New Orleans soul

[Irish Mash]

I've been playing Grapevine CD 'Northern Soul of New Orleans volume 1' on replay. Love the gritty sound on these tunes. Was there ever a volume 2?  I know about Willie Tee & Robert Parker. Any more pointers for collections/labels from this city? I'm looking for CD compilations really.

Thanks

[Alan T]

Only one volume of 'Northern Soul of New Orleans'

From the same great label

https://www.discogs.com/Various-Crescent-City-Soul-Patrol-22-Dancefloor-Sounds-From-New-Orleans/release/8143717

https://www.discogs.com/Various-Crescent-City-Funk-And-More/release/909180

https://www.discogs.com/Various-Confessing-Deep-Soul-From-New-Orleans/release/3779546

Some i have that i like. I love the Nola sound too.

Cracking The Cosimo Code - 60s New Orleans R&B And Soul

Deep & Gritty The Sound Of The City Vol 04 - New Orleans

Eddie Bo's Funky Funky New Orleans

Get Low Down!: The Soul of New Orleans, '65-'67 

Saturday Night Fish Fry - New Orleans Funk And Soul

Sehorn's Soul Farm: 50 New Orleans Soul Classics

Wardell Quezerque Funky Funky New Orleans: Rare And Unreleased New Orleans Funk 1968-1972

And many many more

 

 

 

[Sebastian]

There's a staggering amount of good stuff from New Orleans, it's hard to even know where to start.

Here are two podcasts I did entirely focusing on New Orleans sounds, check them out if you feel like it. See tracklistings below.

 

 

 

 

SOUL THING RADIO 017 : New Orleans special

Smokey Johnson - I Can't Help It - NOLA
Lee Dorsey & Betty Harris - Love Lots Of Lovin' - SANSU
Barons - I've Got A Feeling - ETAH
Danny White - Miss Fine Miss Fine - FRISCO
L. Ruffin - This Stuff Just Kills Me - CROSS
Toni Washington - Good Things - KON-TI
Earl King - Don't Cry My Friend - POST
Curley Moore - Soul Train - NOLA
Eddie Bo - Every Dog Got His Day - RIC
Irma Thomas - Hittin' On Nothing - MINIT
Junior Gordon - Call The Doctor - JAY PEE
Roy Brown - Slow Down Little Eva - IMPERIAL
Eskew Reeder - Undivided Love - INSTANT
Eldridge Holmes - A Time For Everything - ALON
Lenny McDaniel - Something Out Of Nothing - SEVEN B
Al Robinson - Sho 'Bout To Drive Me Wild - PULSAR
Benny Spellman - This Is For You My Love - ALON
John Williams - Do Me Like You Do Me - SANSU
Ray Algere - In My Corner - TOU-SEA
Chuck Carbo - Can I Be Your Squeeze - FIREBALL
Charles Brimmer - Just Another Morning - CHELSEA
Allen Toussaint - Soul Sister - REPRISE
Willie Tee - Man That I Am - GATUR
Tony Owens - Confessin' A Feeling - COTILLION

 

SOUL THING RADIO 032 : New Orleans special

Mac Rebennack - Storm Warning - REX
Danny White - Natural Soul Brother - SSS INTERNATIONAL
Benny Spellman - I Feel Good - ATLANTIC
John Williams & The Tick Tocks - A Little Tighter - SANSU
Willie Harper - But I Couldn't - ALON
Jesse Hill - Mardi Gras - PULSAR
Robert Parker - I Caught You In A Lie - NOLA
Lee Dorsey - Four Corners (part 1) - AMY
Eldridge Holmes - Pop, Popcorn Children - ATCO
Warren Lee - Mama Said We Can't Get Married - DEESU
Tommy Ridgley - In The Same Old Way - RONN
Eddie Bo - I Found A Little Girl - AT LAST
Elliott Small - I'm A Devil - A.B.S.
Huey Piano Smith - Well I'll Be John Brown - ACE
Betty Harris - Trouble With My Lover - SANSU
Explosions - Hip Drop - GOLD CUP
Ray J. - Right Place Wrong Time - HEP' ME
Mary Jane Hooper - I've Got Reasons - POWER
Meters - Be My Lady - WARNER BROS
Las Vegas Connection - Can't Nobody Love Me Like You Do - HEP' ME
Chocolate Milk - How About Love - RCA

 

[Thinksmart]

You beat me to it, I'll try only to mention others not covered already. 

 

There was a great 3 CD series Ace did called Gumbo Stew that is definitely worth getting - it's all that early 1960s New Orleans soul sound.  That for me was a foundation source that took me beyond the greats by such as Barbara George, Lee Dorsey and Benny Spellman.  

There are compilations of the production/playing/song writing by Dr John, Wardell Quezerque and Allen Toussaint that are good.  The Dr John ones are usually in his own name and include other artists. 

Allen Toussaint Artist - Producer - Songwriter is one for example.  Kent's recent 'Rolling With The Punches' is a fantastic collection of Allen Toussaint work with other artists (his own work is definitely worth exploring too).  I'd go there as a starter for sure.  Kent's Birth of Soul series and other CDs are often the best masters of key New Orleans songs.

The compilation 'My Goodness Yes!' covering the Silver Fox label sounds up your street.

Also New Orleans Soul 1962-1966 set.

The New Orleans Funk series (1-4) hasn't been mentioned, which is almost all gritty Soul rather than Funk as it is thought of later.

The 'Shake What You Brought' CD is similar to those mentioned with some good New Orleans.

Metro's 'Simply New Orleans' two CD is probably only a couple of quid to get now.

 

One thing to be aware of, with the licensing of a lot of New Orleans music not clear and the pre-1963 music on public release by anyone now - there are a lot of sub-par compilations, often from disc of 50s/early 60s that repeat the same songs and can sound terrible.  So the compilations mentioned above and here should be useful and are from reputable sources (in sound and licencing).

The music produced by Wardell Quezerque in particular seems to be all over the place and there are a fair few low quality compilations that might have a few exclusive old tracks from disc. 

 

Hope that helps

Thanks

Mark

 

 

Edited May 21, 2020 by Thinksmart

[Tiberius]

6 hours ago, Thinksmart said:

The music produced by Wardell Quezerque in particular seems to be all over the place and there are a fair few low quality compilations that might have a few exclusive old tracks from disc.

 

In terms of writing and production Wardell Quezeque is up there with the best in my opinion. He's a NOLA legend.  There's a compilation CD called "Don't Be No Square, Get Hip To Quezerque" which gives a good sample of this guy's work.  I notice that it's now available on Spotify.

[Thinksmart]

Two more Wardell Quezerque compilations  I have on checking:

Strung Out - The Malaco Sessions

Sixty Smokin' Soul Senders

Edited May 22, 2020 by Thinksmart

[Irish Mash]

Thanks to you all for the brilliant response. I'll be on this for the next month.

[Thinksmart]

This thread has me buying even more New Orleans 'gritty' Soul.  I recommend the two 'Ric and Ron' label CDs on Ace records of New Orleans R&B/early Soul that are right up Irish Mash's street I think.  On these (and related artist CDs) are such as Johnny Adams, Irma Thomas, Professor Longhair, Eddie Bo, Chris Kenner, Robert Parker, Tommy Ridgley - amongst the very best.

Let's not overlook Fats Domino too, New Orleans R&B starts here (and early Ska took that sound and localised it). I've always been partial to his brassy, harmonica led R&B uptempo gem here:

The pre Gris Gris career of Mac Rebennack / Dr John is confusing to collect as some of it is out of copyright so all kinds of dodgy compilations abound (one of the best is the unlikely sounding 'Trader John's Crawfrish Soiree' another is 'In The Studio with Mac Rebennack'). However I do not think any of them include his Zu Zu Blues Band one off single beloved by Mods (even though they do include a separate song called Zu Zu Man):

Dr John takes you a long way from R&B, swing, his voodoo psych-blues, funk-soul to the sweet City Lights and so much more. There was a great double CD introduction called Mos' 'Scocious that is a useful launching pad to find the era of his music you enjoy (or all of it!).

Enjoy yer gumbo folks!

Edited June 3, 2020 by Thinksmart

[Philippe]

A friend of mine did a fantastic job listing all the artists, songs, records,etc..from Louisianna. Not exhaustive of course but a goldmine for every New Orleans music collector. It's written in French but there are more pictures and listings than texts. Here it is : https://monola.net/

One of the pages : https://monola.net/labc0035.htm

Of course any addition is welcomed !

[Tiberius]

I guess most people will know of the website devoted to the work of NOLA recording legend Cosimo Matassa, https://cosimocode.com

 

[Dukeofburgundy]

New Orleans unique musical heritage was largely self contained and there was no national distributor of classic NOLA records during the golden age of the 50s & 60s that was based in Louisiana. There were national break out records but many hugely popular NOLA artists such Tommy Ridgley never had a national hit. The legacy is a myriad of small label releases that to this day have stayed in New Orleans and the environs.  I've been collecting them for years and am still finding uncatalogued material. 

Here are some excellent compilations on silver disc. I'll mention a few that haven't been yet. The 'Gumbo Stew ' set of three mentioned above are outstanding IMO.

Orleans Record Story - 90s compilation of contemporary material Orleans label

Crescent City Funk - UK Grapevine (2002)

Chess New Orleans - classic era from the likes of : Clifton Chenier, Eddie Bo, Edgar Blanchard, Earl King, Frogman Henry. - Double Cd of Chess label releases.

Amy/Sansu compilation: Get Low Down: The Soul of New Orleans '65 - 67 

Watch records retro inc: Johnny Adams, Tommy Ridgley, Benny Spellman, Professor Longhair,  Mardi Gras records (2000) - contains cuts on CD that are difficult to find anywaher.

New Orleans Funk 1960 - 1975 "CD collection from UK Soul Jazz 

Vin label story: New Orleans R&B and Blues; Elton Anderson, Huey Smith, Jimmy Clanton, Dicky Williams Demon 2000

Lanor Records Story 1960-1992: A retro of Louisiana based artists inc: Charles Mann, Hugh Boynton. Zane records

Louisiana Gumbo features Charles Sheffield 'It's Your Voodoo Working', Snooks Eaglin,  Putumayo  (2000)

The NOLA greats are very well covered for CD/LP retrospectives (Percy Mayfield, Clifton Chenier, Irma Thomas, Allen Toussaint, The Meters, Little Richard et al)  but you might also want to become familiar with some of the lesser known artists who are part of the story. I'll highlight the following six:

Theryl ' Houseman' de Clouet : The Houseman Cometh (2001) / The Truth is Out (2007)  Rounder records

John Boutte:  You probably need just the one so 'Good Neighbour' album is recommended. It contains the theme song for 'Treme' incidentally.

Sam Montel presents The Boogie Kings - A collection of Jin tunes. Not essential but fun

Vasti Jackson - New Orleans : Rhythm, Soul, Blues (2013) - New stuff paying homage.

There are at least two good Eddie Bo retrospectives easily available

C.P.Love - Eponymous LP from 2000 Orleans records /Vivid Sound Japan - short but sweet.

So much more I could say and add. Love me some NOLA tunes!

 

[Joesoap]

On 03/06/2020 at 18:02, Thinksmart said:

This thread has me buying even more New Orleans 'gritty' Soul.  I recommend the two 'Ric and Ron' label CDs on Ace records of New Orleans R&B/early Soul that are right up Irish Mash's street I think.  On these (and related artist CDs) are such as Johnny Adams, Irma Thomas, Professor Longhair, Eddie Bo, Chris Kenner, Robert Parker, Tommy Ridgley - amongst the very best.

Let's not overlook Fats Domino too, New Orleans R&B starts here (and early Ska took that sound and localised it). I've always been partial to his brassy, harmonica led R&B uptempo gem here:

The pre Gris Gris career of Mac Rebennack / Dr John is confusing to collect as some of it is out of copyright so all kinds of dodgy compilations abound (one of the best is the unlikely sounding 'Trader John's Crawfrish Soiree' another is 'In The Studio with Mac Rebennack'). However I do not think any of them include his Zu Zu Blues Band one off single beloved by Mods (even though they do include a separate song called Zu Zu Man):

Dr John takes you a long way from R&B, swing, his voodoo psych-blues, funk-soul to the sweet City Lights and so much more. There was a great double CD introduction called Mos' 'Scocious that is a useful launching pad to find the era of his music you enjoy (or all of it!).

Enjoy yer gumbo folks!

Quite a few good soul tracks on those Dr John comps you mention.

The Zu Zu Blues Band one was also done as 'Brown Sugar' by Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. From the labels, I think these were done in LA during the period when Rebennack / Dr John relocated there and worked as part of the Wrecking Crew (which led to the brilliant 'Gris Gris' LP being recorded, in downtime on a Cher session, I believe).

 

Edited June 7, 2020 by Joesoap

[Thinksmart]

I had not  realised that the track had been done by them too even though I have it. I'll go check, lots of wonderful  music on their  albums.

[Irish Mash]

Many thanks for the extra posts on New Orleans soul. Since it's hard to find, I didn't realise it was so popular.