Best known as a session musician, keyboardist recorded with and before finally releasing his debut solo album, Sweet Release, in 2019 after 50 years in the business.

was born in 1947 and brought up in Sarasota, Florida. Like all of his six siblings, he began piano lessons at an early age, but was the only one who really took to playing. The first gig he attended, at age 13, was , which "changed his life"; he became a big fan of rock & roll and later the blues. In addition to piano, he became proficient on electric organ, particularly the Hammond B-3, an instrument with which he would become indelibly associated. After college he played in a few local bands before being invited by his friend, guitarist Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt, to join the Second Coming in 1968. This outfit, featuring and , would eventually morph into . was dropped by the brothers, but as consolation, got him a gig with in San Francisco. During the '70s he also played with , , and , before landing his most high-profile gig yet in 1985, with , appearing on the albums Soul to Soul and . After 's untimely death in 1990, played with and before moving to Nashville in 1992. There he became a studio session player, appearing on literally hundreds of albums by country and blues artists such as , , , and . In 2015, after being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for his work with , he joined the touring band of . The guitarist encouraged to record his own solo album, offering to produce it and put it out on his own J&R Records label. Entitled Sweet Release (after the song by ) and released in 2019, it featured a selection of songs that had been involved with over the years, recorded with a stellar who's-who of blues and R&B alumni including , , , , and . ~ John D. Buchanan

Reese Wynans

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