Rock 'n' Roll Gumbo

One of Professor Longhair's finest latter-day albums, ROCK 'N' ROLL GUMBO finds the New Orleans legend getting his groove back after years out of the public eye. The revered pianist/vocalist (born Henry Roeland Byrd) performs many of his best-known proto-rock-&-roll/R&B numbers, including the celebratory "Mardi Gras in New Orleans" (replete with energetic whistling) and the rollicking "Tipitina". As if hearing Fess behind the eighty-eights again weren't enough, GUMBO pairs him up with blues jack-of-all-trades Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, who sits in on both guitar and violin. Supported by a tight backing band, Longhair and Brown ease into Little Walter's sauntering "Mean Old World" and the Hank Williams classic "Jambalaya", among others, clearly having a good time. Although this album, recorded in 1974, marked the beginning of Longhair's comeback, it unfortunately proved to be one of his last studio sessions before his death in 1980, making it a significant document of this Big Easy icon's legacy.|