With a sound straight out of Louisiana’s dance clubs, bayou festivals and backyard crawfish boils....... stompin’ musical gumbo y’ all won’t soon forget!!
Students £7 on door only (proof required)
ANNOUNCING Lazy Lester Johnson
The Bayou Brothers will have Blues legend, Lazy Lester Johnson (nearly 80 years young!), up for 3 blues nominations next year, on tour with us. A one time thing.
Back when blues was king and South Louisiana was the breeding ground for a blast of some of the most memorable American music ever recorded, at the heart of it was Lazy Lester. Those days are gone, and so too are most of its luminaries. And yet Lester carries the tradition almost single-handedly around the world several times over each year. As a true living legend, his talents are as much in demand as ever.
Leslie Johnson was born June 20, 1933 in the small town of Torras, Louisiana near the Mississippi state border to Robert Johnson and Maggie Hartford. As a boy, he worked as a gas station attendant, woodcutter and at a grocery store, where he purchased a harmonica and Little Walter’s famous “Juke” record. Lester began to blow harp, and in a relatively short time became somewhat proficient. One of his brothers had a guitar, which Lester also had learned to strum. He credits Jimmy Reed and Little Walter as his main blues influences, and you can easily hear Reed’s vocal style in Lester’s singing. But Lester isn’t shy about telling anyone that his first love was and still is country – the real, traditional kind.
After all, there aren’t many living bluesmen who’ve had major hits, as Lester did on Excello Records in the 1950s and ‘60s, and are still performing with the gusto and precision of their youth. Lester hasn’t lost a thing, and as his voice has richened with age, you could make a strong case for him being in his prime now.
Lazy Lester is a swamp blues harmonica master whose half-century career spans the 1950s to the 2000s. Best known for regional hits recorded with Jay Miller’s Crowley, Louisiana-based Excello Records, Lester also contributed as a side-man to swamp blues classics recorded by Excello label-mates including Slim Harpo, Lightnin’ Slim, and Katie Webster. His songs have been covered by (among others) The Kinks, Freddy Fender, Dwight Yoakam, Dave Edmunds, Raful Neal, Anson Funderburgh, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. In the “comeback” stage of his career (since the late 1980s) he has recorded new albums backed by, among others, Mike Buck, Sue Foley, Gene Taylor, Kenny Neal, Lucky Peterson, and Jimmie Vaughan (ex-Fabulous Thunderbirds brother of Stevie Ray Vaughan), and has, of late, reaped accolades and awards as a surviving blues legend.
BAYOU BROTHERS and SISTER Zydeco Band
With a sound straight out of Louisiana's dance clubs, bayou festivals and backyard crawfish boils, the BAYOU BROTHERS will rock you right on into "Fat Tuesday" with their extensive experience and endless enthusiasm to deliver a rousing, rollicking, heart thumpin', foot stompin' musical gumbo y'all won't soon forget!!!
Start with a blend of accordion, keyboards, guitar, bass, drums and rubboard, add three-part harmonies, mix it up with a lot of rockin' Zydeco, blues, R&B and that great Mardi Gras sound, toss in dazzling showmanship and a big old dance floor and you get the hot, spicy musical jambalaya that IS the BAYOU BROTHERS and SISTER!!!
Biography
The Bayou Brothers started in 1995 with a shared love of Cajun and Zydeco music by founder John Chambers, on accordion and keyboards, and Ric Lee, laying down Zydeco and Cajun dance grooves on the drums.
Throughout the last 15 years, they have been playing their music at festivals and concerts venues all over the southwest and are well known for their rowdy shows, bluesy Zydeco accordion grooves and up tempo Cajun romps.
Charles Burton's masterful guitar playing and Roger Daschlé's funky bass lines drive the band and fans “Zydeco dance crazy”! Adding to the Bayou Brothers’ sound is sax and percussion player, Thomas Podgoretsky, "making that horn section visually work in the groove" and the "can't keep your feet still" rubboard grooves and rhythms of Judy Seid.
Meet The Band
John Chambers ~ Accordion, keyboards and vocals
John "Squeezebox" Chambers, a California native, started accordion lessons at the tender age of 8. Practicing was not the most favorite for Johnny, but one hour before dinner and one hour after dinner was what Mom wanted or NO DINNER! At age 14, the Beatles came to the US and the accordion was replaced by a VOX organ. Mom was not happy but got used to it and little Johnny (not so little by now) excelled and learned every song on the radio and from records. After time spent in the army, John returned and started playing music, and singing in local bars and clubs… any gig that paid a few bucks. John heard of a cool music called Zydeco, from Louisiana, and he never looked back! Searching for that "special accordion" he found one perfect for that kick'n zydeco sound. On a road trip through Louisiana and the Creole states, "Squeezebox" was converted and "THE BAYOU BROTHERS" was born.
Ric Lee ~ Drums and percussion
Ric Lee is a direct descendant of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and is from a very southern musical family steeped in the tradition of Americana and Cajun music. Ric started playing drums at the age 10 years old. He made his own drumsticks out of scrap wood and began learning how to play drums. He began playing in the school band and started playing professionally at the age of 16 for local events. Ric’s family moved to California from Louisiana and Ric attended college in Los Angeles to study music. He started touring with a band "Rocky Faith", where he revisited his southern roots. While playing a gig in Lake Charles, LA, his band opened for Queen Ida at a local club. Ric was mesmerized and connected with the Zydeco and Cajun beats, which became a hallmark of Ric's style. Ric, along with co-founder John Chambers on accordion, started Bayou Brothers in 1995. Ric's major influences are Boozoo Chavis, Keith Frank, Queen Ida, Brian Jack, Beausoleil and Lisa Haley.
Charles Burton ~ Guitar and vocals
Born in Los Angeles in 1958, "Lake Charles" Burton plays with fire, and when he does, his articulation and phrasing are instantly recognizable. This tall drink of water has been playing Blues, Country, and Americana Roots music for over forty years. He has played lead guitar in Country bands all over the world, and has headlined and played with the late great Hosea Leavy. As a blues guitarist and singer, he has released four CDs and has toured Europe, headlining festivals for many years. In 2007/2008, he toured Scandinavia with Big Jack Johnson and the Oilers, playing over 200 gigs in seven months! In 2009 he won San Diego's International Blues Challenge and also took first place in San Diego's King of the Blues. Widely regarded as one of the best blues guitarist on the West coast, "Lake" Charles Burton, San Diego's Blues Ambassador, brings a down home flavor to the Bayou Brothers’ Louisiana Zydeco gumbo!
Roger Daschlé ~ Bass and vocals
A multitalented instrumentalist, our bassist, Roger, started out playing drums in high school, then moved on to a guitar position in a band called The Romans. He has been a professional musician ever since, playing all styles of music from classical and swing to ethnic Americana. After his service in the Air Force, Roger moved to Slidell, Louisiana. It was during these years in Roger’s life that his eyes were opened to the traditional music and culture of the good people of Louisiana. Upon his return to San Diego, he started working with the Bayou Brothers on electric bass and double bass. Roger’s musical influences include BB King, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Jimmi Reed, Louis Armstrong, Louie Prima, Boozoo Chavis and Clifton Chenier.
Thomas Podgoretsky ~ Saxophone, rubboard, percussion and vocals
A native Californian and born of Russian immigrants, Thomas has been a performer from the age of seven. Being a multi-instrumentalist, he has been playing music and performing all his life. His introduction to Europe had him learning how to busk in the streets of Paris, playing saxophone and guitar. He had graduated to playing in circus shows, theatre and many types of music groups. Thom has also worked as a disaster inspector for many years and has worked in Louisiana many, many times during hurricanes and floods. An emotional time for him was when he was deployed to work Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita in 2005 for many months, where he was enabled to help hundreds of people during the tough times the people of Louisiana endured. He was brought even closer to the traditions, culture and music of Louisiana. Thomas is one of the creators of the internationally known Gator By The Bay Zydeco, Blues and Crawfish Festival in San Diego, California.
Judy Seid ~ Rubboard, percussion
Judy, our Bayou Sister, has an infectious passion and love for the Louisiana zydeco beat. Audiences love watching her move & groove while scrubbin’ the rubboard to fast-tempo zydeco rhythms as well as slow and easy waltzes. Judy began as a member of the Bontemps Social Club of San Diego over 15 years ago, and has dovetailed her love for zydeco music and dancing into her creative and high-energy style, which has been called “rubboard jammin’”. Sister Judy has become one of the best female rubboard players to emerge on the scene.
Instrumentation
Ric Lee - Percussion, Drums
John Chambers - Vocals, keyboards, Accordian
Roger Daschlé - Vocals, Double Bass, Bass
Charles Burton - Vocals, Guitar
Judy Seid - rubboard
Thomas Podgoretsky - Vocals, Saxophone, Percussion.
Discography
Zydeco Shoes - CD - 2008
Bayou Brothers Live - CD - 2006
Let Snow Zydeco - CD - 2009
Santa Digs Zydeco - 2010
Take Us To The Mardi Gras - CD – 2010
Music For The Feet - CD - 2011
