New Orleans Artists


1940 - 1954: Formative R&B Years

Louis Jordan, a staple of New Orleans music, was born in Arkansas. Louis Jordan formed the Pzazz record label in 1968 in New Orleans to record his own material.

1941

  • Sidney Bechet - (Victor 27633 1941) Rip Up the Joint

1943

  • Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - (Decca 23629 1943) What's The Use of Getting Sober (When You're Gonna Get Drunk Again)

1944

  • Louis Jordan and His Tympani Five - (Decca 8654 1944) Ration Blues

1945


1946


1947

  • Clarence Samuels - (Aristocrat 1001 1947) Boogie Woogie Blues
  • Dave Bartholomew - (DeLuxe 1004 1947) She's Got Great Big Eyes
  • Louis Jordan - (Decca 23841 1947) Open the Door, Richard!
  • Roy Brown - (De Luxe 1093 1947) Good Rockin' Tonight
  • Smiling Lewis - (DeLuxe 1099 1947) Here Comes Smiley

1948

  • Lonnie Johnson - (King 4201 1948) Tomorrow Night

1949

  • Edgar Blanchard - (Peacock 1514 1949) Creole Gal Blues / She'll Be Mine After Awhile
  • Jewel King with Dave Bartholomew - (Imperial 5055 1949) 3x7=21
  • Louis Jordan - (Decca 24725 1949) Saturday Night Fish Fry
  • Pee Wee Hughes - (Savoy 1012 1949) I'm A Country Boy
  • Roy Brown - (DeLuxe 3154 1949) Long About Midnight
  • Roy Brown - (DeLuxe 3302 1949) I Feel that Young Man's Rhythm
  • Smiley Lewis - (Imperial 5067 1949) Low Down / Tee Nah Nah

1950

  • Archibald - (Imperial 5068 1950) Stack A Lee 1 & 2
  • Archibald - (Imperial 5082 1950) Shake Baby Shake
  • Billy Wright - (Savoy 810 1950) Hey Little Girl
  • Fats Domino - (Imperial 5058 1950) The Fat Man / Detroit City Blues
  • Fats Domino - (Imperial 5085 1950) Hey La Bas
  • Jewel King - (Imperial 5061 1950) Broke My Mother's Rule / I'll Get It
  • Jewel King - (Imperial 5076 1950) Keep Your Mouth Shut / Passion
  • Jewel King - (Imperial 5087 1950) I Love A Fellow / Low Down Feeling
  • Little Mr Midnight - (Regal 3287 1950) Got A Brand New Baby /Four O'Clock Blues
  • Roy Byrd aka Professor Longhair - (Mercury 8175 1950) Bald Head
    Earlier released on Star Talent label as, "She Ain't Got No Hair"
  • Roy Byrd aka Professor Longhair - (Mercury 8185 1950 Hadacol Bounce
  • Paul Gayten - (Regal 3281 1950) Ooh La La
  • Paul Gayten - (Regal 3312 1950) Yeah Yeah Yeah

1951

  • Billy Fair - (Derby 749 1951) I'll Be True to You
  • Fats Domino - (Imperial 5099 1951) Every Night About this Time / Korea Blues
  • Fats Domino - (Imperial 5114 1951) Tired of Crying / What's the Matter Baby
  • Fats Domino - (Imperial 5123 1951) Don't You Lie to Me
  • Fats Domino - (Imperial 5145 1951) Careless Love / Rockin' Chair
  • Fats Domino - (Imperial 5197 1952) Trust In Me
  • James Wayne - (Imperial 5166 1951) Agreeable Woman
  • James Wayne - (Imperial 5160 1951) Two Faced Woman
  • Professor Longhair - (Atlantic 906 1951) Walk Your Blues Away
  • Smiley Lewis - (Imperial 5124 1951) My Baby Was Right
  • Tommy Ridgley - (Imperial 5203 1951) Looped

1952

  • Clarence Samuels - (Freedom 1541 1952) She Walk Pt 1
  • Classie Ballou - (Nasco 1952) Crazy Mambo
  • Dave Bartholomew - (King 4523 1952) Lawdy Lawdy Lord
  • Earl Johnson - (Savoy 1102 1953) Have You Gone Crazy
    Earl before the stage name Earl King
  • Fats Domino - (Imperial 5197 1952) Trust In Me
  • Lloyd Price - (Specialty 428 1952) Lawdy Miss Clawdy
    Written by Lloyd Price; single recorded with Dave Bartholomew's band; and Fats Domino on piano. One of the most influential R&B songs of all time!!!
  • Lloyd Price - (Speciality 440 1952) Restless Heart / Oooh Oooh Oooh
  • Paul Gayten - (OKeh 6908 1952) They All Asked for You
  • Shaweez (Big Boy Myles - lead vocal; Sugar Boy Crawford, piano) - (Aladdin 3170 1952) No One to Love Me / Early Sunday Morning
    Early, Doo Wop Style later abandoned by Sugar Boy Crawford
  • Shirley & Lee - (Aladdin 3173 1952) Sweethearts / Baby
  • Smiley Lewis - (Imperial 5241 1952) Caledonia's Party
  • The Royal Kings - (Specialty 444 1952) Teachin' and Preachin' / Bouncin' the Boogie
  • The Shaweez - (Aladdin 3170 1952) Early Sunday Morning

1953

  • Archibald - (Imperial 5212 1953) Great Big Eyes
  • Bobby Mitchell - (Imperial 5236 1953) Rack 'Em Back / I'm Crying
  • Chris Kenner - (Specialty 452 1953) Tell Me Pretty Baby
  • Chris Kenner - (Speciality 463 1953) Where You At
  • Clarence Garlow - (Aladdin 3179 1953) New Bon Ton Roulay
  • Earl Johnson - (Savoy 1102 1953) Have You Gone Crazy
  • Emmet Slay (Savoy 1101 1953) Be Mine Once More
  • Fat Man Matthews - (Bayou 016 1953) I'm Thankful
  • Guitar Slim - (Specialty 482 1953) - The Things That I Used to Do
    Probably the most "covered" blues song by every major blues artist
  • Llowell Fulson - (Aladdin 3217 1953) Don't Leave Me Baby
  • Lloyd Price - (Specialty 452 1953) Ain't it a Shame / Tell Me Pretty Baby
  • Lloyd Price - (Speciality 463 1953) Where You At
  • Roy Brown - (King 4627 1953) Mr Hound Dog's In Town
  • Sugar Boy & the Cane Cutters - (Checker 783 1953) I Don't Know What I'll Do / Overboard
    First record by Sugar Boy to gain recognition)
  • Professor Longhair - (Atlantic 1020 1953) Tipitina
  • Smiley Lewis - (Imperial 5234 1953) Big Mamou
  • T Bone Walker - (Imperial 5216 1953) Got No Use for You
  • T Bone Walker - (Imperial 5228 1953) Long Distance Blues
  • The Hawks - (Imperial 5266 1953) Candy Girl

1954: R&B Pivotal Year

Transition Marker for Rock &Roll Years

With U.S. troops retruning from the Korean War, R&B and Rock & Roll music exploded with popularity.

  • Billy Tate - (Imperial 5337 1954) Single Life
  • Bobby Mitchell - (Imperial 5270 1954) Sister Lucy
  • Bobby Mitchell - (Imperial 5309 1954) She Couldn't Be Found
  • Boo Breeding - (Imperial 5336 1954) Low and Lonesome
  • Chris Kenner - (Speciality 494 1954) Walkin' The Track
  • Cousin Joe - (Imperial 5304 1954) A B C's Pts 1 & 2
  • Dave Bartholomew - (Imperial 5308 1954) Jump Children
  • Dave Collins - (Imperial 5294 1954) Bluesy Me
  • Earl King - (Specialty 495 1954)A Mother's Love
    Written by Earl King - a great record; ahead of its time
  • Fats Domino - (Imperial 5283 1954) Where Did You Stay
  • George Stevenson - (Savoy 1123 1954) Teasin' Tan
  • Huey Smith - (Savoy 1954) You Made Me Cry
  • Little Leo - (Meladee 106 1954) What's It All About / Handwriting on the Wall
  • Little Richard - (Peacock 1628 1954) Rice, Red Beans, and Turnip Greens
    Rare R&B song - before he did Rock & Roll style
  • Little Richard - (Peacock 1628 1954) Always (not the old standard)
  • Little Sonny Jones - (Imperial 5287 1954) Winehead Baby
  • Lloyd Price - (Speciality 494 1954) Walkin' The Track
  • Louis Jordan - (Aladdin 3249 1954) If I Had Any Sense
  • Nappy Brown - (Savoy 1155 1954)Don't Be Angry / It's Really You
  • Pee Wee Crayton - (Imperial 5288 1954) Every Dog Has His Day
  • Pee Wee Crayton - (Imperial 5345 1954) Runnin' Wild
  • Roy Brown - (King 4704 1954) Bootleggin' Baby
  • Shirley & Lee - (Aladdin 3258 1954) Comin' Over
  • Slim Sanders - (Chess 1563 1954) Let's Have Some Fun
  • Smiley Lewis - (Imperial 5268 1954) Down the Road
  • Snookum Russell - (Decca 1954) Jukebox Boogie Woogie Chick
  • Sugar Boy & the Cane Cutters - (Checker 787 1954)Jock A Mo / You You You
    Mardi Gras favorite; re-recorded as "Iko Iko" by the Dixie Cups - 1965
  • Sugar Boy & His Cane Cutters - (Checker 795 1954) I Bowed On My Knees / No More Heartaches
  • The Bees - (Imperial 5320 1954) I Want to be Loved
  • The Blue Diamonds - (Savoy 1134 1954) Honey Baby / No Money
    vcl. Ernie Kador - his first 45-rpm as lead singer
  • The Hawks - (Imperial 5292 1954) I-Yi
  • The Hawks - (Imperial 5306 1954) Nobody But You
  • The Kidds - (Imperial 5335 1954) Drunk Drunk Drunk
  • The Kings - (Specialty 497 1954) Till I Say Well Done
  • The Pelicans - (Imperial 5307 1954) Ain't Gonna Do It
  • The Spiders - (Imperial 5318 1954) 3x7=21
  • The Spiders - (Imperial 5265 1954) I Didn't Want To Do It / You're the One
  • The Spiders - (Imperial 5331 1954) That's Enough
  • Tommy Ridgley - (Atlantic 1009 1954) I'm Gonna Cross that River*
    * Ray Charles on piano - recorded in New Orleans
  • Willie Johnson - (Specialty 493 1954) That Night

Next page ..... 1955-1959 - R&B Years


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