Rockin' Chair Blues / Here Am I

“Seattle is the town where I made my first record. And if you ever want to say where I got my start, you have to say that.” - Ray Charles (1930-2004)

This single from The Maxin Trio is one of the earliest records made by Ray Charles, who sang and played piano for both tracks. “Rockin’ Chair Blues” is an original, written by band member Garcia McKee (1920-2012), as an ode to the Rocking Chair Jazz room in Seattle, Washington where The Maxin Trio regularly played.

The Maxin Trio formed in 1948 around guitarist Garcia McKee, pianist and vocalist Ray Charles (1930-2004), and bassist Milton Garred (b. unknown), the same year that Charles arrived in Seattle, Washington from Florida. The band played regularly at the Rocking Chair, a local Jazz room, which was where they met record producer Jack Lauderdale (b. Unknown), founder of Down Beat Records. Lauderdale convinced them to record some music with Down Beat, first in Seattle, and later in Los Angeles, California. 

Charles left The Maxin Trio and Seattle in 1950, first moving to Los Angeles and then going on tour with Blues guitarist and songwriter Lowell Fulson (1921-1999). By 1958, he was touring on his own and headlining venues like the Apollo Theater and Carnegie Hall. In 1959, Charles released his first song to reach the Billboard Hot 100, “What’d I Say.”