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samedi 8 décembre 2018

LEROY WASHINGTON/ Louisiana Swamp blues



LEROY WASHINGTON/ Louisiana Swamp blues


              

LEROY WASHINGTON/ Louisiana Swamp blues

               The previously "mysterious" top notch guitarist Leroy Washington is now much better known thanks to blues researcher Gene Tomko who published the results of his sleuth work in Living Blues n°222.
            Leroy Washington was born 1st March 1932 at Palmetto, La. Being raised by his lone mother, the young boy had to work on the railroads to help his Ma makes ends meet. He also fooled around with a guitar at an early age listening blues and Cajun records from the local radio stations. Very skilled, he became an accomplished guitarist during the early 50's. Enough to form a duo with his neighbour Chuck Martin (who will become a well known Zydeco artist later on) and play in local juke joints and venues. Soon after, Leroy was the guitarist and sometimes bass player of the Guidry Brothers Band (then called the Honeydrippers) from Church Point.
            Quickly, Leroy's guitar ability was famous enough to earn him the nickname of "The Guitar Wizard" and he embarked himself on a full time career as a musician, playing every night in the various clubs of Opelousas and Lake Charles. The influential Lake Charles'DJ Isaac Lutcher took him on his regular radio programme as well as a hired guitarist for all blues stars he brought to town like Roy Brown, Jimmy Reed, Clarence Garlow... Leroy befriended also with Guitar Gable who brought him to Crowley's producer J.D. Miller. Miller recorded Washington between 1957 to 1960 but despite a good local Hit with Wild Cherry, J.D. issued only three Leroy's 45s on Excello, Rocko and Zynn labels, the remainder of the sessions staying in the vaults for decades.
               During those years, Leroy was extremely busy, playing everywhere with 
several bands, namely
Good Rockin' Bob's (Ed Thomas) Orchestra. On 30th June 1962, this group was 
playing at the Big Casino, a joint of Leesville, La. that had a strong amount
of patrons coming from the near military base of Fort Polk. At the end of the
show, while singing, Leroy fell down on stage, victim of an aneurysm. He would 
die a few hours later at the very early age of 30, leaving us anyway a strong musical 
heritage that we have tried to gather for the first time here. One track is still
missing and any help would be greatly appreciated.
 Gérard HERZHAFT

Thanks to Marc Claes, Living Blues and Gene Tomko
            

Leroy Washington, vcl/g; Tal Miller, pno; Guitar Gable, g; Fats Perrodin, bs; Clarence Etienne, dms. Crowley, La. 1957
01. I've been in this prison
02. Sally Lou
Leroy Washington, vcl/g; Tal Miller, pno; Guitar Gable, g; Fats Perrodin, bs; Clarence Etienne, dms; Lazy Lester, wbd/perc/hca. Crowley, La. 1958
03. Sittin' here cryin'
04. Wild Cherry n°1
05. Wild Cherry n°2
06. Be kind
Leroy Washington, vcl/g; band. Crowley, La. 6 mai 1959
Gimme my rights (thanks to Jeff Harris and Tom Thumb)
07. My Chinatown girl
Leroy Washington, vcl/g; Guitar Gable, g; Fats Perrodin, bs; Clarence Etienne, dms. Crowley, La. juin 1959
08. Don't blame it on me mama
09. Women are trouble
Leroy Washington, vcl/g; John Johnson, pno; Lonesome Sundown, g; Lionel Torrence, t-sax; Fats Perrodin, bs; Clarence Etienne, dms. Crowley, La. août 1959
10. Why should I cry?
11. My true life
12. Hello stranger n°1
13. Hello stranger n°2
14. Hello baby what you know
15. Love me baby
16. Hey baby
Darling it takes you
Leroy Washington, vcl/g; Lionel Torrence, t-sax; Katie Webster, pno; Al Foreman, g; Bobby Mc Bride, bs; Warren Storm, dms. Crowley, La. décembre 1959
17. I don't want your money
18. Hello Operator
19. Baby please come home
20. Long hair knock knees & bow legs
21. Prison blues
Leroy Washington, vcl/g; Lionel Torrence, t-sax; band. Crowley, La. 1960
22. Everyday
23. Leave me now or never
24. This little girl of mine







19 commentaires:

  1. Ce commentaire a été supprimé par l'auteur.

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  2. Thanks Gerard ...looking forward to this

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  3. Merci toujours des artistes à faire découvrir et du boulot bien fait
    Philippe

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  4. Merci encore cette fois et pour toutes les fois ou je n'ai pas laissé de commentaire (j'ai honte) Vous faites toujours du super boulot et cela fait des années que j'apprends et que je prends plaisirs à vos partages
    Philippe

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  5. Very good Gerard. Thank you very much indeed.

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  6. Many thanks Gerard, I didn't realize he died so young, only 30, such a shame.

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  7. Bonjour Gérard,
    Tout d'abord un immense merci pour toutes les connaissances que tu partages avec nous dans le domaine du blues.
    Ensuite je crois comprendre que les morceaux en rouge te manquent.
    Je possède "Gimme Rights" sur deux compilations "Swamp Blues Guitarists" et "Louisiana Bayou Rockers". Si tu es intéressé, je suis à ton service.
    Cordialement

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    Réponses
    1. Merci JJMura mais Gimme my rights m'a été donné désormais et se trouve donc en téléchargement plus haut

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  8. thank you...just read Louisiana may start a blues trail marker program like that of Mississippi. maybe Leroy will have his name mentioned on one

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  9. Thanks for this exhaustive compilation. I knew only the two Flyrights.

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  10. Thanks for another fine collection. As with a lot of the compilations you have so painstakingly made and shared, hearing the artist's work together like this seems to raise his stature and make it all the more enjoyable.

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  11. Words are not enough to thank you for the info and the music that you so generously share with us.

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  12. is there a link?..i'm new to your treasures

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  13. https://mega.nz/#!rURyHSgK!YvB5cOKAfE0b0XRod8SwGv645Op9svtqU9XZ7xv8-AM

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  14. Bonjour Gérard, merci encore pour cette superbe sélection. Je reconnais n'avoir pas toujours publié de commentaires, par ignorance... continuez s'il vous plait pour que nouveaux publics viennent au Blues.

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  15. Hello Gerard!
    Et voila! un merci de plus.
    je suis vraiment désolé que mon vocabulaire ne soit pas à la hauteur de votre générosité et de votre travail pour tous vos partages.

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  16. Merci beaucoup !
    Philippe

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