Blue eye: SWAMP BLUES/ Vol. 5: LAZY LESTER Complete Early recordings

vendredi 10 juin 2022

SWAMP BLUES/ Vol. 5: LAZY LESTER Complete Early recordings

SWAMP BLUES Vol. 5

LAZY LESTER/ Complete Early recordings 1956-65

Lazy Lester (Leslie Johnson) (born 20th June 1933 at Torres, La) was of course one of the archetype of the so called Swamp blues style: laconic, laid back and "lazy", his harp playing seemed so simple in apparence but so hard to emulate and generate the same feeling. Brought to JD. Miller's studios by Lightnin' Slim, Lester Johnson became "Lazy Lester" since 1956, waxing many tracks for the great producer.

His early recordings (1956-65) are first rate with many masterpieces. The discography is not so easy to make, a lot of so-called alternate takes having popped up through the years without any evidence sometimes of the real time when they were recorded. So we have done our best to gather all the known tracks in the most probable chronological order.

" Rediscovered" in 1987, Lester embarked on an international career, playing all over the world (and particularly in France with the band of the excellent Benoit Blues Boy) in many festivals, concerts and venues and recording several very good albums.

He died on 22th August 2018 in Paradise (Ca).

Lazy Lester (Leslie Johnson), vcl/hca; Guitar Gable, g; Fats Perrodin, bs; Clarence Etienne, dms. Crowley, La. november 1956

01. I'm gonna leave you baby

02. Lester's stomp I & II

03. Go ahead

04. They call me Lazy

Lazy Lester, vcl/hca; Guitar Gable, g; Fats Perrodin, bs; Clarence Etienne, dms. Crowley, La. 24 july 1957

05. Whoa now I & II

Lazy Lester, vcl/hca; Guitar Gable, g; Fats Perrodin, bs; Clarence Etienne, dms. Crowley, La. 28 octobre 1957

06. Lover not a fighter

07. I told my little woman I & II

08. Tell me pretty baby

09. Whoa now!

Lazy Lester, vcl/hca; Guitar Gable, g; Fats Perrodin, bs; Clarence Etienne, dms. Crowley, La. Crowley, La. 28 may 1958

10. I'm a lover not a fighter

11. Sugar coated love I & II

12. I hear you knocking I & II

13. Late late in the evening

Lazy Lester, vcl/hca; Guitar Gable, g; Fats Perrodin, bs; Clarence Etienne, dms. Crowley, La. 2 juin 1958

14. Through the goodness of my heart

15. Late late in the evening

Lazy Lester, vcl/hca; Katie Webster, pno; Al Foreman, g; Bobby Mc Bride, bs; Warren Storm, dms. Crowley, La. december 1958

16. Come on home

17. Bloodstains

Lazy Lester, vcl/hca/g; Guitar Gable, g; Fats Perrodin, bs; Austin Broussard, dms. Crowley, La. 31 july 1959

18. I love you I need you

19. Quit fooling myself

20. I'm leaving

Lazy Lester, vcl/hca; Lionel Torrence, t-sax; Merlon Thibodeaux, pno; Al Foreman, g; Pee Wee Trahan, g; Bobby Mc Bride, bs; Warren Storm, dms. Crowley, La. 16 february 1960

21. A real combination for love

22. Bloodstains on the wall

Lazy Lester, vcl/hca; Lionel Torrence, t-sax; Merlon Thibodeaux, pno; Al Foreman, g; Pee Wee Trahan, g; Bobby Mc Bride, bs; Warren Storm, dms. Crowley, La. 4 january 1961

23. Bye bye baby gonna call it gone

24. You got me where you want me

25. I'm so tired

26. Patrol blues

27. Patrol wagon

28. I'm so glad

Lazy Lester, vcl/hca; Lionel Torrence, t-sax; Katie Webster, pno; Al Foreman, g; Pee Wee Trahan, g; Bobby Mc Bride, bs; Warren Storm, dms. Crowley, La. september 1961

29. Whoa now

30. Sad sad city

31. Sad city blues

32. Tell me pretty baby

33. I'm so glad my baby's back home

Lazy Lester, vcl/hca; Merlon Thibodeaux, pno; Al Foreman, g; Rufus Thibodeaux, bs; Austin Broussard, dms. Crowley, La. april 1962

34. If you think you've lost me

35. Ain't nothing in this world

36. I'm so tired

Lazy Lester, vcl/g; Sylvester Buckley, hca; Al Foreman, g; Bobby Mc Bride, bs; Austin Broussard, dms. Crowley, La. january 1963

37. Lonesome highway blues

38. I made up my mind