Lafayette Leake

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Lafayette Leake (June 1, 1919 - August 14, 1990) was a blues and jazz pianist, organist, vocalist and composer who played for Chess Records as a session musician, and as a member of the Big Three Trio, during the formative years of Chicago blues. He played piano on many of Chuck Berry's recordings.

Leake was born in Winona, Missouri in 1920.[1] Information about his early years is sparse,[2] but in the early 1950s he joined the Big Three Trio (replacing Leonard "Baby Doo" Caston) and began his association with Chess Records,[3] where he worked closely with bassist, producer and songwriter Willie Dixon.

Leake played piano on One Dozen Berrys, Chuck Berry's second album, released in 1958 under Chess Records, as well as playing on Berry's Chuck Berry Is on Top, on which he performed in the classic rendition of "Johnny B. Goode".[4] Leake also played on numerous other Chess sessions, from the '50's through the '70's backing many of the Chess greats, including many classic Sonny Boy Williamson recordings.[5] He was the also the piano man of countless sessions with Otis Rush, Junior Wells, Little Walter, and many others.[3]

During the 1960s Willie Dixon formed the Chicago Blues All-Stars. Leake was their resident pianist, and toured and recorded with them until the mid-1970s.[3] After that he did little recording or touring, although he appeared with Chuck Berry at the Chicago Blues Festival in 1986,[6] and recorded "Hidden Charms" with Willie Dixon in 1988.[7]

As well as a respected performer, Leake was also a composer.[3] He recorded a number of his own songs as a member of various ensembles, and others have been covered by notable musicians. Fleetwood Mac recorded his song Love That Woman on their album The Original Fleetwood Mac. His song Wrinkles, performed by the Big Three Trio, featured on the soundtrack of David Lynch's 1990 film Wild at Heart. Blues band Slo Leak were named after one of Leake's instrumental pieces.[8]

Lafayette Leake fell into a diabetic coma in his home in Chicago, where he remained undiscovered for several days, dying in hospital on August 14, 1990.[3]

[edit] Major Recordings

  • Might is Right! (1960) Yambo/Weis
  • Easy Blues (2002). Black and Blue France

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Eagle, Bob (2004). "Directory of African-Appalachian Musicians". Black Music Research Journal 24 (1). 
  2. ^ Lafayette Leake. All About Jazz. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
  3. ^ a b c d e Raessler, Daniel M. (2006). "Leake, Lafayette", in Komara, Edward M.: Encyclopedia of the Blues. Routledge, p. 558. ISBN 0415926998. 
  4. ^ Kitts, Jeff; Tolinski, Brad (2002). Guitar World Presents the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Hal Leonard, p. 133. ISBN 0634046195. 
  5. ^ Herzhaft, Gérard; Debord, Brigitte; Harris, Paul ; Jerry, Haussler; Mikofsky, Anton J. (1997). "Sonny Boy Williamson", Encyclopedia of the Blues. University of Arkansas Press, p. 232. ISBN 1557284520. 
  6. ^ McLeese, Don. "Chicago Blues Festival: Opening Tonight in Grant Park", Chicago Sun-Times, June 6, 1986. 
  7. ^ Hoekstra, Dave. "Dixon feels the loss of 'third hand'", Chicago Sun-Times, September 30, 1990. 
  8. ^ Feller, Leslie. "In Westport, a Rebirth of the Blues", The New York Times, June 15, 1997. Retrieved on 2008-05-28. 
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