Lazy Lester
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008) |
Lazy Lester (born Leslie Johnson, 20 June 1933, Torras, Louisiana[1][2]) is a swamp blues harmonica player, whose career spans the 1950s to the 2000s.
Best known for regional hits recorded with Ernie Young's Nashville, Tennessee based Excello label, Lester also contributed as a sideman to songs recorded by Excello label-mates including Slim Harpo, Lightnin' Slim, and Katie Webster. His songs have been covered by (among others) The Kinks, Freddy Fender, Dwight Yoakam, Dave Edmunds, Raful Neal, Anson Funderburgh, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. In the "comeback" stage of his career (since the late 1980s) he has recorded new albums backed by Mike Buck, Sue Foley, Gene Taylor, Kenny Neal, Lucky Peterson, and Jimmie Vaughan.
Contents |
[edit] Excello Records career
In the mid 1950s, Lester was on the margins of the Louisiana blues scene. According to Rolling Stone (23 February 2006), Buddy Guy, before moving to Chicago, had played in Louisiana "with some of the old masters: Lightnin' Hopkins, Lazy Lester, Slim Harpo." When Guy did leave for Chicago, in 1957, Lester replaced him, on guitar, in a local band — even though Lester, at the time, did not own such a musical instrument.
Lester's career took off when he found a seat next to Lightnin' Slim on a bus transporting Slim to an Excello recording session. At the studio, the scheduled harmonica player did not appear. Slim and Lester spent the afternoon unsuccessfully trying to find him, when Lester volunteered that he could play the harmonica. Lester's work on that first Lightnin' Slim session led the record producer, Jay Miller to record Lester solo — and also to use Lester as a multi-instrumentalist on percussion, guitar, bass, and harmonica on sessions headlined by other Miller produced artists, including, notably, Slim Harpo.
Percussion on these sessions went beyond the traditional drum kit, and including a rolled-up newspaper on a cardboard box.[1]
Miller dubbed Lester "Lazy" because of his laconic, laid-back style.[1]
More than his vocal delivery, Lester is best remembered for songs that were later covered by a wide range of rock, county, blues, and even Tex-Mex stars, chiefly: "I'm a Lover Not a Fighter", "I Hear You Knockin' and "Sugar Coated Love".
Lester stated he wrote these songs; but almost all are officially credited to Miller, or Lester and Miller. Lester also stated he received few royalties, which embittered him and made him sceptical of the music industry. By the late 1960s Lester had given up on the music industry, working manual labor and pursuing his favorite hobby — fishing. Lester moved to Pontiac, Michigan, living with the sister of Slim Harpo.
[edit] Comeback (late 1980s)
In 1971, Fred Reif set up a Lightnin' Slim concert at the University of Chicago Folk Festival, and Lester accompanied Slim. Years later found Reif and Lester both in Michigan, from where Reif orchestrated a comeback. Lester recorded and played around the United States and abroad, backed by blues bands including, frequently, Loaded Dice.
Lester's recordings in this period are on blues record labels suc h as Allgator and Telarc, alongside releases in Europe.
If disenchanted, Lester retained not only his harmonica, guitar, and vocal talents (the songwriting that had been muse to The Kinks and Dwight Yoakum having dried up long before). In September 2002, a Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded by the Boston Blues Society.
In 2003 Martin Scorsese included Lester in his blues tribute concert at Radio City Music Hall, a record of which was released as the film and album Lightning in a Bottle. The group photograph inside the album depicts Lester grinning, dead-center among peers and musical progeny including B. B. King, Solomon Burke, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Buddy Guy, Levon Helm, Chuck D, The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, John Fogerty, and Aerosmith.
Lester is currently lives in Paradise, California with his partner.[3]
[edit] Discography
- True Blues, circa 1966, Excello LP 8006 SO-1
- Rides Again, 1987, King Snake KS007 (recorded in the UK, 25-28 May 1987)
- Harp & Soul, 1988, Alligator 4768 (feat. Lucky Peterson and Kenny Neal)
- Lazy Lester, 1989, Flyright (France) 007 (previously unreleased 1960s Excello session takes)
- I'm a Lover Not a Fighter 1994, Excello/Ace 518
- I Hear You Knockin', 1994, Excello/Avi 3003
- All Over You, 1998, Antones ANT 10042 (recorded 1997, feat. Derek O'Brien, Sue Foley, Sarah Brown)
- Lazy Lester (audiophile EP), APO 003 (recorded 12-13 October 2000 feat. Henry Gray)
- Superharps II, 2001, Telarc 83514 (co-billed with Carey Bell, Raful Neal, Snooky Pryor)
- Blues Stop Knockin', 2001, Antones TMG-ANT 0051 (feat. Jimmie Vaughan)
[edit] See also
- The Southern Legends Entertainment & Performing Arts Hall of Fame
- San Francisco Blues Festival
- List of Swamp blues musicians
- List of Harmonica blues musicians
- List of harmonicists
- Music of Louisiana
- Blues harp
