CLARENCE EDWARDS/ 1959-90

 

CLARENCE EDWARDS/ 1959-90

 

           

                

Although he never recorded for Jay Miller, Khoury, Shuler or any louisiana producers, Clarence Edwards was anyway a major exponent of the so-called Swamp blues as well as a fine acoustic traditional louisiana musician.

            Clarence was born on 25d of March 1933 in Lindsay (La). He became interested in music through records of Charlie Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Howlin' Wolf and became a good guitarist in following those records. Never a professional musician (he made a living working on a Baton Rouge scrap yard for over than 30 years) he nevertheless played constantly in week ends since the early 1950's with several local louisiana bands like The Boogie Beats or The Bluebird Kings. While playing as a combo with Butch Cage, his brother Cornelius Edwards and Willie Thomas around the small town of Zachary, Edwards was "discovered" by folklorist Harry Oster in 1959 who recorded a good amount of blues and Zydeco acoustic tracks by Edwards on several sessions.

            But Clarence had to wait until 1970 when researcher Terry Pattison was in charge by the rejuvenated Excello label to record the remaining Swamp blues musicians still playing around Baton Rouge. Edwards was featured on the anthology playing alone as well as with a band and even a 45 was issued from those sessions. He also was captured live for another Excello album.

            Although those albums gained very good critics from Europe, nothing appeared for Clarence in the US. And it was almost by chance that in 1990 bassist, bandleader (Short Fuse) and producer Steve Coleridge stumbled on Clarence while he was playing in a Louisiana club. Very aware of the strong musical potential Clarence had, Coleridge recorded him during a mammoth session that was issued on several albums on European labels, getting rave reviews from European magazines. Clarence Edwards had thus plans to tour Europe when he suffered an infection that caused his death on 20 may 1993 in Baton Rouge.

            We have gathered here all his early sides that were scattered on several anthologies as well as some of his 1990's tracks. The remainder is easily available on the Wolf label. We have also not included his several live sessions in front of an audience.

                                                                                   Gérard HERZHAFT

 

CLARENCE EDWARDS 1959-1990

Clarence Edwards, vcl/g; Butch Cage, fdl; Cornelius Edwards, g. Zachary, La. 27 october 1959

01. You don't love me

02. Smokestack lightning

03. Stack o'dollars

04. Man old Frisco

05. Miss Sadie May

06. Stagolee

07. I can't quit you baby

08. This is my life

09. Goin' back to New Orleans

10. Thousand miles from nowhere

Clarence Edwards, vcl/g; Butch Cage, fdl. Zachary, La. 30 june 1961

11. Awful blue

12. Come on baby don't you want to go?

13. I got a coal black mare

14. Can't stand to be your dog

Clarence Edwards, vcl/g; Henry Gray, pno; Clarence Prophet, bs; Samuel Hogan, dms. Baton Rouge, La. 13 august 1970

15. Lonesome bedroom blues

16. Let me love you baby

Clarence Edwards, vcl/g. Baton Rouge, La. 15 august 1970

17. Cooling board

18. I want somebody

Clarence Edwards, vcl/g; Harmonica Red, hca; Henry Gray, pno; Michael Ward, fdl; A.G. Hardesty, bs; Rick Delmore, dms; Steve Coleridge, perc. Baton Rouge, La. 14-15 february 1990

19. Lonesome bedroom blues

20. Rocky Mountains

21. She moves me

22. Still a fool

23. Stoop down baby

24. Things I used to do

25. 24 hours of the day

26. Born with the blues

27. Chewing gum

28. Coal black mare

29. Done got over it

30. Driving wheel

31. Hi heel sneakers

32. Hoochie coochie man

33. I want somebody

34. I'm the one

35. I'm your slave

36. Jody

37. Let me love you

38. Lonely lonely nights

39. Tried so hard

40. Walking the dog

41. Will the circle be unbroken