Lafayette Leake ‎– Big Piano Man (1983)

2017-11-20T14:24:24Z

Lafayette Leake ‎– Big Piano Man (1983)


A1 	Disgusted 	4:35
A2 	Memories Of Jimmy 	4:06
A3 	Fog In London 	3:56
A4 	If You're Not Mine 	3:23
A5 	Let It All Hang Out 	3:39
B1 	Midnight Blues 	7:18
B2 	Lonely Piano 	5:06
B3 	Left In Misery 	4:48
B4 	Big Piano Man 	2:37

Bass Guitar – Bob Stroger
Drums – Odie Payne
Guitar – John Littlejohn
Piano, Vocals, Written-By – Lafayette Leake

Recorded By – Disques Black And Blue S.A.R.L., France

Lafayette Leake played his versatile, expansive Blues piano on many great records in 50s Chicago, adding soulful counterpoint to Howlin’ Wolf‘s rumblings, and sharp phrasing to the spiky West-side sound of Otis Rush. Never a leader in his own right, Lafayette always seemed to know exactly what to add to a tune, and his long partnership with the legendary Willie Dixon is testament to his good taste.

Born in 1917 in Winona MS, Lafayette was playing piano around the Chicago club scene in the late 40s, when he was introduced to bass-player Willie Dixon. When Willie was hired by Leonard Chess as producer, arranger and bass-man for his new studio, Lafayette was invited to sit in on many sessions.

This led to recording credits with Muddy Waters, Wolf, Rice ‘Sonny Boy II’ Miller, Little Walter, and even Chuck Berry. When Willie fell out with the Chess Brothers in 1956, Lafayette joined him at Lou Toscano’s Cobra Records, where he played with emerging West-side talents like Otis Rush and Magic Sam. Lafayette was Willie’s right-hand-man on stage as well as in the studio house-band, and in the 60s he was one of the Chicago All-Stars that featured at many Blues Festivals, at home and overseas.

During the 70s, Lafayette stepped back from the spotlight a little, playing mainly in Chicago clubs, but his reputation and talent meant he was always a welcome guest on special occasions, like Chuck Berry’s 1986 Chicago Blues Festival show, and with Willie Dixon at the White House in 1989. Sadly, that was one of Lafayette’s last appearances, as diabetes caught up with him in 1990. ---allaboutbluesmusic.com

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Lafayette Leake - Easy Blues (1978)

2013-01-12T17:39:44Z

Lafayette Leake - Easy Blues (1978)


1. Feel so blues
2. Train boogie
3. Short dressed woman
4. Fine little angel (take 2)
5. Fast boogie nr 2
6. Outskirts of town
7. Trouble in mind
8. Easy blues
9. Fast boogie nr 1
10. Fine little angel (take 1)

Lafayette Leake – vocals, piano
John Littlejohn – guitar
Nick Holt – bass
Fred Below – drums

One of the most elusive major musical figures to come out of the Chess Records orbit, Lafayette Leake was so reticent about being in the spotlight that virtually nothing is known about his life, beyond the recordings on which he played. He was born in Winona, MS, in 1920, and he was a natural piano player, at home with a vast range of music from classical (and he had studied some classical piano) to blues. And being in Mississippi, it was the latter that constituted his bread and butter. His range and his ability to replicate the work of other players by ear, coupled with his powerful technique, made him stand out in the Chicago blues scene of the early '50s -- he became friends with Leonard "Baby Doo" Caston of the Big Three Trio, and was chosen as his successor when the latter's marital problems forced him to leave the group. And when group leader Willie Dixon became a songwriter and resident producer at Chess Records, Leake came along, playing on a lot of the sessions that Dixon produced, and a lot more besides -- his piano can be heard on the records of Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Billy Boy Arnold, Otis Rush, Junior Wells, Little Walter, Homesick James, Sonny Boy Williamson, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, et al.

Leake was a mainstay of the Chess operation in the studio -- he could read music and play anything that was needed, no matter how complex the suggestion, and Dixon came to rely on him. He was also a member of Chuck Berry's original touring band, put together in the wake of the latter's debut single, "Maybellene." But for all of his talent and dexterity, Leake's shyness prevented him from exploiting his talent into stardom in his own right until very late in his career. Apart from some 1960s sessions with producer E. Rodney Jones, which yielded some not easily available music, it wasn't until the 1970s that Leake was recorded leading his own band. These were done for the French Black and Blue label, and have since been reissued on CD. Leake remained a ubiquitous presence in the credits of numerous CD reissues, especially in rock & roll and blues. He was still playing in the 1970s, and passed away in 1990 at the age of 71. He remains one of the most enigmatic names on the Chess Records roster. ---Bruce Eder, allmusic.com

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