V/A – La Noire Vol. 5, Too Many Cooks!

Description

Well friends and music lovers, the crisp air is back in town as the leaves turn from butter brown to gold and burning red. The pumpkins are on the front door step and something is most definitely cooking in the kitchen. Let me tell you it ain’t just apple pie!

This tasty platter begins with a side from the amazing Chicago blues singer Jessie Fortune. Jessie, a trained barber, is fabulous on this sexy Willie Dixon written side released on the USA label with Buddy Guy on guitar. Jessie died on stage while performing at Gene’s Playmate lounge on Chicago’s West Side in August of 2009. This record has everything you could ask for…

Checker records take the stage with two sides; the first, by Joe Hill Louis, was actually recorded at Sun Records in Memphis and sold to the Chess brothers for release in 1952. The next side is by the incomparable Little Walter and his Jukes. This Checker kitchen thumper was recorded in October of 1954 and penned by Willie Dixon.

After a stint in the Army and the US Air Force Billy Emerson, known as “The kid” due to an early band he formed dressed as outlaws, recorded this Sun records ditty, “The Woodchuck” with the Ike Turner band.

After a few more rare sides from Duke and Flair labels we get a personal favorite on this collection. One of only 18 releases on the ultra hep Cat label out of New York City, Jimmy Lewis rounds out the A side cooking with this killer record, Last Night (I was in Heaven) released in 1954.

As we flip this one over and take time to sip some wine and stir the pots together we get down to it with a few sides fro the original writer of “Mystery Train,” Junior Parker on the Duke label, and head South to Louisiana for Black Magic labels John J. Moses and “Fickel Woman,” recorded in 1961.

Back to Chicago for Eli Toscano’s West Side record label Cobra. Like most things in Chicago politics rule and Eli got Willie Dixon, who was very dissatisfied with Chess records at the time, to come over to Cobra. Willie produced, wrote, arranged, played bass and recorded for this small TV repair shop/storefront recording studio. Fantastic things get made in small places…remember?… This remarkable West Side record was released in 1957 featuring pianist and vocalist Harold Burrage with Otis Rush on guitar.

The kitchen is warm and the foods almost on the table after we work out our Mojo from Larry Bright. Our last side on this collection was lost in the Sun records vaults for years as Sam Phillips felt the raw sound and driving guitar from L.B. Lawson and Scott Jr’s. Blues Rockers were too much…legend has it they came over to 706 Union a bit drunk and cut four dreamy rambling blues sides. This one called “Fly Paper Boogie.” Something from nothing. From Scratch. With friends. One room. Sounds cooking to me.