The man who would become Professor Longhair was born in the Washington Parish community of Bogalusa, Louisiana on December 19, 1918. Henry Roeland Roy Byrd developed his distinctive style as the result of learning to play piano on an instrument that was missing some keys. In the 1940s, Byrd was playing with Caribbean musicians, listening a lot to Perez Prados mambo records, and absorbing and experimenting with it all. He was especially enamored with Cuban music. Byrds style was known locally as rumba-boogie. He began his career in New Orleans in 1948. Mike Tessitore, owner of the Caldonia Club, gave Longhair his stage name. Longhair first recorded in a band called the Shuffling Hungarians in 1949, creating four songs, including the first version of his signature song, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, for the Star Talent record label. Union problems curtailed their release, but Longhairs next effort for Mercury Records the same year was a winner. Alexander Stewart state, Longhair was a key figure bridging the worlds of boogie-woogie and the new style of rhythm and blues. In his composition Misery, Professor Longhair plays a habanera-like figure in his left hand. The deft use of triplets in the right hand is a characteristic of Longhairs style. Tresillo, the habanera, and related African-based single-celled figures have long been heard in the left hand part of piano compositions by New Orleans musicians, for example—Louis Moreau Gottschalk in Souvenirs From Havana 1859, and Jelly Roll Morton in The Crave 1910. One of Longhairs great contributions was the adaptation of Afro-Cuban two-celled, clave-based patterns in New Orleans blues. Michael Campbell noted, Rhythm and blues influenced by Afro-Cuban music first surfaced in New Orleans. Professor Longhairs influence was ... far reaching. In several of his early recordings, Professor Longhair blended Afro-Cuban rhythms with rhythm and blues. The most explicit is Longhairs Blues Rhumba, where he overlays a straightforward blues with a clave rhythm. The guajeo-like piano part for the rumba-boogie Mardi Gras in New Orleans, employs the 2-3 clave onbeat/offbeat motif. The 2-3 clave time-line is written above the piano excerpt for reference. According to Mac Rebennack, Jr., the Professor put funk into music ... Longhairs thing had a direct bearing Id say on a large portion of the funk music that evolved in New Orleans. This is the syncopated, but straight subdivision feel of Cuban music (as opposed to swung subdivisions). Alexander Stewart said that the popular feel was passed along from New Orleans—through James Browns music, to the popular music of the 1970s, adding: The singular style of rhythm & blues that emerged from New Orleans in the years after World War II played an important role in the development of funk. In a related development, the underlying rhythms of American popular music underwent a basic, yet generally unacknowledged transition from triplet or shuffle feel to even or straight eighth notes. Concerning funk motifs, Stewart states: This model, it should be noted, is different from a time line (such as clave and tresillo) in that it is not an exact pattern, but more of a loose organizing principle Throughout the 1950s, Longhair recorded for Atlantic Records, Federal Records and other, local, labels. Professor Longhair had only one national commercial hit, Bald Head in 1950, under the name Roy Byrd and His Blues Jumpers. He also recorded his favorites, Tipitina and Go to the Mardi Gras. However, he lacked crossover appeal for white audiences. After suffering a stroke, Professor Longhair recorded No Buts - No Maybes in 1957. He re-recorded Go to the Mardi Gras in 1959. He first recorded Big Chief with its composer Earl King in 1964. In the 1960s, Professor Longhairs career faltered. He became a janitor to support himself, and fell into a gambling habit. He appeared at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1971 and at the Newport Jazz Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1973. His album The London Concert showcases work he did on a visit to the United Kingdom. By the 1980s his albums, such as Crawfish Fiesta on Alligator and New Orleans Piano for Atlantic, had become readily available across America. He appeared on the PBS series Soundstage (with Dr. John, Earl King, and The Meters) and co-starred in the film documentary Piano Players Rarely Ever Play Together. Longhair died of a heart attack while filming was underway. Footage from his funeral was included. In 1981, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. He was awarded a posthumous Grammy for his early recordings released as House Party New Orleans Style, and in 1992 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The B side of the 1985 Paul McCartney single Spies Like Us, entitled My Carnival, credited to Paul McCartney and Wings, was recorded in New Orleans and dedicated to Professor Longhair. Fesss song Tipitina was covered by Hugh Laurie on the 2011 CD album Let Them Talk. Laurie is a long-time fan, having used Fesss Go to the Mardi Gras as the theme for the pilot episode of A Bit of Fry & Laurie. Professor Longhair is noteworthy for having been active in two distinct periods, both in the heyday of early rhythm and blues, and in the resurgence of interest in traditional jazz after the founding of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The music journalist Tony Russell, in his book The Blues – From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray, stated The vivacious rhumba-rhythmed piano blues and choked singing typical of Fess were too weird to sell millions of records; he had to be content with siring musical offspring who were simple enough to manage that, like Fats Domino or Huey Piano Smith. But he is also acknowledged as a father figure by subtler players like Allen Toussaint and Dr. John.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 15:02:17 +0000
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