As sideman

• 1964: Pain in My Heart – Otis Redding
• 1965: Boss of the Blues – B.B. King
• 1965: Otis Blue – Otis Redding
• 1965: Soul Dressing – Booker T. & the M.G.'s
• 1966: The Great Memphis Sound – The Mar-Keys (Atlantic)
• 1966: The Wicked Pickett – Wilson Pickett
• 1966: The Exciting Wilson Pickett – Wilson Pickett
• 1966: The Soul Album Otis Redding
• 1968: Tell Mama – Etta James (Chess)
• 1968: This Is Clarence Carter – Clarence Carter (Atlantic)
• 1968: The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding (Atco)
• 1968: Aretha Now – Aretha Franklin
• 1969: Boz Scaggs – Boz Scaggs
• 1971: Stephen Stills 2 – Stephen Stills
• 1975: Chocolate Chip – Isaac Hayes
• 1976: Groove-A-Thon – Isaac Hayes

References

External Links

• Floyd Newman NAMM Oral History Interview (2015)