Rock 'n Roll Gumbo [Dancing Cat]

Performer: Professor Longhair
Engineer: Steve Hodge
Producer: George Winston; Philippe Rault; Frosty Horton (Reissue); George Winston (Reissue); Philippe Rault (Reissue); Steve Hodge (Reissue)
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: Personnel: [Henry Roeland Byrd] a.k.a. Professor Longhair (piano, vocals), Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (guitar, violin), Julius Farmer (bass), Edwin "Sheeba" Kimbraugh (drums), Alfred "Uganda" Roberts (conga). Additional personnel: Jerry Jumonville (baritone & tenor saxophones), Steve Madaio (trumpet). Recorded at Studio In The Country, Bogalusa, Louisiana on April 3-4, 1974. Includes liner notes by George Winston and Philippe Rault. ROCK 'N' ROLL GUMBO contains songs from one of the Professor's final recording sessions in the early 70s. This was remixed in 1985 with "the piano brought up a little higher in the mix," horns newly added to one track, plus two previously unreleased songs. Personnel: Professor Longhair (vocals, piano); Henry Roeland Byrd (vocals, piano); Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (guitar, violin); Jerry Jumonville (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Steve Madaio (trumpet); Edwin Kimbraugh (drums); Alfred "Uganda" Roberts (congas). Audio Remixer: Steve Hodge. Liner Note Authors: George Winston; Philippe Rault. Recording information: Group IV Recording (04/04/1974-02/??/1985); Studio In The Country, Bogalusa, LA (04/04/1974-02/??/1985). Photographers: Michael P. Smith; Barry Kaiser. Arranger: Jerry Jumonville. One of Professor Longhair's finest latter-day albums, ROCK 'N' ROLL GUMBO finds the New Orleans legend getting his groove back after years out of the public eye. The revered pianist/vocalist (born Henry Roeland Byrd) performs many of his best-known proto-rock-&-roll/R&B numbers, including the celebratory "Mardi Gras in New Orleans" (replete with energetic whistling) and the rollicking "Tipitina." As if hearing Fess behind the eighty-eights again weren't enough, GUMBO pairs him up with blues jack-of-all-trades Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, who sits in on both guitar and violin. Supported by a tight backing band, Longhair and Brown ease into Little Walter's sauntering "Mean Old World" and the Hank Williams classic "Jambalaya," among others, clearly having a good time. Although this album, recorded in 1974, marked the beginning of Longhair's comeback, it unfortunately proved to be one of his last studio sessions before his death in 1980, making it a significant document of this Big Easy icon's legacy.

New Orleans pianist Henry Byrd, known to the world at large as Professor Longhair, or just "'Fess," was a vital bridge between jazz, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues in the middle of the 20th century. An interpreter, stylist, and innovator, he's a prime figure in New Orleans's rich musical history. His whooping vocal style and percussive, highly rhythmic piano playing are hallmarks of the New Orleans R&B style, and many of his songs ("Big Chief," "Tipitina") have become standards of the genre.

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