J. B. Lenoir

Biography

J. B. Lenoir ( luh-NORR; March 5, 1929 – April 29, 1967) was an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter, active in the Chicago blues scene in the 1950s and 1960s. In The Encyclopedia of Popular Music he is described as both an "extrovert R&B man in the leopard-skin jacket who chanted infectious trifles" and a "thoughtful and intelligent writer of starkly honest blues songs."

Life and career

Lenoir was born in Monticello, Mississippi. His full given name was simply "J. B."; the letters were not initials. Lenoir's guitar-playing father introduced him to the music of Blind Lemon Jefferson who became a major influence. During the early 1940s, Lenoir worked with the blues artists Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James in New Orleans. He was later influenced by Arthur Crudup and Lightnin' Hopkins.
In 1949, he moved to Chicago, where Big Bill Broonzy helped introduce him to the blues community. He began to perform at local nightclubs, with musicians such as Memphis Minnie, Big Maceo Merriweather, and Muddy Waters, and became an important part of the city's blues scene. Lenoir began recording in 1951 for J.O.B. Records and Chess Records. His recording of "Korea Blues" was licensed to and released by Chess, as having been performed by J. B. and his Bayou Boys. His band included Sunnyland Slim, piano, "Baby Face" Leroy Foster, guitar and Alfred Wallace on drums.
During the 1950s, Lenoir recorded for various record labels in the Chicago area, including J.O.B., Chess, Parrot, and Checker. The labels often spelled his name as 'LENORE'. His more popular songs included "Let's Roll", "The Mojo" ["The Mojo Boogie×The Mojo Boogie1990 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 22 tracks1It's You Baby2:222Highway 613:023When I Was Young2:404Bassology2:525Worried About My Baby2:426Four Day Bounce2:237Highway 61 (alternate take)3:138The Mojo2:559Slow Down Woman2:4710I Want My Baby2:4511How Can I Leave3:0012Let's Roll2:3713People Are Medding (In Our Affairs)2:5614I Have Married2:2715The Mountain2:4916I'll Die Tryin'3:1217How Much More2:5718Play a Little While2:5019Louise3:0320The Mojo (alternate take)2:5021Slow Down Woman (alternate take)3:1922I Want My Baby (alternate take)2:22"] (featuring saxophonist J. T. Brown) and the controversial "Eisenhower Blues×Eisenhower Blues23 October 1992 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Natural Man2:322Don't Dog Your Woman3:083If I Give My Love to You2:334Low Down Dirty Shame2:265We Can't Go on This Way3:076When I Am Drinking2:417I've Been Down for So Long3:158Daddy Talk to Your Son2:489Carrie Lee2:3810I Don't Know2:2211Korea Blues2:4612Eisenhower Blues2:5213Man Watch Your Woman3:0814I'm in Korea3:0115Sitting Down Thinking2:5916What I Have Done3:0817If You Love Me2:5118Voodoo Boogie1:58", which Parrot Records forced him to re-record as "Tax Paying Blues."
Lenoir was known in the 1950s for his showmanship, particularly his zebra-patterned costumes, and his high-pitched vocals. He became an influential electric guitarist and songwriter and his penchant for social commentary distinguished him from many other blues men of the time. His most commercially successful and enduring release was "Mamma Talk to Your Daughter", recorded for Parrot in 1954, which reached number 11 on the Billboard R&B chart and was later recorded by many other blues and rock musicians. In the later 1950s, recording for Checker, he wrote several more blues standards, including "Don't Dog Your Woman" and "Don't Touch My Head!!!" (1956).
Lenoir and Willie Dixon got together in 1962 in Lenoir's home and recorded 11 songs. Dixon taped these as an audition tape for Lenoir to go to Europe as part of the large blues packages then dominating the European blues scene. According to the album's liner notes, they were sitting down together, relaxed and private, talking, jiving and singing in a way that differs from a studio or club date.
In 1963, he recorded for USA Records as J. B. Lenoir and his African Hunch Rhythm, having developed an interest in African percussion. In 1965 and 1966, Willie Dixon recorded him playing acoustic guitar with only the drummer Fred Below accompanying him, which was unusual at the time for a Chicago blues session. German blues promoter, Horst Lippman released these recordings on two albums, Alabama Blues×Alabama Blues1966 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Alabama Blues3:14A2The Mojo Boogie2:17A3God's Word3:41A4The Whale Has Swallowed Me2:26A5Move This RopeA6I Feel So Good1:54B1Alabama March2:54B2Talk to Your Daughter2:44B3Mississippi Road3:00B4Good Advice2:44B5Vietnam2:40B6I Want to Go1:40 and Down in Mississippi×Down in Mississippi1980 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Down in Mississippi3:15A2Slow Down1:32A3If I Get Lucky2:58A4Shot on Meredith2:44A5Round and Round2:47A6Voodoo Music2:24B1Born Dead3:40B2Leavin’ Here1:35B3Vietnam Blues3:02B4How Much More2:30B5Tax Payin’ Blues2:20B6Feelin’ Good3:00 inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and Free Speech Movement. Here, he again spoke his mind with songs such as "Alabama March", "Vietnam Blues×Vietnam Blues27 June 1995 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 24 tracks1Alabama3:142Mojo Boogie2:183God's Word3:414The Whale Has Swallowed Me2:265Move This Rope3:366I Feel So Good1:547Alabama March2:548Talk to Your Daughter2:459Mississippi Road3:0010Good Advice2:4411Vietnam2:4112I Want to Go1:4113Down in Mississippi3:1714Slow Down Woman1:3415If I Get Lucky3:0116Shot on James Meredith2:4717Round and Round2:5218Voodoo Music2:2619Born Dead3:4720Leavin' Here1:3821Vietnam Blues3:0522How Much More2:3423Tax Payin' Blues2:2124Feelin' Good3:00" and "(Every Child in Mississippi is) Born Dead".
Lenoir toured Europe and performed with the American Folk Blues Festival, most notably in the United Kingdom in 1965.

Death and legacy

Lenoir died on April 29, 1967, in Urbana, Illinois, at the age 38, of injuries he had suffered in a car crash three weeks earlier.
John Mayall paid tribute to the fallen bluesman with the songs "I'm Gonna Fight for You, J. B." and "The Death of J. B. Lenoir", though in both songs, Mayall mispronounces Lenoir's name as . The 2003 documentary film The Soul of a Man, directed by Wim Wenders as the second installment of Martin Scorsese's series The Blues, explored Lenoir's career, together with those of Skip James and Blind Willie Johnson. In 2011, Lenoir was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

Selected albums

The Chronological J.B. Lenoir, 1951-1954. 23 J.O.B. tracks, Classics (2005) and Paula (1991)
J.B. Lenoir, 28 Chess tracks, two Chess LPs, includes the album Natural Man×Natural Man1970 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracksA1Natural Man2:33A2Don't Dog Your Woman3:12A3Let Me Die With the One I Love2:11A4Carrie Lee2:41A5Mama, What About Your Daughter2:28A6If I Give My Love to You2:37A7Five Years1:45B1Don't Touch My Head2:16B2I've Been Down So Long3:14B3What Have I Done3:07B4Eisenhower Blues2:51B5Korea Blues2:49B6Everybody Wants to Know2:16B7I'm in Korea3:07 (1976)
His J. O. B. Recordings, 1951-1954. 21 tracks, Flyright Records (1989)
The Chronological J. B. Lenoir, 1955-1956. 19 tracks, Classics (2007)
I Wanna Play A Little While: The Complete Singles Collection 1950-1960. Two CDs, 41 tracks, Jasmine (2015)
The Mojo -The JOB/ USA/ Vee Jay Recordings. 22 tracks, P-Vine (2004)
The Mojo Boogie: with Sunnyland Slim, J.O.B./ Cobra Recordings. 22 tracks P-Vine (1990)
Mama Watch Your Daughter 19 Parrot & Chess recordings from 1954 to 1958, Charly Blues Masterworks Vol. 47 (1993)
Alabama Blues 12 tracks, L&R and German CBS LP (1965); see Vietnam Blues×Vietnam Blues27 June 1995 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 24 tracks1Alabama3:142Mojo Boogie2:183God's Word3:414The Whale Has Swallowed Me2:265Move This Rope3:366I Feel So Good1:547Alabama March2:548Talk to Your Daughter2:459Mississippi Road3:0010Good Advice2:4411Vietnam2:4112I Want to Go1:4113Down in Mississippi3:1714Slow Down Woman1:3415If I Get Lucky3:0116Shot on James Meredith2:4717Round and Round2:5218Voodoo Music2:2619Born Dead3:4720Leavin' Here1:3821Vietnam Blues3:0522How Much More2:3423Tax Payin' Blues2:2124Feelin' Good3:00 below for CD release.
Down in Mississippi 12 tracks, L&R Records LP (1981); see Vietnam Blues below for CD release.
J.B. Lenoir & Willie Dixon – One Of These Mornings, 11 tracks recorded in J.B.'s home. JSP LP (1986)
One of These Mornings. 16 tracks, all 11 from Willie Dixon's recordings in J.B.'s home plus five studio tracks. JSP CD (2003)
Vietnam Blues: The Complete L + R Recordings; (Alabama Blues and Down in Mississippi). 24 tracks, Evidence CD (1995)
J. B. Lenoir, collection of recordings, featuring posthumous interview by John Mayall with Ella Louise Lenoir. 15 tracks, Polydor/Crusade (1970)

Singles

"My Baby Told Me" / "Korea Blues" (Chess 1449, 1/51)
"Deep In Debt Blues" / "Carrie Lee" (Chess 1463, 6/51)
"Let's Roll" / "People Are Meddling (In Our Affairs)" (J.O.B. 112, 7/52)
"The Mountain" / "How Much More" (J.O.B. 1008, 11/52)
"The Mojo" ["The Mojo Boogie×The Mojo Boogie1990 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 22 tracks1It's You Baby2:222Highway 613:023When I Was Young2:404Bassology2:525Worried About My Baby2:426Four Day Bounce2:237Highway 61 (alternate take)3:138The Mojo2:559Slow Down Woman2:4710I Want My Baby2:4511How Can I Leave3:0012Let's Roll2:3713People Are Medding (In Our Affairs)2:5614I Have Married2:2715The Mountain2:4916I'll Die Tryin'3:1217How Much More2:5718Play a Little While2:5019Louise3:0320The Mojo (alternate take)2:5021Slow Down Woman (alternate take)3:1922I Want My Baby (alternate take)2:22"] / "How Can I Leave" (J.O.B. 1012, 5/53)
"I'll Die Tryin'" / "I Want My Baby" (J.O.B. 1016, 10/53)
"(I Wanna) Play A Little While" / "Louise" (J.O.B. 1102, 4/54)
"I'm In Korea" / "Eisenhower Blues×Eisenhower Blues23 October 1992 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Natural Man2:322Don't Dog Your Woman3:083If I Give My Love to You2:334Low Down Dirty Shame2:265We Can't Go on This Way3:076When I Am Drinking2:417I've Been Down for So Long3:158Daddy Talk to Your Son2:489Carrie Lee2:3810I Don't Know2:2211Korea Blues2:4612Eisenhower Blues2:5213Man Watch Your Woman3:0814I'm in Korea3:0115Sitting Down Thinking2:5916What I Have Done3:0817If You Love Me2:5118Voodoo Boogie1:58" (later pressings had "Tax Paying Blues" as the B-side) (Parrot 802, 4/54)
"Mamma Talk To Your Daughter" / "Man Watch Your Woman" (Parrot 809, 1/55)
"Mama Your Daughter Is Going To Miss Me" / "What Have I Done" (Parrot 814, 5/55)
"Fine Girls" / "I Lost My Baby" (Parrot 821, 11/55)
"Let Me Die With The One I Love" / "If I Give My Love To You?" (Checker 844, 9/56)
"Don't Touch My Head!!!" / "I've Been Down So Long" (Checker 856, 2/57)
"What About Your Daughter?" / "Five Years" (Checker 874, 9/57)
"Daddy Talk To Your Son" / "She Don't Know" (Checker 901, 12/58)
"Back Door" / "Lou Ella" (Shad 5012, 1959)
"Oh Baby" / "Do What I Say" (Vee Jay 352, 1960)
"I Sing Um The Way I Feel" / "I Feel So Good" (USA 744, 1963)
"Mojo Boogie" [1960 acoustic version] / "I Don't Care What Nobody Say" (Blue Horizon 1004, 1966)

Compilation albums

Natural Man (Chess, 1970)
Chess Blues Masters (Chess, 1976; reissued in 1984) 2-LP
The Parrot Sessions 1954–55 (Relic, 1988)
Alabama Blues: Rare and Intimate Recordings (Snapper, 2004)