Blues Kings of Baton Rouge

Various Artists
Blues Kings of Baton Rouge
Bear Family

The celebrated reissue label, Bear Family, recently issued this double-CD survey of blues from this Louisiana city. As Martin Hawkins, who produced this reissue and wrote the liner notes, this is not an exhaustive history of blues in Baton Rouge as we do not know what blues might have sounded like before the first recordings were produced in 1954. It covers the period of 1954-1971, with many of the 53 recordings compiled here originally produced by Jay Miller for Excello Records. There are also field recordings that folklorist Harry Oster issued on the Folk Lyric label, which was later acquired by Arhoolie Records.

Talking blues by Slim Harpo, "Blues Hang-Over" and an alternate take entitled "Talking Blues" serve as bookends for the recordings here. There are a number of classic swamp blues including "Bad Luck Blues," "Rooster Blues" and "Winter Time Blues" by Lightnin' Slim; and "I'm a King Bee," "Rainin' in My Heart," and "Baby Scratch My Back" by Slim Harpo. Also included are "They Call Me Lazy" and "I'm a Lover Not a Fighter" by Lazy Lester; "My Home Is a Prison" by Lonesome Sundown; and Hoodo Party' by Tabby Thomas; "Naggin'" by Jimmy Anderson; "Trouble at Home Blues," "Dark Clouds Rollin'," by Silas Hogan; and "Showers of Rain" by Henry Gray. These are lowdown, gutbucket blues with understated backing, and somber lyrics.

Also included are stunning country jam recordings by Butch Cage and Willie B. Thomas, the unique sober blues of Robert Pete Williams including "Angola Special," and a tribute song "Goodbye Slim Harpo"; and the down-home approach of Clarence Samuels. There is good value in the 53 tracks and nearly two-and-a-half hours of music. This is packaged as a digipack and includes a 52-page booklet with copious notes on each song from Martin Hawkins, author of "Slim Harpo; Blues King Bee of Baton Rouge." "Blues Kings of Baton Rouge" is a superb reissue that serves both as an introduction to the Baton Rouge down-home blues scene as well as an overall survey of this vital blues scene.

I purchased this CD. Here is Lightnin' Slim with Whispering Smith on harmonica.

Some Bluesin' By The Bayou

Pictured on the cover is Lazy Lester

The English Ace label has just issued one of a series of anthologies of recordings from legendary Louisiana record producers J.D. Miller and Eddie Shuler, Bluesin' By The Bayou. Half of the 28 selections previously were not released and the remainder were issued on small Louisiana labels like Rocko, Zynn, and Folk Star as well as Flyright LPs from the 1970s. 

There is a fair amount of what is now known as "Swamp Blues" along with several selections of zydeco. The performers range from the more famous swamp blues performers such as Slim Harpo, Lightnin' Slim, Lazy Lester, Lonesome Sundown, Silas Hogan and Whispering Smith as well as zydeco legends Clifton Chenier and Boozoo Chavis to obscure artists such as lies Boy Dorsey, Thaddeus Declouret, Talbot Miller and Joe Rich. 

There are some exception blues here including Lightnin' Slim's doomy, Stranger In Your Town, Lazy Lester's moody Late in The Evening, Silas Hogan's Sitting Here Wondering Jimmy Anderson's channelling of Jimmy Reed on I Want You, I Need You. There is an alternate of Slim Harpo's Excello recording That's Alright, as well as Clifton Chenier's Worried Life Blues, with somewhat chaotic backing. 

As usual with Ace reissues there are copious liner notes in the wonderfully illustrated accompanying booklet, with an overview and comments on the various performances by Ian Saddler.  It does have one incredible gaffe in the comments. He mentions that he thought that Big Fat Woman was previously unissued gem by Lightnin' Slim, but in fact had been issued on a Flyright vinyl LP as I'm Him. One minor point is that the vocal is clearly not that of Lightnin' Slim as it bears no relate ship to the voice on the two other tracks credited to him. Probably the singer on this tracks was Schoolboy Cleve.

The music on Bluesin' By The Bayou is at never less entertaining and there are, as indicated above, a number of exceptional examples of swamp blues that is readily recommended to anyone who loves fifties and sixties, southern down-home blues.

I purchased this CD.

Looking Back At Superharps II - A Blues Harmonica Showcase

The following older review is from 2001 and likely was published in the DC Blues Society’s newsletter.

I have not heard Telarc’s initial Superharps session, but it was obviously successful enough for Telarc to follow it up with, Superharps II. The new volume features four blues legends, Chicago blues veterans Carey Bell and Snooky Pryor, and Louisiana blues legends Lazy Lester and Raful Neal (patriarch of the Neal clan). They are backed by a studio band that includes guitarist Kid Bangham and pianist Anthony Geraci.

It is only on the lengthy closing slow instrumental, Harp to Harp that all four play together. Each has at least one track on which they are the sole harp player. Various combination of players are heard on other tracks and all four acquit themselves capably although much of this material has been recorded by them before. Bell is his usual solid performer on a couple Muddy Waters tracks and Junior Wells What My Mama Told Me. I believe Snooky Pryor waxed Shake My Hand on his most recent Blind Pig album, and turns in a superlative performance on the jaunty Let Your Hair Down.

Lazy Lester’s four tracks do a very good job of evoking the classic Louisiana swamp blues sides with his remakes of Strange Things Happen and Blood Stains on the Wall being particularly strong highlights of this. Raful Neal's two selections are worthy additions to his body of recordings.

This is not a harmonica battle, but rather a showcase of four very strong blues personalties who get to showcase their music in the company of some colleagues for a very satisfying album.

Here is Raful Neal.

Here is Snooky Pryor

Barbara Lynn Has A Blues and Soul Situation

Barbara Lynn is one of the great unheralded blues and soul performers. This was a review I wrote back in 2004 that appeared in the September/October 2004 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 270). I have made some minor stylistic changes.

One of the pleasures of attending the Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans was the chance to see the legendary Barbara Lynn perform. Its been four decades when the left-handed guitarist singer and songwriter had a hit with You'll Lose a Good Thing, and while she had some other hits, none reached that level. Yet she is still well remembered by many from this recording.

Most recently she had albums on Bullseye Blues and Antone’s. The Texas Dialtone label is building a strong catalog of authentic Texas blues and Lynn is the artist on the label's latest release, Blues and Soul Situation. This is perhaps her best album of recent years with very strong material and a strong studio band.

She opens with a nice funky groove on the sultry You Make Me So Hot, where her man is making her burn enough and Barbara can't get enough. Against a hot New Orleans rhumba groove, Lynn tells her man what it mans to treat a women so mean on You Don't Sleep at Night, with Kaz Kazanoff taking a nice tenor solo as Nick Connolly lays down a Professor Longhair tinged piano solo.

Barbara Lynn at 2004 Ponderosa Stomp
Photo © Ron Weinstock

She warns the man on You Better Quit It before he pushes her too far. Moving on a Groove is a dance number with a groovy sixties feel to it (reminds me of Archie Bell & the Drells) while the following He Ain't Gonna Do Right (by the great songwriting team of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham) may be the top song here as Lynn sings about how the man is using her for his toy, as he ain't gonna do Barbara right but rather do her dirty. She enlivens Slim Harpo's I Got Love If You Want It and Sugar Coated Love (associated with Lazy Lester) with Hash Brown adding the harp on the latter number.

She adds her very considered guitar throughout, but the focus throughout this recording is her singing and the soul she brings to these blues, blues ballads and soul serenades. This is a stunning release and its great to have Barbara Lynn in such great form.

Here is Barbara Lynn in performance at the 2010 Ponderosa Stomp.

Lazy Lester Rides Again

Leslie Johnson, better known as Lazy Lester, is the remaining member of the four giants of Louisiana Swamp Blues that recorded for Jay Miller at his Crowley, Louisiana studios and which were issued on, and distributed by, the Nashville based Excello label. The others were Lightning Slim, Lonesome Sundown and Slim Harpo.; Lester who sang “They call my lazy, but I am just tired,” played on numerous sessions including his own recordings such as Sugar Coated Love, I’m a Lover Not a Fighter, and recordings Miller produced, including many accompanying Lightning Slim.

Ace Records (of England) has just reissued Mike Vernon’s Blue Horizon issued Lazy Lester Rides Again. It was originally released in 1987 and were I believe Lester’s first post-Excello recordings. He was touring England at the time and Vernon used members of several English bands to back him and they provide understated, effective backing. This release fortunately was the first by him over the past couple decades and he remains a vigorous performer who is still rooted in the distinctive style he gained fame for.

Swamp blues is a style rooted in Jimmy Reed’s style and employs very simple walking blues boogies and slow moody blues with the use of echo and treble as well as crying harmonica to add an evocative moody atmosphere, especially on slower tempo numbers. For this recording, Vernon allowed Lester to remake three of his recordings as well as take his turn on other swamp blues and classic blues themes. So we get a remake of his Sugar Coated Love, as well as Nothin’ But the Devil. He played behind Lightnin’ Slim on the original recording.

Outstanding is the remake of the philosophically tinged “The Same Thing Could Happen To You,” while Bob Hall adds some rollicking piano to I Hear You Knockin’. Other standout tracks include the remake of King Karl’s swamp pop classic Irene, and Jimmy Rogers’ Out On The Road. On the latter tune he plays guitar while Tim Elliott plays harmonica, emulating Lester’s style.An unexpected delight is the swamp blues reworking of WC Handy’s St. Louis Blues, as well as the instrumental Blowin’ a Rumba.

The present reissue contains a number of bonus tracks which are mostly alternate takes of the originally issued recordings. Some of these have mistakes and Vernon discusses how this recording was made at length in the copious notes provided in the accompanying booklet. I Ain’t Glad, was an original by Lester and Vernon with a lyric that was a bit of a tongue twister which was not issued at the time. Lester’s harp was added after the original recording, but it was some more recent digital repair that enabled it to be issued for the first time here. The closing tune is an instrumental Rockin’ With Lester, an extended two harmonica instrumental with Tim Elliott’s chromatic harp added to Lester’s harp. Still unissued from these sessions is a rendition of the deep soul classic The Dark End of the Street, that still, after 24 years, is deemed unusable.

The original release of Lazy Lester Rides Again was a WC Handy Award winner in 1988 and the additional takes and tunes are a bonus for listeners today. Lazy Lester still is with us, and still delights blues audiences at festivals and concerts. His music has been immortalized by the remarkable roots concert series, The Ponderosa Stomp, which takes its name from one of Lester’s Excello recordings (the recording was titled Pondarosa), and at which Lester is one of the regular performers. Long may Lazy Lester Ride.

I purchased this CD.

Hummel's Blues Harp Meltdowns Are Harp Fans Delight!

There are a number of today’s top practitioners of blues harmonica on the second volume of Blues Hap Meltdown: East Meets West Live at Moe’s Alley on Mountain Top. Recorded at the annual blues harp tour that Mark Hummel puts together, this recording features RJ Mischo, Gary Smith, Frank Goldwasser (aka Paris Slim), Mark Hummel, Paul Rishell & Annie Raines, Johnny Dyer and Gary Primich.


The two discs present over two hours of music that is often exceptional. Most of the performances might be described as in the West Coast jump vein, a mix of post war Chicago blues with jump blues rhythms and guitar seasoning that is associated with such artists as Rod Piazza and the late Hollywood Fats. The backing is provided by Hummel’s band, The Blues Survivors with Paris Slim and Paul Rishell each guesting on guitar on several tracks.


There’s plenty of muscular harp from the participants. RJ Mischo starts things off with Telephone Blues before Gary Smith, veteran of the San Francisco Bay blues scene, contributes the moody You Can’t Hurt Me No More and a rocking reworking of Little Walter’s It Ain’t Right, with Frank Goldwasser adding nice guitar. Goldwasser plays harp and sings Junior Parker’s All These Blues followed by Hummel on the Moon Mullican rocker, Seven Nights to Rock and I’m Gone. Paul Rishell laying down strong Elmore James flavored slide on this latter tune. With Annie Raines on harp, Paul revives a nice swamp blues, Nothing But the Devil to close out the first disc. Annie handles a couple vocals with the lyrics of Little Dog being amusing, and has a outstanding instrumental Annie’s Rocker. Johnny Dyer handles classic blues from Muddy Waters, J.B. Lenoir and Little Walter with a bit more down home vocal style before Gary Primich closes this two-disc set with a mix of originals and Smiley Lewis songs.


Overall some consistently very good blues to be heard on this. I understand Cephas and Wiggins were among those who performed at this year’s blues harp meltdown earlier this year which hopefully will be documented by a Volume 3.


In fact Cephas and Wiggins were among those on the third volume in this series by Hummel for which I did a short review as follows:

Cephas & Wiggins also heard on Blues Harp Meltdown Vol.3 Legends (Mountain Top), the third cd documenting Mark Hummel’s annual tour of harp masters. Recorded in January 2004, Hummel brought to the tour guitarist Steve Freund, drummer-harmonica player Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith, Carey bell & Lazy Lester for a smorgasbord of blues stylings.

Hummel himself is a formidable harp player and revives a Lloyd Price Crescent City rocker Where Y’at along with Little Walter’s Roller Coaster followed by Freund who sings two numbers followed by Smith ably handling Hoodoo Man Blues. Cephas & Wiggins come off typically fine on five numbers including an instrumental, Fats Domino’s Going to the River and Robert Johnson’s Walkin’ Blues.

The second disc has some strong performances by Bell including It Ain’t Right and I’m Ready while Lazy Lester handles his own Blues Stop Knocking, Slim Harpo’s Raining in My Heart and his Sugar Coated Love. Freund plays on Bell’s selections and Hummel’s band able supports all the performances except those by Cephas & Wiggins. Blues harp fans will find plenty of music to entertain them here.

Both of the above reviews appeared in the DC Blues Calendar, newsletter of the Dc Blues Society that I edited. The review of Blues Harp Meltdown Volume 2 appeared in the April 2004 issue while the review of Blues Harp Meltdown Volume 3 appeared in July-August 2006. The review of Volume 3 appeared in the July-August 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 284). I believe that this was a purchase.

Bob Corritore - Congratulations on 25 Years of Great Blues Radio

I became first aware of Bob Corritore in the '70s when he issued some blues albums by lesser known, but hardly lesser, Chicago artists Little Willie Anderson and Big Leon Brooks. Subsequently he relocated to Phoenix Arizona where he has become a multiple blues-threat, running a blues venue, The Rhythm Room; hosting for twenty-five years a blues show, Those Lowdown Blues, on KJZZ 91.5 on Sunday Nights (from 7:00PM to Midnight Phoenix Time); being a blues harmonica player of some note; and being a producer of many fine blues records.

Recently, Southwest Musical Arts Foundation Records has issued Broadcasting the Blues, a 25th Anniversary Celebration of Bob's excellent Those Lowdown Blues program. It includes some relaxed informal performances by such blues artists as Billy Boy Arnold, Billy Flynn, CeDell Davis, Dave Riley, Henry Gray, Johnny Dyer, Lazy Lester, Louisiana Red, Lowell Fulson, and Tomcat Courtney, that were done during Bob's show. While one would not call this essential, there are some very memorable moments such Lowell Fulson reprising "Sinner's Prayer," Billy Boy Arnold's solo version of "Shake Your Boogie,"Tomcat Courtney's "The World is Mad," Louisiana Red's gospel number (with nice slide) "Home in the Rock," Henry Gray's "Cold Chills," and Lazy Lester's "Out on the Road."

This is available from KJZZ (http://kjzz.org/music/blues) which gets proceeds from the sales as well as Bluebeat Music (www.bluebeatmusic.com). Having listened over the net to Bob's program, my only regret is that it is not on earlier as he plays nothing but the blues.May Bob have another 25 years of playing the real lowdown blues. Bob's own website is http://www.bobcorritore.com, and is a valuable resource in its own right. As the late Willie Dixon is heard, "Bob, keep on playing the blues." I will keep on listening,

2007 Ponderosa Stomp

2007 Ponderosa Stomp-272
Originally uploaded by NoVARon

Finally did an initial write-up of this year's Ponderosa Stomp (The Sixth One) held on May 2 at the House of Blues in New Orleans. It is subject to some editing.

The Ponderosa Stomp is a multi-genre evening of wild rock and roll put on by the non-profit, Mystic Knights of the Mau Mau, who mission is “rediscovering and celebrating America’s overlooked musical pioneers, and re-educating the community about their impact on music.” Returning to New Orleans after being relocating to Memphis in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina, the Stomp was held at New Orleans’ House of Blues, where music was presented with performances in the main room, The Parish and HOB’s outdoor patio.

The artists at this year’s Stomp included ex-Thirteen Floor Elevator, Roky Erickson and The Explosives, master arranger Wardell Quezergue and the New Orleans Rhythm & Blues Revue with Tony Owens, Robert Parker, Jean "Mr Big Stuff" Knight, and Dave Bartholomew; vocalist Little Jimmy Scott, Deke Dickerson and the Eccofonics, Dennis Coffey, soul songwriter supreme Dan Penn, Dale Hawkins, Texas Tornado co-founder Augie Meyers, Herbert Hardesty, Barbara Lynn, Lazy Lester, Lafayette Soul Show Houseband Little Buck and the Top Cats w/ Stanley "Buckwheat Zydeco" Dural on Hammond B-3, Willie Tee, Rockie Charles, Jay Chevalier, Roy Head, Joe Clay, Al "Carnival Time" Johnson, Blues Piano Master Henry Gray, Eddie "The Hawg" Kirkland, Duo of Guitarist Kenny Brown and Bobby Rush, Ralph "Soul" Jackson, "Guitar Lightning" Lee, drummer Matt "I'm Movin On" Lucas, Little Freddie King, Skip "Hoochie Coochie Man" Easterling, Ernie "DapWalk" Vincent, and David "Funky Soul" Batiste. There simply is too much music for anyone be able to catch every performer.

Arriving at the House of Blues at 5:30, I headed to the main stage where Lil Buck Sinegal and the Top Cats were holding forth with Lil Buck’s guitar, Stanley Dural’s B-3 and a tight three horn section. Emceeing this portion was Dallas dee-jay, soul-blues singer and songwriter, Bobby Patterson, who, after several numbers by the Top Cats, brought up Motown session guitarist and Funk Brother , Dennis Coffrey. Coffrey played several fine instrumentals including revisiting The Temptations’ “I Wish It Would Rain.” Lazy Lester followed with a set that included some of his Excello recordings including the instrumental that gave this event its name “Pondarosa Stomp,” (this is the spelling on the Excello single) and “Sugar Coated Love.” He also had a nice rendition of Merle Haggard’s “I’m a Stranger.” Lester was followed by David Batiste (of the legendary New Orleans funk band, The Gladiators, and father of drummer (David) Russell Batiste Jr.). While his set certainly had a funk core, he included some strong blues. Barbara Lynn was up next with a varied set that included her hit “"You'll Lose A Good Thing." (Herb Hardesty joined the horns for her set), and was followed by the energetic Texas rocker and blues shouter Roy Head who did his “Treat Her Right” and renditions of Bobby Bland numbers with a definite stage flair. I ventured to the Parish Stage during some of these performances and caught Eddie Kirkland (with a trio) and Henry Gray solo on the piano, giving solid, representative performances. After a short break, drummer and WWOZ announcer Bob French introduced Jimmy Scott, who was backed by piano and bass. This may have been the single finest performance of my New Orleans vacation. Scott’s was simply spellbinding, delivering a lyric in a manner suggestive of Billie Holiday in how he phrased the song. His performance was on the same time as Bobby Rush and Kenny Brown whom I heard were excellent.
After a break the main HOB stage was set up for the Wardell Querzergue New Orleans Rhythm & Blues Revue. The legendary producer and arranger, Querzergue, lost his vision several years ago and was this program was the first in several years to feature him and his arrangements. He opened with a bright, funky rendition of Smokey Johnson’s “It AIn’t My Fault.” Up next was soul-singer Tony Owens who reworked several of the recordings Querzergue had produced for Cotillion and other labels, including “Confessin’ a Feeling”, and he was followed by Robert Parker who did “Barefootin’” and a couple other songs, and Jean Knight, who sang a lively “Don’t Mess With My Toot Toot” and “Mr. Big Stuff.” During Knight's performances, Allen Toussaint played the B-3 for a couple songs. Conducting the band, Querzergue also could be seen greatly enjoying the performances. The longest stretch of this Revue featured Dave Bartholomew whose segment included a funky rendition of “The Monkey Speaks,” and some of the other classic songs he helped write and make musical history with. There was plenty of space for his trumpet to be featured along with guitarist Charles Moore and the members of the horn section including saxophonists Herb Hardesty and Amadeé Castanell.

After this revue closed I went back to the now packed Parish stage where Dale Hawkins (backed by Deke Dickerson and the Eccophonics) was winding down with “Suzy Q.” Downstairs on the mainstage I caught most of Dan Penn’s set, accompanied by his guitar and by Bobby Emmons on keyboards, which concluded with a fine “The Dark End of the Street.” It was after midnight and feeling the effects of traveling that day I left the Stomp had started at 5:30 and kept going for at least another two hours) although I saw Little Freddie King and a harmonica player on the Patio stage (King also had a set with his band), so I did not see Joe Clay, Rory Erickson, Augie Meyers, Willie Tee and Al ‘Carnival’ Johnson (who I also heard was outstanding). For those seeking an evening of straight, no chaser blues, frantic rockabilly, deep funk and southern soul with a dash of psychedelia and uptown R&B, one will find no more exhilarating concert than the Ponderosa Stomp.

For images from the Ponderosa Stomp, please visit: Ron's Ponderosa Stomp Pics

If the Ponderosa Stomp was not enough, Padnos and the Mystic Krewe helped produced a free “Legends of Swamp Pop” show the following evening outside the Cabildo on Jackson Square with Little Band of Gold (C.C. Adcock, Warren Storm, Steve Riley, David Egan and others) who brought on Tommy McClain, Rod Bernard and Lazy Lester (with Roy Head also singing a few numbers) for a marvelous evening featuring this important but usually overlooked Louisiana genre.

Going to New Orleans for the Ponderosa Stomp

Well I will be away for a few days as I am going to New Orleans for the annual Jazz & Heritage Festival (the 38th I believe), but as far as an appertizer goes, one cannot do much better than the annual Ponderosa Stomp, which has joined WWOZ's Piano Night and the free performances at the Louisiana Music Factory as one of the must see events for those in New Orleans during the week between the Fairground weekends. This year's line-up includes Lazy Lester, Barbara Lynn, Jimmy Scott, Roy Head, Henry Gray, Little Freddie King, Lil Buck & the Top Cats, Dave Bartholomew, Wardell Querzerque, Dan Penn, Rory Erickson and more. After a one year hiatus in Memphis, the Stomp returns to post-Katrina New Orleans with a typically ambitious line-up of blues and roots acts.

By the way, the name Ponderosa Stomp comes from a Lazy Lester instrumental on Excello of the same name. Ponderosa refers to Angola Penitentiary. It was the name the inmates had for the prison, and some folk like the late James Booker refer to it in some of their recordings (I am thinking about Booker's rendition of "Junco Partner").

Here is a link to this year's Ponderosa Stomp.

I have posted some images from the 2004 Ponderosa Stomp.