The roots of the unique body of music that was produced in New Orleans in the twentieth century can be traced back to the ensemble playing of the black funeral bands, the powerful rhythms of Mardi Gras parades, country blues from various areas in the Mississippi delta and the barrelhouse piano players in the local bars and cafes. The piano became the signature instrument for the music of New Orleans, whether jazz, blues or R&B, and pianist Professor Longhair was the musician’s musician who set the style.
Henry Roeland Byrd, born in Bogalusa, New Orleans, was given the name “Professor Longhair” after playing at a club in the French Quarter, to honour his mastery on the piano. His piano style was a mixture of Latin rhythms, boogie-woogie, and barrelhouse. His legacy can be heard in the recordings of Fats Domino, Dr John, Allen Toussaint, and others.
In the 1940s, Professor Longhair was playing with Caribbean musicians and listening to Afro-Cuban music, developing a style of playing that has been called “rumba-boogie”.
An Extract from “Misery”
Photo: Dr clave 2012 (Wikimedia Commons)
He began his career in New Orleans in 1948 and in 1949 recorded his signature tune “Mardi Gras in New Orleans”, followed later by “Tipitina” and “Go to the Mardi Gras”. All three are well-known now, but at the time his popularity was strictly local. Professor Longhair had only one national commercial hit, “Bald Head”, in 1950, under the name Roy Byrd and His Blues Jumpers. In the sixties he made little impact, but fortunately his career was resurrected, when he was invited to play at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1971 and at the Newport Jazz Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1973. He played in London and then, in 1975, on the Queen Mary liner at a party organised by Paul and Linda McCartney. Alligator Records and Atlantic Records re-issued some of his old recordings. Appearances in film and television cemented the interest in his work. He died in 1980. As a founding father of New Orleans R&B, Professor Longhair attracted praise from a wide range of musicians. “He’s the Bach of Rock!” (Allen Toussaint) sums it up well.
The house on Terpsichore St. where Professor Longhair lived was damaged by Hurricane Katrina and fell into disrepair (see Header photo), but it has been brought back to life as a museum, which opened in 2015.
The Museum on Terpsichore 2015
Photo: robbiesaurus (Wikimedia Commons)
Professor Longhair was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1981. In 1987, he was awarded a posthumous Grammy Award for his early recordings, released with the title “House Party New Orleans Style”. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
Header Image: The House on Terpsichore Street (Infrogmation 2009, Wikimedia Commons)
