LaVern Baker at Montreux: "Stand By Me"

"Stand By Me," written by Ben E. King. Performed by LaVern Baker at the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in July, 1991. Barry writes: "We were in the middle of our European tour, when LaVern Baker and her band got to Montreux to play the justly legendary Montreux Festival. Wouldn’t you know it? On the flight that morning they lost the band’s luggage, so we are not dressed in our usual tuxedos for the television show that played throughout the continent. Instead, we all wore festival t-shirts and made do. This was Lavern in her powerhouse mode, driving the three thousand into a dancing frenzy! While the visual quality of this is lacking, the sound and performance are strong, and the show, performing with other legends like BB King and Ruth Brown, was a triumph. I’ll never forget LaVern’s admonition as we went on: 'Tonight, gentlemen, we are going to kick their asses!' We did, in the best sense of the term. "When we got backstage, Bonnie Raitt and her husband kissed us! Quincy Jones threw his arms around us, and Festival founder Claude Knobs and BB King heartily congratulated us. BB came over, put his arm around my shoulders, and said, 'Barry, I’d like you and LaVern to come up and perform with me near the end of my set.' I was laughing as I replied, 'BB, I will get LaVern up there and I will come up and sing backup, but I am not bringing my guitar onstage with you!' He laughed and said, 'Well, as long as you come up!' The jam was another triumph. Later that night, BB told the Gibson Guitar rep to give me an endorsement deal, and sure enough, they did. That was the magnanimous BB King!" LaVern's band consists of: LaVern Baker: vocals Barry Marshall: band director, guitar, backing vocals Philip Hamilton: vocals and backing vocals Tim Ingles: bass guitar Walter Platt: trumpet Bud Revels: tenor saxophone Tim Jackson: drums and percussion Larry Luddecke: Hammond organ