Louis Satterfield was born in Shaw, in the Mississippi Delta area, in 1937. He learned to play bass and trombone and set up a Jazz band at college. He met Maurice White at the college and invited him to join the Jazzmen. He also found work as a session musician at Chess, playing bass on a number of Chess’ sixties hits, notably Fontella Bass’ “Rescue Me” in 1965.
Along with Don Myrick from the Jazzmen, Satterfield was a member of the Pharaohs, who recorded the album “The Awakening” in 1971. He later played trombone as a member of the Phenix Horns, playing with Earth, Wind & Fire, joining up with Don Myrick again (alto sax) and Michael Harris (trumpet). The Phenix Horns played on every EWF album between 1975 and 1983.
Earth, Wind & Fire 1982, with Louis Satterfield playing trombone, third from left.
Photo: Chris Hakkens (Wikimedia Commons)
In 1981, Satterfield joined his Phenix Horns bandmates at Phil Collins’ recording sessions for the “Face Value” project, Collins’ first solo album. It was the start of a profitable association, as the Phenix Horns went on tour with Collins and worked with him on later recordings. The Phenix Horns broke up in the early 1990s, but Satterfield continued working until his death in 2004, at the age of sixty-seven. His career was a varied one, supporting many well-known performers including Muddy Waters, B.B. King, the Emotions, Ramsey Lewis, Rotary Connection, Donny Hathaway, the Dells, and the Gap Band.
Phil Collins’ album “Face Value”, featuring Louis Satterfield with the Phenix Horns
