Lazy Lester
Lazy Lester (born June 20, 1933 in Torras , Louisiana as Leslie Johnson , † August 22, in Paradise 2018 ) was an American harmonica player .
biography
As a child he worked at a gas station, as a lumberjack and in a shop where he bought his first harmonica and Little Walters "Juke". One of his brothers had a guitar that he also played. Lazy Lester named Jimmy Reed and Little Walter as his influences , but he also loved country music, especially Jimmie Rodgers . Towards the end of his second decade, he played as a harmonica player in a band called Rhythm Rockers.
On a bus trip in the mid-1950s, he met Lightnin 'Slim , for whom he played on recordings. The producer Jay Miller was so impressed by this collaboration that he made his record debut on Excello in 1957 (“I'm Gonna Leave You Baby” b / w “Lester's Stomp”). Miller also nicknamed him Lazy Lester because of his laconic, relaxed style. Lester remained an Excello artist for a decade now. When he was not the leading artist himself, he played on many recordings as a session musician , besides playing the harmonica, he also played guitar and arranged numbers. After the termination of the contract with Excello, he took on various day jobs until he reunited with his discoverer Lightnin 'Slim in 1971 .
In 2003 Martin Scorsese engaged him for his Blues Tribute concert at Radio City Music Hall , where he played with BB King , Solomon Burke , Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown , Buddy Guy , Levon Helm , Chuck D, The Neville Brothers , Dr. John , John Fogerty and Aerosmith performed.
Lazy Lester lived in Paradise , California until his death in August 2018 .
Selected discography
- True Blues, circa 1966, Excello LP 8006 SO-1
- Rides Again, 1987, King Snake KS007 (recorded in the UK, May 25-28, 1987)
- Harp & Soul, 1988, Alligator 4768 (featuring Lucky Peterson and Kenny Neal)
- Lazy Lester, 1989, Flyright (France) 007 (unpublished Excello recordings from the 60s)
- 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
- Superharps II, 2001, Telarc 83514 (with Carey Bell , Raful Neal , Snooky Pryor )
- Blues Stop Knockin ', 2001, Antones TMG-ANT 0051 (featuring Jimmie Vaughan )
- Blues on my Radio, 2004, SWMAF 01 (featuring Louisiana Red )
- Family Meeting, 2008, reputation
Individual evidence
- ↑ Blues Hall of Famer Lazy Lester Dead at 85th American Blues Scene, August 23, 2018, accessed August 24, 2018 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lester, Lazy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Johnson, Leslie (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American harmonica player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 20, 1933 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Torras , Louisiana |
| DATE OF DEATH | 22nd August 2018 |
| Place of death | Paradise |