Lord Richard - New Orleans Sessions

Long since known as 'Lord Richard', Richard Ekins' history of involvement with 'old style' New Orleans jazz is a long and colourful one. He was 'christened' Lord Richard in New Orleans by Joseph 'Kid Twat' Butler on 29th July 1966. Butler, bass player with the Kid Thomas Band, was finishing playing a set in Preservation Hall when Richard came sauntering in. Never before having seen such a man in New Orleans – tall, long-haired and heavily bearded – Kid Twat bowed down, then threw up his arms and exclaimed, 'Here come de Lord!' The name stuck and, from that moment on, Richard was known as 'Lord Richard' throughout his recording career; to the Japanese full ensemble New Orleans parade band that welcomed him on his arrival at the port of Kobe in 1968; and amongst New Orleans jazz enthusiasts around the world, who continue to seek out and exchange the early recordings.

Lord Richard's love affair with New Orleans music began as a 16-year old schoolboy after first hearing Bunk Johnson's Nov 1945 recordings for Decca. He played trumpet with his first band the Burgundy Street Stompers in 1964, before teaming up with pianist Bob Barton to co-lead the Crescent City Stompers from 1965 to 1968. He first visited New Orleans in 1966 and founded the La Croix Record label the following year. Between 1967 and 1972, he released seven albums on La Croix, including his recordings of the Kid Thomas Band and Ernest 'Doc' Paulin's band. He moved to London in 1971, quit playing at the same time, and dissolved La Croix records the following year. His last visit to New Orleans was in 2015. Memories of New Orleans for Lord Richard live on in his two sons, named Matthew La Croix Ekins (1974-), as in the record label, and after Joseph La Croix 'DeDe' Pierce, the trumpet player; and Luke Baptiste Ekins (1977-), in the style of the French Creole, and after William 'Willie' Baptiste, the banjo player. This CD series celebrates and shares the best of Lord Richard's New Orleans recording sessions, adding some material which has remained unreleased until now, and making all these difficult-to-find recordings available in CD format for the first time.

ORDERS

504/La Croix CDs – ‘The Lord Richard New Orleans Sessions’ – are co-produced by Lord Richard, La Croix Records and Mike Dine, 504 Records.

Available from:

Distributors and Internet orders (UK)

Upbeat mailorder - Jazz - 504 Records

http://www.upbeatmailorder.co.uk/catalog.asp?s=12

Distributors and Internet orders (USA)

Louisiana Music Factory – 504 Records  
The Louisiana Music Factory specializes in New Orleans music, Cajun music, Zydeco music, New Orleans jazz, blues, RnB, and other regional music.

http://www.louisianamusicfactory.com/