Several fun-packed R'n'B compilations have sashayed their way onto the World Beat desk recently, led by a wonderful set of forgotten gems, Rhythm 'n' Bluesin' By The Bayou -- Mad Dogs, Sweet Daddies & Pretty Babies, and a superb collection of early hits by Memphis-born pianist and singer Roscoe Gordon. Both albums are on the Ace label.
The Ace label compilation is part of a reissue series called By The Bayou. This one focuses on R&B singers in South Louisiana, home to the Cajun and Creole communities that created Cajun and zydeco music (from earlier forms including "La-La" Creole music), and later swamp pop. The unique mix of populations and cultures in South Louisiana has created a musical landscape that is unique in the USA.
In cities across the region like Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Crowley, you'll find Cajun and zydeco, as well as all kinds of blues and soul. In these cities and towns in the late 1940s and 1950s small record labels pumped out blues, R&B, swamp pop and cover songs; the songs on the compilation mainly came from one such studio run by JD Miller, who was based in Crowley.
One of the musicians on the compilation, Charles "Mad Dog" Sheffield, has been a mystery I've been wanting to solve since I first heard his spellbinding It's Your Voodoo Working, which I've always thought should be the theme tune for a 50s film noir thriller. I play it regularly when I DJ and it is always popular (along with anything from Louisiana or New Orleans); interestingly, more recently this song has become something of a cult track on the Northern Soul circuit in the UK.
It turns out that like so many musicians during the era Sheffield had a swift career, a couple of hits, and then disappeared into the ether. That's a shame, as there is another great song by him on the compilation, I Got Fever (Wicked Fever), which is nearly as good as the Voodoo track. He also features on a stomper called Mad Dog.
Elsewhere there are some wonderful tracks by the powerful singer Katie Webster, singer/guitarist Leroy Washington (especially his rocker Wild Cherry), Clarence Garlow, King Karl & Guitar Gable with their cover of the 50s hit Mary Lou and two tracks by musicians who went on to fame: harmonica player Lazy Lester (Tell Me Pretty Baby) and self-title King of Zydeco Clifton Chenier (Hey Ma Ma, which was not a hit at the time but has since become a standard song played by many bands). Lester was a key influence on the development of blues in South Louisiana, while Chenier, the most influential zydeco accordion player and bandleader of his generation, went on to eventually play to international audiences.
This is a fine compilation with excellent liner notes and illustrations -- I will certainly try to find some of the other comps in the series. Highly recommended.
Roscoe Gordon was one of the brightest young stars in the R&B world; his song No More Diggin' topped the R&B charts in 1952 and propelled him to fame. I really like his rolling piano-driven sound, something he called "Roscoe's Rhythm", which was an inspiration for Jamaican musicians when they created their infectious ska music (Jamaicans got their R&B records from visiting US sailors and from listening to radio stations broadcasting from New Orleans).
Roscoe Gordon: Bootin' The Best Of The RPM Years is a collection of his best hits from the time he was recording for the Hollywood-based RPM label. His rolling piano sound and laid-back singing style (a bit like Richard Berry of Louie Louie fame) were perfect for the honking sax-sound of LA-style R&B and there are many great songs on the album like Roscoe's Boogie, Saddled The Cow (And Milked The Horse), Dime A Dozen, Ouch! Pretty Baby and his big hit, No More Doggin'. An essential addition to any decent music collection.
Visit www.acerecords.com for more information on both albums.
