Henry Roeland Byrd (Professor Longhair, or just Fess, to his fans, admirers, and friends) distilled and synthesized New Orleans R&B piano playing to a fine art, mixing Caribbean rhumba rhythms with stride style and even a hint of Dixieland in his approach, topping it all off with seemingly effortless vocals that made everything he sang feel like a rockin' party was in full swing. Fess first recorded in 1949, and sides like "Big Chief," "Go to the Mardi Gras," and "Tipitina" became Crescent City classics in the 1950s and early '60s, but unfortunately he never saw the kind of commercial success that other New Orleans piano players like Fats Domino were able to achieve. Longhair's influence and presence in New Orleans have always been immense, though, and this two-disc, 46-track set shows why, including all of his early recordings between 1949 and 1957 from the Star Talent, Atlantic, Mercury, Wasco, Federal, and Ebb imprints.
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