The Rotary Connection
| Rotary Connection | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1966–1974 |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck D, The Roots |
| Past members |
Minnie Riperton (deceased) Phil Upchurch Mitch Aliotta (deceased) Sidney Barnes Bobby Simms (deceased) Charles Stepney (deceased) Kenny Venegas Tom Donlinger Jim Donlinger Jim Nyeholt Judy Hauff Shirley Wahls Jon Stocklin (deceased) |
Rotary Connection was an American psychedelic soul band, formed in Chicago in 1966.
In addition to their own recordings, Rotary Connection is notable as the backing band for Muddy Waters on his psychedelic blues album Electric Mud. The band's members included Minnie Riperton, who would emerge as a notable solo artist in her own right.
The highly experimental band was the idea of Marshall Chess, son of Chess Records founder Leonard Chess. Marshall was the director behind a start-up label, Cadet Concept Records, and wanted to focus on music outside of the blues and rock genres, which had made the Chess label popular. This led Marshall to turn his attention to the burgeoning psychedelic movement. He recruited Charles Stepney, a vibraphonist and classically trained arranger and producer. Marshall then recruited members of a little-known white rock band, the Proper Strangers: Bobby Simms, Mitch Aliotta, and Ken Venegas. Sidney Barnes, a songwriter within the Chess organization, also joined, as did Judy Hauff and a Chess receptionist named Minnie Riperton, who would later be successful in her own solo career. Marshall also called up prominent session musicians associated with the Chess label, including guitarist Phil Upchurch and drummer Morris Jennings. Chess described the band's members as "the hottest, most avant garde rock guys in Chicago".
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