Celebrating the Birthday of Earl King!

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Earl King (Earl Silas Johnson) was born in New Orleans on February 7, 1934. King started playing guitar at 15, entered local talent contests, and met his idol, Guitar Slim, at one such contest at the Dew Drop Inn. In 1954, King toured with Guitar Slim's band, representing himself as Slim, after an automobile accident had sidelined Slim.King ultimately became a regular at the Inn, and made his first recording in 1953 as Earl Johnson. In 1955 his hit song “Those Lonely, Lonely Nights” reached number 7 on the BillboardR&B chart. The legendary Dave Bartholomew invited King to record for Imperial Records in 1960, and it was there that he recorded his signature songs “Trick Bag” and “Come On”.

While King did not record for much of the 1960s, he was very productive producing and songwriting for local labels, including the iconic “Big Chief” recorded by Professor Longhair. He recorded a few tracks for Motown Records in the mid-1960s, and in 1972 he recorded the album Street Paradewith Allen Toussaint and the Meters, which was ultimately released in 1982. King appeared on the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 1976, recorded the album That Good Old New Orleans Rock ‘n Roll, released in 1977. His 1986 album Glazedwas nominated for a Grammy Award. He released two more albums in the 1990s featuring such luminaries as Snooks Eaglin, George Porter, Jr., and David Torkanosky. King performed off and on locally until his death. 

Earl King passed away on April 17, 2003, just a week before the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. And in typical New Orleans style, his funeral was held during the festival with many musicians in attendance, including Dr. John, Aaron Neville, and Leo Nocentelli. On this day we remember one of the greats of New Orleans Blues!

Photo by: Masahiro Sumori

Celebrating the Birthday of Willie Tee

Keyboardist, songwriter, singer, and producer Wilson Turbinton, professionally known as Willie Tee, was born in New Orleans on February 6, 1944. An early architect of New Orleans funk and soul, he helped shape the sound of New Orleans for more than four decades. Tee grew up in the Calliope Projects in New Orleans. Early influences ranged from Professor Longhair’s rhythm and blues, to John Coltrane’s jazz. He made his first recordings in 1962 while still a teenager. In the late 1960s, Willie Tee & the Souls played venues from the Apollo Theater in Harlem to the Ivanhoe on Bourbon Street. Tee arranged, co-wrote and led the band on the Wild Magnolias' self-titled 1974 debut album. The popularity of that recording, and the subsequent They Call Us Wild, introduced the Mardi Gras Indians' brand of funk to the world.

Tee's early recordings have been used as source material for numerous rappers, includingNew Orleans’ own Lil Wayne, who sampled "Moment of Truth", a song from Turbinton's 1976 album, Anticipation for 2005’s "Tha Mobb", the opening track on Tha Carter II. Tee remained active in his career as a producer, songwriter, performer and session musician. He contributed to Dr. John's 2004 album, N'Awlinz: Dis Dat or D'Udda, and appeared briefly in the Oscar-winning Jamie Foxx film about Ray Charles, Ray. In April 2007, Tee was honored with an induction into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame for his contributions to Louisiana music. Sadly, Tee died on September 11, 2007, aged 63, four weeks after being diagnosed with colon cancer. He may be gone, but his contribution to New Orleans music is immeasurable and will always be remembered.

Photo: Masahiro Sumori

Happy Birthday, Don Vappie!

Banjoist, guitarist, bassist, singer, arranger-composer, educator, lecturer, record and event producer, Don Vappie was born in New Orleans on January 30, 1956. He was surrounded by music growing up, with notable relatives playing music, including Papa John Joseph who played bass during the era of Buddy Bolden. A cousin gave Don piano lessons but he preferred bass, playing with a funk group from the age of 13. When the band’s guitarist left, he taught himself to play and worked in Bourbon Street clubs as a teenager. After a few years he began playing bass with jazz trios, taught himself banjo, and studied music theory and classical bass at Loyola University and Xavier University.

He made his recording debut as a leader in 1986, started his own Vappielle label, began yearly visits to Europe around that time, and in 1990 recorded Crescent City Serenade with clarinetist Dr. Michael White. After meeting and impressing Wynton Marsalis, Don began working regularly with the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra as a guitarist, banjoist and vocalist in 1994, an association that has continued for 25 years. While best known for his work in vintage New Orleans jazz, Don Vappie has a versatile style on his instruments and has performed and recorded along the way with such numerous luminaries. He has also led eight albums of his own including with his Creole Jazz Serenaders, a group that emphasizes superior obscurities from the 1920s.

Don Vappie has also been involved in many special projects. He starred in and co-produced the PBS documentary American Creole: New Orleans Reunion, writing the music for that special and for Zora Neal Hurston – Jump At The Sun, Mandeville: The Good Life, The Homefront, NCIS New Orleans and Treme. Don’s transcriptions of many early jazz recordings are available from Warner Bros. Publishing. He has done extensive research on the Creole music of New Orleans and the Caribbean, and as a speaker has lectured about everything from the influences of early jazz to the history of the banjo. In addition, he is a popular and prolific educator. Don is the jazz guitar instructor at Loyola University, an instructor at the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music, works with many public schools, teaches privately (guitar, banjo, bass and mandolin), conducts master classes, clinics, workshops and seminars, and has presented many programs on New Orleans music for such organizations as Jazz At Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Tulane University, NPR, and the Smithsonian.

Don Vappie is constantly creating music and spreading the gospel of New Orleans jazz. “Traditional New Orleans jazz is the foundation for all of the music that is around today. Although I’m best known for playing the older music, I still play modern jazz too. The music all connects together. When I came up, the older guys in New Orleans played everything. They would say that they play music. That is what I do too.” Happy Birthday to an incredibly talented artist and proud son of New Orleans!

Photo: Facebook

Happy Birthday, Dave Jordan!

Singer Songwriter and guitarist Dave Jordan was born on January 29, 1972, in Mandeville, Louisiana, and is an award-winning, critically acclaimed, roots rocker who has been a staple of he New Orleans music scene for over 20 years. Jordan was the bass player/lead singer/founder of the funk band Juice, which was part of the resurgence of New Orleans funk music. From the mid/late ’90s until the late ’00s, Juice released 3 albums and they toured relentlessly from 1999-2003, averaging over 180 dates annually. They were recipients of 2000’s Best of the Beat Awards for Best Emerging Funk/Soul/R&B Band and later nominated for Best Roots Rock Band and Album. 

Jordan has recorded or performed with a host of New Orleans luminaries, including Art and Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, George Porter, Joe Krown, Johnny Vidacovich and countless more. His 2010 solo debut release, These Old Boots, co-produced by Grammy-winning songwriter/producer Anders Osborne, was named a Top 10 record of the year by the Times-Picayune. After the release of his 2013 follow up, Bring Back Red Raspberry, Jordan returned to nationwide touring, performing with his band, the NIA (Neighborhood Improvement Association). In 2017, the band was nominated in OffBeat Magazine’s Best of the Beat Awards for Best Roots Rock Band and Album for their 2016 release, No Losers Tonight, which features 10 originals, honed and crafted from the band’s 4 years of touring. In 2019 he released Burning Sage, reviewed by Offbeat Magazine as “a great album; perhaps the best of his long career as one of New Orleans’ foremost roots-rockers.”

In addition to his involvement with the Voice of the Wetlands, promoting the awareness and education of rebuilding the LA Gulf coast, Jordan is active in various organizations in the New Orleans community, including the Team Gleason Foundation, Upturn Arts summer art program, and the New Orleans Musicians Clinic. Besides being featured in their print ad campaign, Dave is the producer of Jamie’s BigAss Party, an annual event honoring the legacy and memory of his former bandmate and friend, Jamie Galloway. The block party/crawfish boil, held at the Maple Leaf Bar, has raises funds for mental health services provided by NOMC. Happy Birthday to a musician’s musician, and a generous, artistic soul!

Photo: Facebook

Happy Birthday, Big Freedia!

Rapper Big Freedia (Freddie Ross Jr.) was born in New Orleans on January 28, 1978, and is known for the New Orleans genre of hip hop called bounce music. Freedia has been credited with helping popularize the genre, which was largely underground since developing in the early 1990s. 

Freedia started singing in the choir of her neighborhood Baptist church, and started her professional performance career around 1999. In 2003, she released the studio album Queen Diva, and first gained mainstream exposure in 2009. In 2011, his 2010 album Big Freedia Hitz Vol. 1 was re-released, and she was named Best Emerging Artist and Best Hip-Hop/Rap Artist in January's "Best of the Beat Awards," and was nominated for the 2011 22nd GLAAD Media Awards. In 2013, she got her own reality show on the Fuse Channel, which chronicles her life on tour and at home. On July 7, 2015, she released her autobiography God Save the Queen Diva!.

In 2016 Beyonce released a surprise single, Formation, sampling Freedia's voice. 2020 saw a collaboration with New Kids on the Block, Jordin Sparks, Naughty by Nature and Boyz II Men in their Song "House Party", a song written during social distancing during Covid-19 pandemic, and the video for which was shot on everyone's cell phones. She also provided additional vocals for Drake's 2018 number-one hit "Nice for What", though she is not credited as a featured artist. In the late 2010s she befriended Kesha with the two collaborating on each others' projects. Freedia was going on tour with Kesha in 2020 but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But nothing can keep this energetic artist down! And today we celebrate Big Freedia’s birthday with her!

excerpted from Wikipedia

Photo: Kowarski

Happy Birthday, Huey "Piano" Smith!

R&B pianist and singer Huey Pierce Smith, known as Huey "Piano" Smith, was born in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans on January 26, 1934. He wrote his first song on the piano at age eight, and began working in clubs and recording at 15 years old, signing a recording contract at 18. Influenced by the innovative work of Professor Longhair, Smith also incorporated boogie, jazz and rhythm-and-blues styles in his piano playing, and his sound was ultimately influential in the development of rock and roll.

Smith became the piano player with Little Richard's first band in 1955, and he also played piano on several studio sessions that resulted in hits for Earl King ("Those Lonely Lonely Nights") and Smiley Lewis ("I Hear You Knocking"). In 1957, he formed Huey "Piano" Smith and His Clowns, which hit the Billboard charts with several singles, including "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu", which sold over one million copies, achieving gold disc status. The Clowns' most famous single, "Don't You Just Know It", released in 1958, hit number 9 on the Billboard Pop chart and number 4 on the Rhythm and Blues chart. It was their second million seller.

In 1959, Ace Records erased Smith's vocal track from "Sea Cruise", the now-classic single Smith had composed, arranged and performed, and replaced it with a vocal track by the white singer Frankie Ford, which was a hit for Ford. Smith left Ace Records for Imperial Records, to record with noted producer Dave Bartholomew, but the hits did not follow, and Ace Records again overdubbed new vocals on another of Smith's unreleased tracks, to produce "Pop-Eye", the last hit single credited to Smith.

In the years following, Smith made several comebacks, and in 2000, he was honored with a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. Smith became known for his shuffling right-handed break on the piano, and at the peak of his game, Smith epitomized New Orleans R&B at its most infectious and rollicking. Huey “Piano” Smith is a New Orleans original and innovator, and today we celebrate his many contributions to music! Happy Birthday, Huey!

Photo: source & disclosure