10K Fresh Voices | When Augie Garcia’s Band Rocked the River Road Club
The Augie Garcia Quintet played rock ‘n’ roll in 1954 before they knew what to call it — Augie described their sound as rhythm-and-blues with a shuffle and a “hard sock.” The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame says the band likely recorded Minnesota’s first rock record.
Raised at the West Side Flats in St. Paul, Augie became known as a showman who danced on the piano and dressed year-round in Bermuda shorts tailored by his mother. He assembled a strong group of musicians that included Willie Brown on sax, Maurice Turner on bass (Prince’s uncle) and James “Cornbread” Harris (producer Jimmy Jam’s…
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