The Lost Era of New Orleans Rhythm and Blues
When many people think of New Orleans rhythm and blues, two hit-making eras come to mind. In the 1950s, Dave Bartholomew’s productions of local artists such as Fats Domino and Smiley Lewis were a defining sound. At the same time, national artists such as Little Richard, Big Joe Turner, and Roy Brown came to New Orleans to record, hoping to capture the magic that only New Orleans musicians could bring. Then, there was the era in the 1960s and 1970s when Allen Toussaint’s productions of Irma Thomas, Ernie K-Doe, Lee Dorsey, and LaBelle were the up-to-the-minute sound. Yet, there was a period in between, when artists such as Shirley and Lee, and Huey “Piano” Smith and the Clowns had major hit records, often released on the Jackson, Mississippi label Ace Records. This is the period of New Orleans music that we sought to honor on our recording of our song “Your Best Pair of Shoes.” On the surface, this is a children’s song about being ready for whatever life offers, but the underpinning is that “in between” period. Instead of Lee Allen’s tenor saxophone and Alvin “Red” Tyler’s baritone, we enlisted Kevin Harris and Roger Lewis of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, along with bassist James Singleton, pianist CR Gruver, and drummer Doug Belote. We hope you enjoy this tribute to this lost era of New Orleans rhythm and blues.