Louis Satterfield

Louis Edward Satterfield (April 3, 1937 – September 27, 2004) was an American bassist and trombonist. Satterfield was a member of both the Pharaohs and the Phenix Horns. He also collaborated with prominent artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Muddy Waters, Phil Collins, B. B. King, the Emotions, Ramsey Lewis, the Whispers, and the Gap Band.

Early life Satterfield was born on April 3, 1937, in Shaw, Mississippi, a city in Bolivar and Sunflower counties, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region.

Career In the late 1950s–early 1960s, Satterfield, Charles Handy on trumpet, and Don Myrick on alto saxophone formed the Jazzmen, a student jazz trio at Crane Junior College in Chicago, Illinois. They were backed by Fred Humphrey on piano, Ernest McCarthy on bass guitar, and Maurice White on drums. Satterfield as a session bassist, White, and Handy were studio musicians at Chess Records in Chicago. Satterfield most memorable contribution being the bassline to Fontella Bass's "Rescue Me" with White on drums. The Jazzmen collaborations and live concerts with Philip Cohran and the Artistic Heritage Ensemble at the Affro Arts Theater on the south side of Chicago went on to form the Pharaohs. In 1971, the band recorded its first and only studio album The Awakening, and in 1972 In the Basement, an album reissued by Luv N' Haight in November 1996 that features four tracks recorded live at High Chaparral in Chicago, a track from the original master tapes for The Awakening album, and "Love and Happiness", which was the B-side of "Freedom Road" single for Scarab Records. After leaving an early incarnation of the Pharaohs to play in the Ramsey Lewis Trio, White went on to start the band Earth, Wind & Fire. While at Chess Records, Satterfield was also teacher to up and coming electric bassists, most notably, White's younger brother Verdine White.

The inception of the Phenix Horns, as the main horn section for Earth, Wind & Fire, originally known as the EWF Horns, came about in 1975 when White expanded the band's timbral palette to include more horns. At first the horn section included Satterfield and his bandmate from The Pharaohs, saxophonist Don Myrick along with lead trumpet player Michael Harris. They started touring with the band in 1975 and played on all EWF albums from 1975 until 1983. Satterfield and Earth, Wind & Fire bass player and Maurice White's younger brother Verdine White wrote a book, Playing the Bass Guitar, first published by Almo in 1978. 1979 saw the arrival of trumpeter Rahmlee Michael Davis for the recording of the album I Am. In 1981, the foursome joined Genesis drummer Phil Collins and producer Hugh Padgham in the studio for the recording of Collins's debut solo album, Face Value. Five of the musically diverse album's 12 tracks featured horns, with a sixth, a rendition of the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows", featuring electronically manipulated samples of the section. The group's extreme precision was put to good use in up-tempo numbers like "Behind the Lines" and the mostly instrumental "Hand in Hand". The section also joined Collins's band Genesis on the song "No Reply at All" on their album Abacab, as well as on "Paperlate", a song from the band's EP 3×3, which was also included on the U.S. release of the album Three Sides Live.

The foursome developed a strong kinship with Collins and elected to join him on tour and for the recording of subsequent albums, while still performing and recording with EWF intermittently. Early concert footage shows the section doing considerably more than playing their instruments by singing and playing percussion on virtually every song that does not feature horns. During the extended intro to "Hand in Hand", the foursome join Collins at the front of the stage for a vocal call and response. Satterfield played baritone saxophone to brighten the section's sound for certain parts. Following the 1985–1986 tour, Michael Harris departed the group and was replaced by Harry Kim, and the horn section saw a diminished role in Collins' live shows. Following the 1990 live album and video Serious Hits... Live! Don Myrick also departed, largely due to continued struggles with drug addiction. Myrick was shot to death by a Santa Monica Police Department officer in the doorway of his home in 1993. He was replaced by erstwhile EWF co-saxophonist Andrew Woolfolk. By the time of the recording of 1996's Dance into the Light, the Phenix Horns had dissolved. They were replaced by the Vine Street Horns, featuring Phenix Horns replacements Woolfolk and Harry Kim along with 2nd trumpet Daniel Fornero, and trombonist Arturo Velasco.

Satterfield performed until his death on September 27, 2004, in Chicago. He was 67.

Discography Funk, soul Studio RCA Trombone 1982 Live at the Savoy| Jazz Live Columbia, CBS Trombone 1982 Earland's Jam| Jazz Studio CBS Trombone Changes| Studio RCA Electronic, funk, soul Horn Something's Going On|Frida Pop Studio Polar Music, Epic, Atlantic Trombone Hello, I Must Be Going!| Pop rock, soft rock Studio Virgin, Atlantic, WEA Horn, trombone 1982 Weekend Fly to the Sun| Funk, soul, pop, reggae Studio (promo) RCA Trombone 1982 Superior Movement Funk, soul Studio C.I.M. Horn 1983 Earth, Wind & Fire: In Concert|Earth, Wind & Fire Electronic, funk, soul, jazz Video Vestron Bass, trombone Powerlight|Earth, Wind & Fire R&B Studio Columbia Trombone Heaven 17 Synthpop Studio Virgin Trombone 1983 MCB|MCB Funk, soul Studio Epic Trombone 1983 Funk, soul Compilation Chess Bass 1983 Live at Perkins Palace| Rock, pop Video Picture Music International, Palace Benelux, EMI Trombone 1983 Hot on a Thing| R&B Compilation BR Music Trombone 1984 My Rhythm| Electronic Studio Pool, Ariola Trombone How Men Are|Heaven 17 Synthpop Studio Virgin Trombone Chinese Wall| Pop, soul, rock Studio Columbia Trombone 1984 His Greatest Sides| Blues Compilation Chess Bass No Jacket Required Pop, rock Studio Virgin, Atlantic, WEA Trombone 1985 Souljazzz| Soul, jazz Studio Honest Violin Between a Rock and a Hard Place|Australian Crawl Rock Studio Freestyle Trombone 1986 Pleasure One|Heaven 17 Synthpop Stucio Virgin Trombone 1986 From Cotton with Verve| Blues Compilation Black Magic Trombone 1987 Vini Pou|Kassav' Zouk Studio Columbhia Trombone Earth, Wind & Fire R&B Compilation Columbia Trombone Chanson Live Apache Trombone 1988 Various artists Funk, soul Compilation Chess Bass, electric bass 1988 One More Time: The Chess Years| Funk, soul Compilation Chess Electric bass Pop rock, soft rock Studio Virgin, Atlantic, WEA Trombone Majestik Zouk|Kassav' Zouk Studio Columbia, CBS Trombone 1990 Serious Hits... Live!| Pop, rock Live Virgin, Atlantic, WEA Trombone Live at Knebworth|Various artists Rock Live (2×CD) Eagle Trombone 1990 Knebworth: The Album|Various artists Rock Live (2×CD) Polydor Trombone Music of Quality and Distinction Volume Two|British Electric Foundation Electronic, funk, soul Studio Virgin Trombone 1991 Milans| Zouk Studio Columbia, CBS Horn 1991 What It Takes: The Chess Years| Blues, funk, soul Compilation Chess Bass 1991 Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947–1974|Various artists R&B Box set Atlantic Bass 1991 Earth, Wind & Fire R&B Compilation Sony Music Distribution Trombone Jazz Compilation Blue Note Electric bass 1992 Pop, rock Video Warner Music Vision Trombone 1992 Chess Blues|Various artists Blues Compilation Chess, MCA Bass King of the Blues| Blues Box set MCA Bass Din Daa Daa: The Album| Electronic, pop, rock Compilation Hot Productions Trombone, trumpet 1992 None But the Righteous: Chess Gospel Greats|Various artists Gospel Compilation Chess Bass Rescued: The Best of Fontella Bass| R&B Compilation Chess, MCA Bass 1992 Shake It All About| Rock and roll Studio Trombone Earth, Wind & Fire R&B Box set Columbia Trombone 1994 Blues Compilation Tomato Trombone 1994 Chess Rhythm & Roll|Various artists R&B, pop, rock Compilation Chess Bass 1994 Welcome to the Club: The Essential Chess Recordings| Blues, R&B Compilation Chess, MCA Bass 1994 Funk, soul Compilation PolyGram, Mercury, Chronicles Horn 1995 Best of the Verve Years| Blues, pop, rock Compilation Verve Trombone Dance Tracks|Earth, Wind & Fire Dance Compilation TriStar Music Trombone Best of My Love: The Best of the Emotions| R&B Compilation Columbia Trombone Gonna Take a Miracle: The Best of Deniece Williams| R&B, pop, eocj, soul Compilation Sony Music Distribution Trombone, trumpet Soul Compilation Sony Music Distribution Bass Elements of Love: Ballads|Earth, Wind & Fire R&B Compilation Columbia Trombone How Blue Can You Get? Classic Live Performances 1964 to 1994| Blues, R&B Live compilation MCA, Interscope Bass 1996 Feelin' Good| Blues Compilation Eclipse Trombone 1996 History of Chess Jazz|Various artists Jazz Compilation Chess Bass In the Basement| Funk, soul, jazz Live Luv N' Haight Bass, Cowbell, vocals, mixeding It Only Takes a Minute: A Lifetime with Tavares|Tavares R&B Compilation EMI, Capitol Trombone 1997 Chess Blues Classics: 1957–1967|Various artists Blues Compilation Chess Bass This Is Jazz, Vol. 27| Jazz Compilation Sony Trombone Greatest Hits (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection) Blues, R&B Compilation Chess, MCA Bass Chess Soul: A Decade of Chicago's Finest|Various artists Soul Compilation (2×CD) Chess Bass, guitar Pop, rock Compilation Face Value, Virgin, Atlantic, WEA Trombone 1998 By George & Ira: Red Hot on Gershwin|Various artists Jazz Compilation Verve Bass 1998 Greatest Hits|Earth, Wind & Fire R&B Compilation Legacy Trombone 1998 I Think I Got the Blues| Blues Studio Prevue Bass 1998 Leavin' the Plantation| Pop, rock, blues Studio Terra Nova Photography More Where that Came From: The Best of Leroy Hutson, Vol. 2| R&B Compilation Deep Beats Bass, Horn Essential Blues, Vol. 3|Various artists Blues Compilation (2×CD) House of Blues Bass 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Billy Stewart| R&B Compilation Chess, MCA Bass, electric bass Anthology| Blues, R&B Compilation (2×CD) MCA Bass That's the Way of the World: Alive in 75|Earth, Wind & Fire R&B Live Columbia Percussion, trombone Earth, Wind & Fire R&B Compilation Columbia Flugelhorn, trombone Live in Rio|Earth, Wind & Fire R&B Live Kalimba Trombone Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Godfathers and Sons|Various artists Blues, R&B Compilation Hip-O Bass Chicago Soul|Various artists Soul, blues, R&B Compilation Soul Jazz Bass Love Songs|Earth, Wind & Fire R&B Compilation Columbia Trombone Pop, pop rock Box set Virgin Trombone Hits Live 1990/1997| Rock Live compilation (CD+DVD) WEA Trombone Anthology: Sound+Vision| Blues, R&B Compilation, video (2×CD + DVD) MCA, Geffen Bass Chronicles: Live at the Regal / Blues Is King / Live in Cook County Jail| Blues, R&B Live box set MCA, Geffen Bass 2005 Chess Northern Soul|Various artists Funk, soul Compilation Chess Bass Beautiful Ballads|Earth, Wind & Fire R&B Compilation Columbia Trombone Best of B.B. King| Blues Compilation (3×CD) Madacy Bass A 1968 recording at the Afro Arts Theater in Chicago of Philip Cohran's tribute to the life of Malcolm X. Originally self-released on LP in 1968, in an edition of 1000. Jazz Live compilation Mississippi Bass 2007 Singles| Jazz Compilation Midday Music Bass Original Album Classics|Earth, Wind & Fire R&B Box set Columbia, Sony Trombone Earth, Wind & Fire R&B Box set Columbia, Sony Trombone 2009 Ultimate Blues|Various artists Blues Compilation Decca Electric bass Earth, Wind & Fire R&B Box set Sony Trombone Unbelievable / Cross My Heart: Chess Recordings 1964–1969| Pop, rock, R&B Compilation Shout!, UMC Bass 2011 ArmageddonAlbum conceived in 1958 and written down in 1963. This performance was recorded live at the Affro Arts Theatre, Chicago, on February 11, 1968. Funk, soul, jazz Live compilation Tizona Bass Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums from the Iconic Atlantic Label|Various artists Soul Box set Rhino, Warner Bros. Bass Ladies and Gentlemen… Mr. B.B. King| R&B, blues Box set Universal, Hip-O Bass 2012 The Spanish Suite (Martina, Delores & Marguirite)''Live performance at the Afro Arts Theatre, Chicago, in February 1968.Folk, world, country, jazzLive compilationTizonaBass