ESQUERITA

ROCKIN’ THE JOINT
ESQUERITA AND THE VOOLA

Capitol 4058

GRADE: VG+

Esquerita was born Eskew Reeder, Jr. (Get it? Esquerita/Eskew Reeder!)in 1935 in Greenville, South Carolina. He lived across the street from young Jesse Jackson in the "Greasy Corner" community, and later went to Sterling High School (from which Jackson graduated in 1959). Reeder was basically a self-taught pianist, and was accomplished enough to be playing in church by the age of 9 or 10. He spent his early years playing piano in E.W. Watson's Tabernacle Baptist Church. In his late teens, he dropped out of high school to join a gospel group based out of New York called the Heavenly Echoes, with whom he appeared on their Baton Records single, Didn't It Rain in 1953.

Returning to Greenville after the breakup of the Heavenly Echoes, Esquerita established himself as the house rock and roller at the Owl Club on Washington Street under the name of "Professor Eskew Reeder." It was there that he was “discovered” by Gene Vincent's rhythm guitarist, Paul Peek. On the strength of demos recorded at Greenville radio station WESC, Gene Vincent convinced Capitol Records to sign Reeder, who at this point changed his name to Esquerita. A backing band was put together, including Tony White on bass, Vincent Mosley on guitar, Ricardo Young on drums, and a backing-vocal group from Atlanta called the Gardenias.

Esquerita was to cut his first records for Capital in a session on May 15/16 1958, where they produced the first Capitol recordings: Oh Baby, Rockin' The Joint, and five other sides. As a gesture of gratitude to Paul Peek for helping to get his career on track, Esquerita wrote The Rock Around, which became Peek's first solo single for the NRC label. Esquerita played piano behind Peek on both sides of the 45. In August of the same year, another 21 songs were recorded in Nashville by Esquerita, a couple of which feature the backing vocals of the Jordanaires who were in town at that time to attend Elvis' mother's funeral. Twelve ot the 21 songs were issued by Capitol as an LP titled "Esquerita!" in May 1959.

In 1962 , Big Joe Turner took Esquerita down to record with Allen Toussaint for Joe Banashak's Minit Records in New Orleans, but most of that material was never released. Later in the same year, Esquerita traveled up to Detroit, recording four songs for Berry Gordy's fledgling Motown label (none of which has ever been released, either!). In 1964, he produced two 45's for Instant Records, another New Orleans label, and also in the same year he contributed piano work on a VeeJay remake album of Little Richard's greatest hits, playing alongside Jimi Hendrix. Esquerita kept making one record after another--largely on different, miscellaneous labels, but to no avail. During the ’60s he wrote a lot of music, too, and several of his compositions were performed by Little Richard. Most of his attempts at success fell on flat ears, however, and in 1983 he was tracked down and it was discovered he was still doing gigs for various lesser-known New York clubs. He died three years later, on October 23, 1986 in Harlem, and was buried in a pauper's grave.

Man! that story could be made into a movie! What a hard life for a man who deserved so much more!

Take the two sides on this auction record. Both are totally as different from one another in type, performance, etc. The rockabilly side, Rockin’ the Joint, is R&R like it was meant to be! Esquerita’s piano playing is wilder than Jerry Lee Lewis’, and there had to be pandemonium in the recording studio during this session! Besides Mr. E’s wild voice, he gives us a solo piano break that’ll knock you out! His entire group is just fantastic! The flip side, called Esquerita and the Voola is another wild side, but not rockabilly--far from it! It’s wildness to a crazy Latin beat, and what sounds like a lunatic voice of a woman shouting screeching vocals--but it’s really Esquerita singing! I can’t say enough about this incredible record. You just go ‘head right now and bid!

CONDITION: This record is like an average condition record that has had reasonably good care, despite the fact that it’s probably been to a few parties in its younger days! It has some scuffing, but luckily it’s on the surface and doesn’t bother the sound one single iota! The labels show a little rubbing, but they’re not dirty or written on, and the wax still shows most of its luster. Fantastic record!

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The Boring Stuff

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