Instrument: Piano
Life span: 12 / 19 / 18 to 1 / 30 / 80
Style synopsis: He is considered one of the fathers of New Orleans Rhythm and Blues. His piano playing mixed Latin rhythms with traditional boogie-woogie / barrelhouse, creating a style which was carried on by Fats Domino, Dr. John, James Booker and many more
Representative recordings:
He recorded for Atlantic, Mercury and a variety of small labels in the 50s. The Atlantic recordings are available on:
"New Orleans Piano" (Atlantic SD 7225).
Perhaps the best material from this period is available on:
"Mardi Gras in New Orleans" (Nighthawk 108), including his original version of "She ain't got no hair". He began recording again in the 1970s; some of the best recordings from this period are "Crawfish Fiesta" (Alligator 4718), "Rock n' Roll Gumbo" (Dancing Cat 3006) and "House Party in New Orleans" (Rounder 2057).
Contributor: Eliot Williams (ecwillms@macc.wisc.edu)

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