George Semper

George Semper (1942-2009) was a Trinidadian-American multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and label owner and publisher from San Diego, California. A child prodigy in Jazz he’s most known as a “Hammond B3 Hero” for innovation of the Hammond B3 electric organ. In Soul, for his Northern cross overs, and as a GodFather of Bay Area Funk.

Ever innovative, Semper was heavily sampled in the 1990s “Golden Era” of Hip-Hop. Discovered by a new generation of producers and fans including DJ Muggs on Cypress Hills Insane In The bran, Pete Rocks Mecca & The Soul Brother “Act Like You Know’, and MC Serch ‘Back To The Grill Again’.

From Soul Train and Wattstax to Carnegie Hall, Semper collaborated with legends like Al McKay, Isaac Hayes, Brenton Wood, Jimmy Smith, Donny Hathaway, and Billy Preston. He earned Hammond B3 Hero status for his 1966 Makin’ Waves LP and a Godfather of Bay Area Funk.

Starting as a teenage musician (1961-66), he formed The Kingsmen, The Imperialites, and The Chessmen. As owner of San Diego jazz clubs Market St. East and Jazzville, he brought acts like Miles Davis, Otis Redding, Ike & Tina Turner, John Coltrane, and Jimi Hendrix south of LA.

In the ’70s, his Inner City Attractions and Inner City Records released funk gems from The Mean Machine, Faye Marshall,  The Perfect Circle and unreleased projects The Young Hearts, Top Ten, and FUNKPROOF.

Through the ’80s and ’90s, he continued producing, including his 1984 Themes for Television Sport and Aerobics and collaborations with Nathaniel “Basey” Johnson and Mary Love. His music journey ended where it began, passing away in Trinidad & Tobago. His legacy lives on through The George Semper Music Archives and extensive vintage and new music publishing catalog.

The George Semper Music Archives is part vault, part historical archive containing Semper’s five decades of musical works and media.  Comprising 42 artists and bands, 250 recordings our catalog contains over 400 works of the finest Funk, Soul, RB, Hip-Hop, and Jazz licensed by music users worldwide!