LITTLE SONNY JONES/ Complete Recordings

LITTLE SONNY JONES/ Complete Recordings

           

Little Sonny Jones is certainly not a major and well known figure of the New Orleans R&B scene and his musical career never hit very high in charts but he has nevertheless recorded a nice amount of very good or even excellent tracks, strongly representative of the great New Orleans sound of the 1950's.

            Born Johnny Jones, 15th April 1931 in the Jane Alley section of New Orleans, he lived near Louis Armstrong's home and heard at a very early age pianist Little Brother Montgomery who had a regular spot around. He thus developed quite early in life a great interest for music and started to sing in his mother's Church choir when still a kid while he also sang at many famous New Orleans Saturday Night Fish Fries, those open parties with lots of food, drinks, music and revelry, a red kerosene lamp indicating which houses were hosting this very night!

            At the age of sixteen, Jones is taken under Fats Domino's wing who even gives him his "Little Sonny" nickname. For years (in fact until 1961), Little Sonny would open for Fats' shows as a warm-up act. This is probably thanks again to Fats that he starts his recording career in 1953 with a single for Specialty and the following year with two more for the Imperial label. Although very good, those records go nowhere and Little Sonny stays in Fats Domino's shadow while trying to launch a more personal career under the nickname Skinny Dynamo without more luck anyway. In 1961, tired to be just an opening act, he leaves Domino to join the Lastie Brothers, Dave and Melvin, singing in front of their band which is a favorite of New Orleans' clubs. Until 1968 when, completely disappointed by his lack of success in music, Little Sonny quits completely the music business to make a living on the more steady and secure sugar industry.

            In 1975, following a tip from Clarence Ford, Sonny is "rediscovered" by the Danish label CSA, specialized in recording New Orleans jazz and he waxes an LP with an array of first rate local R&B stalwarts. This excellent record will be later reissued twice on CD by Black Magic and Black Top. But once again the record doesn't open any door for Sonny who sticks to his daily job while singing regularly with the new Lastie Brothers' band, A Taste of New Orleans and appearing almost every year at the famous New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. I had the chance to watch his act and chat a little bit with him while in New Orleans in 1982 and I can tell that Little Sonny's big voice and showmanship were absolutely first rate.

            Unfortunately, Sonny Jones died at the early age of 58 from a heart attack at his New Orleans home on 17 December 1989.

            His complete recorded works are offered here for the first time, minus one elusive track (thanks by advance to anyone who would like to fill this gap) and show how a very nice R&B artist was the too neglected Little Sonny Jones.

            A lot of thanks to Xyros (Don't ask me...) and bopping blogs for providing me some rare early tracks. And thanks to Terry Pattison for his liner notes (on Sonny's LP) that I have been widely using over here.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

Little Sonny Jones (Johnny Jones), vcl; Salvador Doucette, pno; prob. Justin Adams, g; band. New Orleans, La. 1952

01. Do you really love me?

02. Is everything all right?

03. Got a gal in Nashville

04. Looked at the moon

Little Sonny Jones, vcl; Dave Bartholomew, tpt; Joe Harris, a-sax; Clarence Hall, t-sax; Clarence Ford, b-sax; Salvador Doucette, pno; Justin Adams, g; Frank Fields, bs; Earl Palmer, dms. New Orleans, La. 14 January 1954

05. Winehead baby

06. Tend to your business blues

07. Going back to the country

08. I got booted

Little Sonny Jones (as Skinny Dynamo), vcl; band. Miami, Fl. Augusr 1955

09. My baby is crying

10. You know this story

11. Baby baby mine

Can't you see
(Thanks to Mike Gray and Mike Kredinac)

Little Sonny Jones (as Skinny Dynamo), vcl; band. Crowley, La. December 1956

12. So long so long

13. Jingle bells

Little Sonny Jones, vcl; band. New Orleans, La. 1961

14. Give my heart back to me

15. Don't lie to me

Little Sonny Jones, vcl; band. New Orleans, 6-19 June 1967

16. Suffering

You got the power

Little Sonny Jones, vcl; Dave "Fat Man" Williams, pno; Dave Lastie, t-sax; Clarence Ford, t-sax; Justin Adams, g; Frank Fields, bs; Bob French, dms. New Orleans, La. 28 March 1975

17. I would if I could

18. Don't you hear me calling you?

19. Do you really love me baby?

20. Further up the road

21. Is everything allright?

Little Sonny Jones, vcl; Dave "Fat Man" Williams, pno; Justin Adams, g; Frank Fields, bs; Bob French, dms. New Orleans, La. 15 April 1975

22. I'm loaded

23. Certainly all

24. Worried blues

25. I called you baby

BLUES EN DISQUES

  BLUES EN DISQUES

Mon nouvel ouvrage

BLUES EN DISQUES regroupe une partie (je dirais environ 20%) des chroniques que j'ai écrites à partir de, disons, 1988, jusqu'à 2010, la plupart ayant été rédigées dans la décennie 1990 pour divers revues et magazines. L'édition discographique étant ce qu'elle est devenue aujourd'hui, la plupart de ces albums ne sont évidemment plus en vente. Mais on les trouve quand même assez aisément sous une forme ou sous une autre, ici et là, sur les recoins de la Toile. Ces chroniques peuvent donc quand même servir aux auditeurs plus jeunes ou à ceux, nostalgiques de la grande époque où le disquaire en chair et en os était installé dans la plupart des villes, et avec lequel on pouvait discuter et partager.

            En aucun cas cependant, ce BLUES EN DISQUES ne veut être un guide discographique. Il s'agit simplement de permettre à ceux, nombreux semble-t-il, qui le souhaitent de retrouver mes chroniques avec mon style, ma manière et mes

jugements d'alors....

            J'ai également ajouté à la fin de cet ouvrage quelques uns des livrets, textes de jaquettes que j'ai pu écrire pour des parutions de CDs de blues pour différents labels et qu'on ne trouve plus guère aujourd'hui mais qui peuvent encore être utiles.

            Bonne lecture et bonne écoute consécutive j'espère!

Cet ouvrage est en vente uniquement sur 

Amazon

ou 

Mon site web 

CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday Volume 23

CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday Vol. 23

            

For this new opus of our never ending (?) series Chicago/ The Blues Yesterday, let's put the limelights once again upon bluesmen/women who mostly escaped from any fame.

            Singer and drummer Jack Cooley is the best known of the three artists featured here but we don't know for sure his date (and place) of birth and death. He nevertheless recorded quite extensively, although most of his 78s and 45s are hard to find items. We have been able to get 16 tracks out of a total of 24. He started to record for Mayo Williams in 1945 for the short lived "Chicago" label and the following years backed by no other than Albert Ammons for Mercury. He seems to have been well known in the Chicago clubs and lounges as Cowboy Jack for his habit to wear a big Stetson hat on and out stage. During the 1950's, Jack Cooley recorded for many labels like Square Deal, Nashboro, States, Master, C&G... in a very driving R&B style with a good blues shouter's voice. It would be nice if anyone having the missing tracks would share them.

            Freddie Youngblood (often called Freddie Young or Freddy Youngblood) is a producer, singer and label owner from Chicago who was active during the 1960's to the 1980's. He is certainly not a great singer but his records are quite worthy for the backing musicians, Hubert Sumlin, Eddie Taylor, Lafayette Leake et al. I have included all his known sides, even the odd Sould Strings (B side of Youngblood's own label Sould Sound #752) which is in fact a straight reissue of a late Morris Pejoe's 45, Pejoe's Soul Strings without any mention of the real lead guitarist!

            Ann Carter is a complete unknown, having recorded only one 78 for the Blue Lake label in 1945. Good stuff anyway with a solid band led probably by drummer Red Saunders.

CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday/ Volume 23

JACK COOLEY, vcl/dms; His Cooley Boy, band. Chicago, Ill. June 1945

01. Time to think

Jack Cooley, vcl/ dms; Albert Ammons, pno; Ike Perkins, g; Israel Cosby, bs. Chicago, Ill. 2 July 1946

02. Why am I leaving you?

03. I don't want to see you

Jack Cooley, vcl/ dms; t-sax; pno; Israel Crosby, bs. Chicago, Ill. June 1947

04. The death of Piney Brown

I feel the blues

I deal in cats

I know the blues

Jack Cooley, vcl/dms; Roosevelt Sykes, pno. Chicago, Ill. 18 October 1947

05. Someting I'm going to be

06. Stop your evil ways

Jack Cooley, vcl/ dms; Buck Douglas, t-sax; band. Chicago, Ill. 1948

07. I'm a man

08. Douglas boogie

Caldonia's sister

Jack Cooley, vcl/dms; band. Chicago, Ill. 1950

09. Mr Two Gun Pete

10. 50 Dyna Flow

This is us

Ain't it nice

Jack Cooley, vcl; Tommy Jones, t-sax; Jimmy Robinson, pno; Israel Crosby, bs; Jump Jackson, dms. Chicago, Ill. 1951

11. It's so fine

12. Tom Tom boogie

13. Dyna Flow

14. Hear my story

Jack Cooley, vcl/dms; t-sax; pno; xyl; Willie Dixon, bs. Chicago, Ill. 16 February 1953

15. I could but I ain't

16. Rain on my window

Jack Cooley, vcl/dms; band. Chicago, Ill. 1956

Half way round the clock

Cooleys Cowboy Rock

FREDDIE YOUNGBLOOD, vcl/g; Eddie Taylor, g; Lafayette Leake, pno; Andrew Mc Mahon, bs; Robert Wright, dms. Chicago, Ill. 1964

17. Monkey business

18. Someday baby

Freddie Youngblood, vcl/g; Hubert Sumlin, g; band. Chicago, Ill. 1971

19. That ain’t right

20. A bit of soul

21. If the blues was whiskey

Freddie Youngblood, vcl; Hubert Sumlin, g; band. Chicago, Ill. 10 March 1975

22. Downbeat blues

23. West Side shuffle

Freddie Youngblood, vcl; band. Chicago, Ill. 1982

24. Sould strings (in fact 1969 by Morris Pejoe)

25. Last november

ANN CARTER, vcl; Sonny Cohn, tpt; Flip Ricard, tpt; Porter Kilbert, a-sxa; Leroy Washington, t-sax; Earl Washington, g; Jimmy Richardson, bs; Red Saunders, dms. Chicago, Ill. May 1954

26. You oughta quit it

27. Lovin' daddy blues

Thanks to our friends Klaus Killian and Tom Thumb who provided us a more correct Freddie Youngblood's discography. 

Unknown (ts) Freddy Young (g) unknown el-b and d. Chicago, early 1963

Dark river

Limbo rock

Freddy Young (vcl,g) acc by Lafayette Leake (org) Eddie Taylor (g) Andrew "Blueblood" Mac Mahon (el-b) Robert "Huckleberry Hound" Wright (d); Chicago, 1964

Monkey business (A bit of soul*)

That ain't right

Someday baby

Freddie Young Blood (vcl)  acc by Little Mack (hca) Sunnyland Slim (p) Lafayette Leake (org) Hubert Sumlin, Eddie Taylor (g) Odell Campbell (el-b) Willie Williams (d) Chicago, December 1971

If blues was whiskey

(This tune borrows the instrumental track from "Special agent" by Andrew "Blueblood" Mac Mahon substituting Young's vocal for Mac Mahon's and dubbing on at the same time the organ backing by Lafayette Leake.)

As Freddy Youngblood & Joann Adison (vcl duets) acc by unknown band Chicago, June 1974

The hickey game

That ain't right (the above title is identical to the one recorded in 1964)

Freddy Youngblood (vcl) acc by Hubert Sumlin (g) + others Chicago, c; March 10, 1975

Baby Brown

Note : At the above session 4 more unknown titles were recorded.

Freddie Youngblood (vcl) acc p, 2 g's, el-b and unknown d Chicago, 1981

Last November

KING SOLOMON/ Complete Recordings

KING SOLOMON/ Complete Recordings

              

Several bluesmen have used the "King Solomon" moniker, mainly ace pre-war guitarist King Solomon Hill, the pianist and sometimes singer Ellis Walters Jr (1919-63) who recorded under the name King Solomon or Soloman (sic) as well as a session man behind many West Coast bluesmen as Solomon Ellis. Soul star Solomon Burke also recorded as King Solomon as well as jazz tenor saxophonist Clifford Solomon! And there is now a young good bluesman playing and recording under the name King Solomon Hicks!

               But the only "real" King Solomon (his real name) is this blues singer that we are featuring here. Born King Sylvester Lee Melicious Solomon on 12th October 1934 (or 1940? but this year sometimes given seems to be improbable even impossible) at Tallulah, La, he began to sing in his mother's church before creating his own Gospel a-capella quartet.

               When King Solomon comes to Chicago in 1949 to work as a busboy in a restaurant, he listens more and more the blues in the Windy City's clubs, befriending with Sunnyland Slim. Soon one finds him singing the blues at Theresa's or at Du Sable Lounge. But, tired of the hard Chicago's winters, Solomon settles in Los Angeles in 1954, meeting Charles Brown, Lowell Fulson and Maxwell Davis who encourages him to form his own band. During the late 50's, King Solomon and his Soul Brothers Band play regularly in the L.A. area, Charles Wright holding the lead guitar. In 1961, his first autobiographic record Non Support blues Parts I & II hits the West Coast before being taken over by the Checker label, and then climbing to n°39 on Billboard.

               Solomon then tours the Western States for awhile with big stars like B.B. King, Little Milton, Etta James and even opens for Sammy Davis Jr during a couple of weeks in Davis' cabaret in Las Vegas.

               King Solomon records regularly during the 1960's for a large variety of labels, some important like Kent but generally for small independent ones like Don-J, Magnum or his own Mader-D. With a somewhat poor distribution, those records sell quite confidentially with the exception of the small local hit You are nothing but a teenager.

              

During the 1970's, Solomon seeks commercial success in turning his music towards the Rock/ Psychedelic audience, his guitarist Joe Kincaid playing constantly the wah-wah guitar and with heavy bass and drums. This is the music featured on the only album recorded as such by Solomon Energy Crisis, probably during the mid-70's (1977 is the date generally admitted).

               Outside a small article on Blues Unlimited, King Solomon was mainly unknown outside his L.A. area until the excellent Dutch Diving Duck label issued a compilation of some of his best tracks during the mid-80's!

               Today, one doesn't know if King Solomon is still living or if so where he lives. Anyway, his recorded work is much worthy. We have tried to gather the complete recordings by this King Solomon but there still are 5 numbers that have been impossible to find. Thanks by advance to anyone who would have them and would be willing to share!

               Thanks to Diving Duck label, Mr Mightygroove and the excellent Groovy Gumbo blog for their help.

                                                                                       

Gérard HERZHAFT

King Solomon, vcl; Charles Wright, g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1961

01. Non support blues I & II

King Solomon, vcl; Charles Wright, g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1962

02. I got to move

03. Uncle John's swinging farm

King Solomon, vcl; Charles Wright, g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1963

04. Louisiana groove

05. I'm in love with you

06. My dream

I'm in your corner baby

King Solomon, vcl; Charles Wright, g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1964

07. Separation n°1

08. I want to know

09. Yodeling this morning

10. Scratch my back

King Solomon, vcl; Charles Wright, g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1965

11. Big things

12. You ain't nothing but a teenager

King Solomon, vcl; Charles Wright, g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1966

13. Mr bad luck

14. S.K. blues

15. New figure

16. Let me be your eagle baby I & II

17. Almost midnight

18. Please Mr President

King Solomon, vcl; Charles Wright, g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1967

19. Separation n°2

20. Little dab will do it

21. Where is my shoe

22. What you got

Skidrow

Brainwashed woman

When a man loves a woman

I don't play that way

King Solomon, vcl; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1968

23. Just a little faith

24. Sittin' here thinkin'

King Solomon, vcl; Joe Kincaid, g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1969

25. The natural look

26. No woman's no stranger

27. The miracle worker

28. The Moon Walk

29. Love bug

30. Something's wrong with me

King Solomon, vcl; Joe Kincaid, g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. c. 1977

31. I got a sweet tooth for your love

32. If I were a strong man

33. Energy crisis

34. Political rag

35. Ain´t it funky ya´ll I & II

36. Sexy baby

37. Get up soul brother

38. Don´t play this song

39. A little dab will do ya

NEWPORT BLUES FESTIVAL 3 July 1960

NEWPORT BLUES FESTIVAL/ 3 July 1960

           

L'après midi du 3 juillet de l'édition 1960 du Newport Jazz Festival (organisée par George Wein) était entièrement consacrée au blues avec une programmation audacieuse pour l'époque: Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rushing, Sam Price Trio avec Lafayette Thomas et la chanteuse Bettye Jeanette, les louisianais Butch Cage et Willie Thomas, les seuls - amenés par Harry Oster qui venait de les découvrir - à représenter ce jour-là le blues acoustique plus une démonstration de tap dancing par Al Mimms ainsi que des poèmes et des textes lus par l'écrivain Afro-Américain Langston Hughes.

            Muddy Waters qui ouvre le concert par un superbe Catfish blues, accompagné de son orchestre de l'époque (James Cotton, Pat Harris, Otis Spann, Andrew Stephenson et Francis Clay) continue par un programme qui a été publié en LP et CD (Muddy Waters at Newport) et que nous n'avons donc pas inclus ici. Puis laisse la place à Otis Spann qui démontre l'étendue de ses talents de pianiste sur quatre pièces instrumentales. C'est l'orchestre de Muddy qui accompagne aussi John Lee Hooker - qui avait joué peu de temps auparavant en acoustique au Festival Folk de Newport - sur cinq morceaux très représentatifs de ce qu'il enregistrait à l'époque.

           

Le pianiste Sam Price prend ensuite place sur scène accompagné du guitariste Lafayette Thomas, alors Newyorkais (qui chante un rare Things I used to do) et du batteur Panama Francis ainsi que de la chanteuse Betty Harris (ici sous le nom de Bettye Jeanette), qui interprète ici avec conviction trois classiques du premier blues. Le trio accompagne aussi le Blues Shouter (de l'orchestre de Count Basie) Jimmy Rushing. Butch Cage et Willie Thomas donnent ensuite la touche la plus rurale de ce programme avec plusieurs duos fiddle/guitare avant que presque tous les artistes viennent terminer le show par un Mean mistreater accompagné par le Muddy Waters Blues Band. Mais suite à de sérieuses rixes en marge du festival qui avaient eu lieu la veille, la petite ville de Newport fait annoncer par le présentateur Willie Connover qu'elle annule le Festival à l'instant même, le concert de jazz du soir étant même supprimé. C'est donc par un beau blues triste et prenant improvisé sur le moment que Otis Spann termine la journée. Goodbye Newport blues.

           

Un grand merci à Steve K. et Jeanie H. pour avoir fourni ces enregistrements rares qui donnent une idée plus complète de ce concert historique.

                                                                       Gérard Herzhaft

            The 3d of July's afternoon concert of the 1960 Edition of the annual Newport Jazz Festival was boldly entirely devoted to a blues programme assembled by George Wein who had gathered for the occasion Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rushing, The Sam Price Trio featuring ace guitarist Lafayette Thomas (then a New Yorker), drummer Panama Francis and young blues singer Betty Harris (here under the name of Bettye Jeanette), the fiddle/guitar duo of Louisianans Butch Cage and Willie Thomas (just discovered by Harry Oster) who was the only acoustic act of the day and also Blues Shouter from the count Basie band, Jimmy Rushing. Plus some tap dancing by Al Mims as well as poems and texts read by the famous African-American author Langston Hughes.

            Muddy and his band (James Cotton, Pat Harris, Otis Spann, Andrew Stephenson et Francis Clay) open the show with a striking version of Catfish blues, followed by a programme that has been issued several times on LP and CD (Muddy Waters at Newport), so not included here.

            Pianist Otis Spann follows, demonstrating his powerful talents on four instrumentals backed by the band. The complete Muddy's band backs also John Lee Hooker on five electric numbers (he had shortly previously been featured on the Folk version of the Newport Festival as a solo acoustic bluesman) well in the mould of what he was recording at the time.

            Pianist Sam Price and his Trio deliver a frantic shuffle with a brilliant Lafayette Thomas and Betty Harris (here under the name of Bettye Jeanette) sings with authority three blues from the 1920's. After Jimmy Rushing, and the duo Cage and Thomas, almost all the artists accompanied by the Muddy band sing a long version of Mean mistreater which was supposed to end the show.

            But Willie Connover, Newport Jazz Festival emcee had suddenly to announce the decision of the city council of Newport to suspend activities of the Newport Jazz Festival, beginning with the evening concert on July 3. This decision was made following a clash with students and police the preceding night that escalated into a full-scale riot. Upset, Otis Spann then decided to close the Festival with an improvised brooding blues. Goodbye Newport blues.

            A lot of thanks to Steve K. and Jeanie H. who sent me those very rare tapes which give a better and more complete idea of what happened this 3d July of 1960 at the historic Newport Jazz Festival.

                                                                       Gérard Herzhaft

NEWPORT BLUES FESTIVAL

3 July 1960

MUDDY WATERS, vcl/g; James Cotton, hca; Otis Spann, pno; Pat Hare, g; Andrew Stephenson, bs; Francis Clay, dms. Newport, RI. 3 July 1960

01. Catfish blues

OTIS SPANN, vcl/pno; James Cotton, hca; Otis Spann, pno; Pat Hare, g; Andrew Stephenson, bs; Francis Clay, dms. Newport, RI. 3 July 1960

02. Chicago blues

03. Newport blues

04. Otis blues

05. Saint Louis blues

JOHN LEE HOOKER, vcl/g; James Cotton, hca; Otis Spann, pno; Pat Hare, g; Andrew Stephenson, bs; Francis Clay, dms. Newport, RI. 3 July 1960

06. My own fault

07. Maudie

08. Tupelo

09. I wanna walk

10. I wish you were here

SAM PRICE, pno; Lafayette Thomas, g; Panama Francis, dms. Newport, RI 3 July 1960

11. The price is right

LAFAYETTE THOMAS, vcl/g; Sam Price, pno; Panama Francis, dms. Newport, RI. 3 July 1960

12. The things I used to do

BETTY Harris, vcl; Sammy Price, pno; Lafayette Thomas, g; Panama Francis, dms. Newport, RI 3 July 1960

13. Ain't nobody's business

14. The birth of the blues

15. Backwater blues

JIMMY RUSHING, vcl; Sam Price, pno; Lafayette Thomas, g; Panama Francis, dms. Newport RI. 3 July 1960

16. Bye bye baby

BUTCH CAGE, vcl/fdl; WILLIE THOMAS, vcl/g. Newport, RI. 3 July 1960

17. Hen cackle

18. Hard achin' blues

FINALE: Muddy Waters, vcl; Bettye Jeanette, vcl; Butch Cage, vcl; Willie Thomas, vcl; Jimmy Rushing, vcl; James Cotton, hca; Otis Spann, pno; Pat Hare, g; Andrew Stephenson, bs; Francis Clay, dms. Newport, RI. 3 July 1960

19. Mean mistreater

OTIS SPANN, vcl/pno; Muddy Waters, g; James Cotton, hca; Otis Spann, pno; Pat Hare, g; Andrew Stephens, bs; Francis Clay, dms. Newport, RI. 3 July 1960

20. Goodbye Newport blues

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