Louisiana Red

Louisiana Red

"Millennium Blues"

Earwig cD 4943

Louisiana Red is a blues treasure. The All Music Guide to the Blues calls him, "one of the blues' most unique and memorable characters." Red is a flamboyant guitarist and he sings, plays harmonica and writes lyrics with fervent intensity. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of his first recording.

Life has been tough for Red. His parents both died when he was just a toddler. He lived with a succession of relatives who treated him badly and then spent years in an orphanage. He talks and sings about his hard life on his latest album. Listening to his recollections of years of abuse in stories and songs is fascinating. Red's lyrics are true-to-life and he details them vividly. He sings about his childhood, his women, his experiences in the Korean War, his dreams and visions. He accompanies his vocals with slashing guitar riffs and bottleneck blues in a style that, at times, is eerily like Muddy Waters, who backed Red up on his first recording session for chess.

Louisiana Red moved to Germany in 1982, finding respect and financial rewards greater in Europe than at home. He has lived there ever since, with occasional visits back to America. Millennium Blues was recorded in chicago with some of the city's best studio players during a recent tour.

Norman Davis