One Guy Named Louis

Louis Jordan

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 21, 1992)
• Original Release Date: January 1954
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B000005HHF
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #382,817 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Louis Jordan is simply one of the most influential figures in American music. A successful swing-era singer and saxophonist with bandleader Chick Webb, Jordan was the first to successfully fuse swing and urban blues in a small-combo format, creating the style known as "jump blues" in 1941. He was a supercharged performer, singing and rapping over a tidal wave of boogie rhythm and spinning off the forms of America's musical future, essential progenitor of rhythm & blues and the rock & roll that followed it. This CD collects all of the songs Jordan recorded during his 1954 tenure with Aladdin, a period when his greatest commercial successes for Decca lay behind him but when his enthusiasm and energy were unabated. The music can wander to the sentimental balladry of "Till We Two Are One," but high spirits usually prevail, from the boisterous, half-spoken vocals of "Whiskey Do Your Stuff" and "I'll Die Happy" to the raucous, alto-saxophone sound on the instrumentals "Gotta Go" and "For You." The bands are uncredited with the exception of appearances by guitarist Mickey Baker, a cornerstone of New York R&B recording in the period. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Play back all the tracks, Jack!, January 17, 2000

By	Brian Grzybowski (Charlottesville, Va.) - See all my reviews

If you are a big Louis Jordan fan, you must own this album. I discovered Jordan erroneously when a company sent me "5 Guys Named Moe!" instead of a Bobby Bland album. From that day on I was hooked. After I had purchased numerous greatest hits albums, I decided to suck it up and buy some of the lesser known(and I thought lesser skilled) material. To my surprise it was equally immpressive. Not as many toe- tappers or barn-burners here, but if you love Jordan it's not much money to shell out for the real deal. So open that door Richard!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Louis Jordan at the birth of rock & roll, March 15, 2007

By	Annie Van Auken (Planet Earth) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

When Louis Jordan left DECCA records in late 1953, his career was already on the decline. After dozens of hit releases, Jordan's brand of swing was simply out of pace with the coming musical phenomenon: R&B influenced rock & roll. When Bill Haley & the Comets arrrived at Louis' old label around the time Jordan left, his old producer, Milt Gabler, showed Haley all of the Tympany Five's tricks, which is how "Shake Rattle & Roll" and "Rock Around The Clock" came into existence.

While with the small independent label, ALADDIN, Jordan waxed these 21 sides in two separate 1954 sessions. Nine singles were issued on an almost monthly basis, as well as an LP. None sold very well-- this is no reflection on the music's quality; Jordan's time had simply passed. It happens to the best of them.

For any fan of swing, ONE GUY NAMED LOUIS is a must have. Sound quality is superb, performances too. Includes eight pages of liner notes.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 58:49

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lesser known, but not lesser quality LJ, February 19, 2002

By	Andre M. "brnn64" (Mt. Pleasant, SC United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

The grandmaster of Jazz & R&B comedy recorded these lesser-known tunes in 1954 for Aladdin records. They were not as well known due to the onslaught of newer rock and roll sounds at the time, but are of no lesser quality. Check out the wonderful instrumentals "The Dripper" and "Gotta Go" (the latter contains a lick from LJ's "Don't Worry Bout That Mule"). "Gal You Need a Whuppin'" is too wacky to take seriously and offensively. "A Dollar Down" is an interesting story song about LJ's problems with credit with a very contemporary sound. "If I Had Any Sense I'd Go Back Home" is a bluesy lament of a country migrant to the city. "Messy Bessy" is the comic tale of a pugnacious woman and "I'll Die Happy"...well, you just gotta hear it.

There were three great masters of comical story-songs, Bert Williams, Slick Rick, and Louis Jordan.