02.22 vinyl podcast - Monk Higgins
On this show I play “Who-Dun-It?” by Monk Higgins, from a 45 on St. Lawrence Records from 1966. Monk Higgins was an accomplished saxophonist as well as a songwriter, arranger and producer. He was on staff at Chess Records in the 1960s, and worked with artists such as The Three Sounds, Muddy Waters, Etta James, and his cousin, Barbara Acklin. In 1969, Higgins moved to LA, where he recorded some solo albums as well as producing and arranging for United Artists records. If you listened to my last show, the Freddie Robinson track I played was from an album produced by Monk Higgins.
This track is a midtempo instrumental that features a bass and rhythm guitar that reminds me of the Meters. Monk’s sax style bears some resemblance to Sonny Rollins’s breathy legato, although with just a hint of a growl.
I picked up this 45 at a local record show. I bought a couple of 45s from one dealer, and he threw this one in for free because it looked so beat up. As you can hear, it’s not in the greatest shape, but it plays better than I’d hoped.
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