Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (born Edward L. Vinson Jr.; December 18, 1917 – July 2, 1988) was an American jump blues, jazz, bebop and R&B alto saxophonist and blues shouter. He was nicknamed "Cleanhead" after an incident in which his hair was accidentally removed by lye contained in a hair-straightening product, necessitating shaving it off; enamoured of the look, Vinson maintained a shaved head thereafter.Otis, Johnny. Upside Your Head!: Rhythm and Blues on Central Avenue, Wesleyan University Press, p. 34 (1993) - Music critic Robert Christgau has called Vinson "one of the cleanest, and nastiest, blues voices you'll ever hear."
Biography Vinson was born in Houston, Texas. He started out with Milton Larkin's orchestra in the 1930s. At various times, he was with Tom Archia, while other members of the band included Cedric Haywood and Wild Bill Davis. He then played for Big Bill Broonzy. During the 1940s, he was with the Cootie Williams Orchestra. He recorded such tunes as "Cherry Red".Vladimir, Bogdanov. All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues, Backbeat Books, pg. 571 (2002);
There is some controversy over who composed "Four".Koster, Rick. Texas Music, St. Martin's Press, pg. 319 (2000);
He died aged 70 in 1988, from a heart attack while undergoing chemotherapy, in Los Angeles, California.
Discography YearTitleNotesGenreLabel1957Clean Head's Back in Townwith Joe Newman, Henry Coker, Bill Graham, Frank Foster, Paul Quinichette, Charlie Rouse, Charles Fowlkes, Nat Pierce, Freddie Green, Turk Van Lake, Ed Jones, Gus Johnson, Ed ThigpenBlues, JazzBethlehem; Charly1962Back Door Blues with Cannonball Adderley Quintet; some tracks and alternate takes released as Cleanhead & Cannonball on LandmarkBlues, JazzRiverside; Fresh Sound1967Cherry Redwith Mike BloomfieldBluesABC/Bluesway; One Way1969 Kidney Stew is Fine with T-Bone Walker and Jay McShann; also released as Wee Baby Blues on Black & BlueJump Blues, Swing JazzDelmark1969 Live! in Francewith Jay McShannJump Blues, Swing JazzBlack & Blue1970The Original Cleanheadwith Artie Butler, David Cohen, Joe Pass, Arthur Wright, Earl Palmer, Plas JohnsonBluesBluestime/Flying Dutchman; Ace1971You Can't Make Love AloneLive at the 1971 Montreux Jazz FestivalBluesMega/Flying Dutchman1974 Jamming the BluesLive in MontreuxBluesBlack Lion1978The "Clean" Machinewith Lloyd GlennBlues, JazzMuse1978 Live at Sandy's (Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson and the Muse All Stars)with Arnett Cobb and Buddy TateJump Blues, Swing JazzMuse 52081978 Hold It Right There! (Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson and the Muse All Stars)with Arnett Cobb and Buddy TateJump Blues, Swing JazzMuse 52431979 Redux: Live at the Keystone Kornerwith Larry VuckovichBlues, JazzSavant1980Kansas City Shoutwith Count Basie and Big Joe TurnerBlues, JazzPablo1980Fun in Londonwith John Burch, Lennie Bush, Bobby OrrBlues, JazzJSP1981I Want a Little Girlwith Art Hillery, Cal Green, John Heard, Roy McCurdy, Martin Banks, Rashid Jamal AliBlues, JazzPablo1982Mr. Cleanhead's Back in Townwith Stan Greig, Les Davidson, Paul Sealey, Martin GuyBlues, JazzJSP1982Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson & Roomful of Blueswith Roomful of BluesBlues, Jump BluesMuse; Rockbeat1986Blues in the Night Volume One: The Early ShowLive in Los Angeles with Etta JamesBluesFantasy1986 The Late Show: Blues in the Night, Volume 2Live in Los Angeles with Etta JamesBluesFantasy1987Oscar Peterson + Harry Edison + Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinsonwith Oscar Peterson and Harry "Sweets" EdisonJazzPablo1988Cleanhead & Cannonballwith The Cannonball Adderley QuintetJazzLandmark1996Kidney Stew (The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions)with T-Bone Walker and Jay McShannJump Blues, Swing JazzBlack & Blue2003Bald Headed Blues (His Complete King Recordings 1949-1952)compilationJump BluesAce2006Honk for Texas (1942–1954)with Cootie Williams and Big Jim Wynn; 4-CD box set; compilationJump BluesJSP2007Blues, Boogie & Bebop – Meat's Too Highcompilation of Fun in London and Mr. Cleanhead's Back in TownBlues, JazzJSP2008Jumpin' the Blues (The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions)with Jay McShannJump Blues, Swing JazzBlack & Blue2019Mr. Cleanhead Blows His Greatest Hits (Selected Singles 1944-1950)compilationJump BluesJasmine
With Oliver Nelson Swiss Suite (Flying Dutchman, 1971 [rel. 1972])
With Arnett Cobb and the Muse All Stars Live at Sandy's! (Muse 5191, 1978 [rel. 1980]) More Arnett Cobb and the Muse All Stars (Live at Sandy's!) (Muse 5236, 1978 [rel. 1983])
With Buddy Tate and the Muse All Stars Live at Sandy's (Muse 5198, 1978 [rel. 1980]) Hard Blowin' (Live at Sandy's) (Muse 5249, 1978 [rel. 1984])
With Helen Humes and the Muse All Stars Helen Humes and the Muse All Stars (Muse 5217, 1978 [rel. 1980]) - with Arnett Cobb and Buddy Tate
References
External links Houston's own, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson! NBR: Blues and Jazz Get Rollicking Together
All About Jazz: Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson 'I Remember Eddie Cleanhead Vinson', by Steve Holt