Out of all the CD's I have ever received for Review, no artist has been better described than Piano Red, in the opening two paragraphs of the Liner Notes.

"When Piano Red died in 1985, it wasn't just his music that went away. A rare piece of Americana went with him.

He was one of the masters whose roots reached back to a time when players like James P. Johnson and Fats Waller pulled stride out of ragtime. He traveled blues highways with the like of Blind Willie McTell. Later, he was to usher in Rock-And-Roll. Near the end of his road, musical titans bowed down to him."

The insert booklet that comes with this Album is an essential read, in fact, I suggest reading it as a prelude to listening to this masterpiece. It certainly sets up listening to this Album in a way that I feel you can't get simply throwing the CD in the player. It offers us the insight and history needed to fully understand not only the performer, Piano Red, but also the importance of this release. In fact the insert for this release is the most well done and informative I have ever read for any Album.

"The Lost Atlanta Tapes", represents Piano Red's last known recording, which took place at Atlanta's Excelsior Mill in 1984. It consists of 18 Live Tracks, 8 of which have not been heard before and show Piano Red at his very best, a consummate showman, showing nothing less than huge appreciation and respect for his audience. With the ease of a superb Master of Ceremonies, he introduces songs in his own honest to goodness manner and in such a way that brings back memories of the way Ray Charles and Mel Torme used to.

Piano Red was not among the most well known performers of his time, but that fact certainty did not preclude the fact that he was perhaps one of the more influential, and it has been argued that he may of ushered in the first notes of Rock N Roll with his song “Rockin' with Red”, a song very similar to “Rock Around the Clock”, yet recorded 2 years earlier. Lets not forget that we all know the song C.C. Rider and if you did not know the writer behind that great song, you do now.

When it comes to "The Lost Atlanta Tapes", you really have only 2 choices, you either prepare yourself by imagining your sitting right in the audience just before you put the CD in the player, or you let Piano Red magically transport you there shortly after the CD starts. Any which way you going there and their is nothing you can do about it.

With Piano Red "The Lost Atlanta Tapes", I really could go on and on about this very important and rare offering, but I truly believe that this Album is one that the listener should experience first hand, firstly by reading the liner notes and then by just sitting back and enjoying each and every note he plays, every lyric he sings, and every word he speaks.

Piano Red "The Lost Atlanta Tapes" is nothing less than a museum quality recording in relation to it's significance and importance in filling in some of the missing blanks concerning music lore and history.

I can not recommend this Album Highly Enough. It is simply a must have treasure. 5*****

Review by John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)

Other Info And Reviews

Produced by Bang Bang Lulu Productions, The Lost Atlanta Tapes features 18 songs recorded live at Atlanta's Excelsior Mill in 1984, and represents the iconic entertainer's last known recording. It features some of his best-known classic songs and fan favorites. Eight of the tracks included on the CD are songs that have never been released before on a Piano Red recording.

The live tapes have been in the possession of Atlanta-based Michael Reeves, who managed the Excelsior Mill at the time and hosted the artist four nights a week. Reeves, now the co-owner of Smith's Olde Bar and Fox Brothers Bar-B-Q, says he knew he had a valuable recording in hand, but was waiting for the right moment to share it with the world. When the time came, he asked Atlanta writer and producer David Fulmer to join him in the release.

“Over the past years, Michael and I have worked together on some small projects,” Fulmer says. “This one is by far the most significant. Piano Red was a one-of-a-kind blues and R&B artist and I'm glad I get to be a part of this production.”

Fulmer brings more than a decade in communications to managing local media operations for the CD release and event. National and international media is being handled by Mark Pucci Media in Atlanta.

Reeves trusted restoration of the original four-track tape to Mike Graves at Atlanta's Osiris Studios. “We were surprised at the quality of the recording,” Reeves comments. “It sounded like Red was in the room. As soon as I heard it, I knew we had to do something special with it.”

Piano Red was born William Lee Perryman in Hampton, Georgia, in 1911, and moved with his family to Atlanta when he was six years old. Red’s older brother, Rufus Perryman, was also a musician, who performed and recorded as Speckled Red. Though he traveled far and wide, Atlanta. remained Piano Red’s home through most of his life. He began playing the piano at an early age and by 1930 was performing blues, rags, and popular songs in dance halls, theatres, juke joints, campgrounds, and traveling shows. During the Depression, he took up the trade of upholstery, but never stopped playing.

His career got a huge boost in the post-War years as his style changed from straight-ahead blues to R&B. During a time when early African-American blues and R&B performers were confined to so-called “race record” or independent labels, Piano Red was signed to a major record label, RCA Victor, which continued to release his records for almost a decade. His popularity soared as he helped usher in rock-and roll with early 1950s hits like “Rockin' with Red” (which reached number five on Billboard’s charts), “Dr. Feelgood,” and his most famous composition, “The Right String (But the Wrong Yo Yo), which has been covered by scores of musicians. He formed a band - Dr. Feelgood and the Interns - and worked R&B circuits all over the country.

Like numerous other artists of the genre, he was more appreciated abroad than at home and toured ..Europe.. extensively in the 1960s and 1970s. He secured a nightly gig at Muhlenbrink's Saloon in Underground Atlanta from 1969 to 1979 and grew his base of local fans as well as tourists. Musicians playing large halls like the Omni and the Fox Theatre visited regularly to pay their respects, including members of The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney. Later, he opened shows for Keith Richards' band, New Barbarians, and for Peter Tosh.

He began a regular gig at the Excelsior Mill in 1981. In 1983, he was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and was presented with the Pioneer Award by the Georgia Music Association for his contributions to the state's musical heritage. He continued to record sporadically and perform around the Southeast and in ..Europe.. until his health began to fail. He died at in Atlanta’s DeKalb General Hospital on July 25, 1985.

Source with additional info here... http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=123182375&blogId=536142265

...“Lord have mercy!” The man known both as “Piano Red” and “Dr. Feelgood” had some fun at the piano and in front of a live audience!  His legendary left hand that Eubie Blake called “a left hand of God” was the foundation of his playing skills, his career, and some say, rock and roll itself. He began playing ragtime piano, jazz, and of course the blues in the Roarin’ Twenties.

Before Jerry Lee Lewis was a year old, William “Willie” Lee Perryman had begun working under the name of Piano Red. The two Louisiana natives also had the piano and “boogie woogie” in common. Perryman was living the blues and developing his style before and during the Depression.  Venues available for a Black musician (who carried the albino gene) in this era (juke joints and bars with loud drunk crowds) resulted in the evolution of a driving musical style with shouted vocals. He didn’t get into a recording studio until 1933 and when he did, became RCA Victor’s first artist to hit the best seller list.  Later he often played in the Atlanta Underground where his show was attended by admirers such as Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, and Eric Clapton.

The Lost Atlanta Tapes CD was recorded at the Excelsior Mill in Atlanta on October 11, 1984 just a few months before Red’s death in 1985.  That fateful night, Red played in a trio with  drummer James Jackson and bass player George Miller. The tapes were “lost” in storage for years and now are being released by Bang Bang LuLu Productions on Landslide Records. The entire show of eighteen songs was recorded and is complete on this CD, including eight previously unrecorded tracks.

Red’s showmanship and engaging interactions with the audience add to the charm of this live recording and those of us previously unfamiliar with him realize what we missed. “The reason why I’m doing this one is because I get so many calls for it.”  “Everybody’s having a good time and this guy’s talking about getting it on, and we know a song called ‘Let’s Get It On’, so....let’s [pause] get it on!” “I don’t know how you felt when you come here, but you gonna be feeling good when you leave!” “We gonna do this thing about C.C.Rider because we get so much reaction. Here we goooooo!” “The old music spirit is beginning to move around in here now.” He can often be heard laughing in the background during longer musical interludes.

He introduces track ten with, “This is a number that I wrote and I got a gold record for it of course we have to do this one.” Then he raises his voice like a circus barker and shouts, “It’s called, ‘The Right String Baby, But the Wrong Yo Yo’ Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhh.” It puts all the elements of his experience together and fuses ragtime, jazz, and blues in a fast -paced, upbeat song that tells a funny story.  No wonder it struck gold.

Later he tells us that track 17 was his first gold record, “It’s called ‘Rockin’ with Red’.” It’s easy for this reviewer to see the influence this man had on others as the recurring theme in this number is hauntingly similar to “Rock Around the Clock”. Track 7, “Shake, That’s All Right” could have easily been the inspiration for “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”.  Several tracks brought a smile for me with memories of the fifties and my sister spinning 45s (She was a senior in high school in 1958 and I was in first grade.) including, “C.C. Rider,” “Corinna, Corinna”.  I’d never heard the lyrics to “St. Louis Blues” as my familiarity with it was via Glen Miller and also the Tonight Show Band. It was amusing to think of the scene in the movie, The Glen Miller Story where the soldiers were marching to the “St. Louis Blues” and what it would be like if Piano Red had been singing!

The liner notes contain an informative and interesting eight page biographical sketch of Perryman by David Fulmer titled, “Piano Red — A Not So Quiet Legend”. The Lost Atlanta Tapes was released on August 17, 2010. Before his encore, “Dr. Feelgood”, Piano Red tips his hat to the Excelsior Mill and offers his signature closing remarks, “You’ve been a wonderful audience.” with the emphasis on “wonderful”. http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-piano-red-mdash-the/

...Piano Red was one of the few barrelhouse blues pianists who found a way to adapt as musical styles changed around them. Rather than become an anachronism back when rhythm & blues became all the rage and rock 'n' roll was born, Red changed with the times before eventually morphing into Dr. Feelgood, producing hit records such as "Rockin' With Red" and "The Right String (But the Wrong Yo Yo)."

Born in Hampton, Georgia in 1911, but spending most of his 74 years in Atlanta, William Lee Perryman followed in the ivory-tinkling footsteps of his older brother Rufus, who was known as Speckled Red, most famous for giving the world "The Dirty Dozens." Piano Red became famous all over the world, but he kept on playing regularly in Atlanta. Beginning in 1981, he was ensconced at the Excelsior Mill, and in 1984, one of his average performances was taped. Your guess is as good as any as to why the tapes were kept under wraps all these years, but we have only just now been given the chance to hear this legendary performer in his natural element. Sure, his vocal prowess was slightly worn down from his prime, but the enthusiasm and spirit of Piano Red shines through. Backing by bassist George Miller and drummer James Jackson is right in step with him.

Piano Red's The Lost Atlanta Tapes
The album opens with "She's Mine," one of eight songs here that Red never recorded in the studio. It's a jaunty, joyous little number that would definitely grab the attention of bar patrons ready to be entertained. "I used to live the blues years ago," Red says to introduce "My Baby’s Gone," his next number, "and that's when I learned how to play 'em." This slow blues shows off his delicately ornamental filigrees and his barrelhouse pounding. Red is a showman, and he neatly shifts gears to the Tin Pan Alley number "That’s My Desire" from his youth, just because he gets a lot of requests for it.

"Let's Get It On" has that raunchy groove that fueled so many R&B songs of the late-1940s and early '50s. Red has a blast with the pulsating chords of this one, and he belts out the lyrics with a combination of salacious desire and a lot of humor. His laughs are infectious, and this one ends with his biggest shout of "Yeah" so far. Red shouts "Yeah" at the end of every song, and most often tells the audience they are wonderful. At this point, he's spent nearly 60 years entertaining people, so he holds on to little ticks which have worked well for him. A version of the traditional "C.C. Rider" follows, with a bouncy groove and only a hint of the pain often brought to the fore in this song. But oh, those piano solos sear with an intensity echoed by his wordless cry announcing the last chorus.

Baby, Please Don't Go
His own song, called "Baby, Please Don't Go," is nothing like the ones of the same name we've heard, but Red does wonders with a matter-of-fact pleading vocal. The traditional "Shake, That's All Right" comes off as a cross between boogie-woogie and early rock 'n' roll, but if you think about it, so does "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" by Jerry Lee Lewis, which is pretty similar to this song. "I'm telling you, the music spirit is moving, and all you've got to do is have a good time," Red says before doing a relatively laid back version of Leadbelly's "Cotton Fields."

The mood barely changes as he starts in on "Corinna, Corinna." At this point, Red is the blues songster, bringing the room together into a semblance of community through well-known songs played with verve. And he has such fun pulling a call and response with one of his bandmates, who uses a falsetto.

Let's Have A Good Time Tonight
Now it's time for one of those huge hits, "The Right String (But the Wrong Yo Yo)," probably Red's best-known number. It goes fast and with a bit of nonchalance in the vocals, but it has all the joyous energy of previous versions. Robert Jr. Lockwood's "Blues and Trouble" is adapted to Red's blues style next, and it restores some seriousness to the mood of the show. His first piano solo on this one is marvelous, moving from fury to exasperation to sorrow through a cascade of chords and notes. "I don't know how you felt when you come here, but you're gonna be feeling good when you leave," says Red before singing "Let’s Have a Good Time Tonight." Red is thoroughly determined to uplift his audience, and by this point in the evening, it's hard to imagine feeling anything but good.

An inventive take on the familiar "St. Louis Blues" gives the rhythm section a chance to vary somewhat from its standard approach, and Red punches out the lyrics with more vehemence than they usually get. "Ain’t Gonna Be Your Lowdown Dog No More" is a raucous R&B number with some playful piano licks; one imagines the dance floor filling up as soon as this one starts.

Doctor Feelgood
"Pay It No Mind" is another Tin Pan Alley song with some beautiful piano playing. Red is adept at every style he tries, without ever calling attention to his skills. But there is one heck of a lot of piano being played all over this record. For evidence, look no further than the jazzy, fast-paced Roosevelt Sykes number, "Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone" which follows.

Naturally, Red has to end his set with his two biggest hits, "Rockin' with Red" and "Doctor Feelgood." The former is a piano masterpiece on a par with anything Professor Longhair came up with in New Orleans. Red has a blast playing this one, and he runs away with some of his most exciting solos here. The latter is just as delightful, and probably reveals most closely the influence NRBQ pianist Terry Adams picked up from Red.

Steve's Bottom Line
Piano Red was a professional musician. He worked many nights a week for nearly 60 years of his life. He knew he was recording this performance, but the odds are it's not a lot different from what he did when the tape machines weren't running. This was a man who understood people wanted to be entertained, and he had the repertoire, the enthusiasm, and the chops to make anybody's evening brighter than it had been. "Don't forget," he says over the applause at the end, "The Excelsior Mill is the place where you'll have a good time." (Landslide Records, released August 10, 2010) http://blues.about.com/od/cddvdrevie2/fr/Piano-Red-The-Lost-Atlanta-Tapes-2010.htm

Tracklist

 1. She's Mine - (previously unreleased) 
2. My Baby's Gone - (previously unreleased) 
3. That's My Desire 
4. Let's Get It On 
5. C.C. Rider - (previously unreleased) 
6. Baby, Please Don't Go - (previously unreleased) 
7. Shake, That's All Right - (previously unreleased) 
8. Cotton Fields - (previously unreleased) 
9. Corinna, Corinna 
10. Right String, The (But the Wrong Yo Yo) 
11. Blues and Trouble - (previously unreleased) 
12. Let's Have a Good Time Tonight 
13. St. Louis Blues - (previously unreleased) 
14. Ain't Gonna Be Your Lowdown Dog No More 
15. Pay It No Mind 
16. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone 
17. Rockin' with Red
18. Doctor Feelgood

Listen To Songs Of Piano Red's Here... http://www.myspace.com/pianored

About Piano Red

Willie Lee "Piano Red" Perryman was born on October 19, 1911 in Hampton, Georgia into a family of 8 other siblings. (Including his much older brother Rufus "Speckled Red" Perryman, who was also an albino African-American barrelhouse pianist.) He was born an albino African-American with red hair, crossed eyes, and incredibly poor eyesight.

When he was about 13 years of age, Red's mother bought a piano specifically for Willie and Rufus. Red would "bang around it", but he soon progressed far past "banging around". Soon enough Red was getting regular gigs around Atlanta in clubs performing for many whites as well as blacks. His repetoire consisted of everything from current pop tunes to down home blues.

Red's music buddies back then included Barbecue Bob, Charlie Lincoln, Curley Weaver, and Blind Willie McTell. In 1936,

Red was introduced to Vocalion Records by Blind Willie and recorded 2 songs with McTell: "What Makes You Worry Me So?" and "Pushing That Thing". He also recorded 6 songs solo: "Slick Woman Blues", "Southern Railroad Blues", "Ten Cent Shot Blues", "You Ain't Got A Chance", "That Woman Of Mine", and "Hard Luck Brought Me Down". Unfortunately, none of these records were issued, nor have they been discovered at all. Red speculates that they may have melted during a hot Summer while sitting on Vocalion's shelves.

Between 1936 and 1950 Red made no efforts to record. However, he continued to perform around Atlanta while he wasn't working at his job as an upholsterer. In 1950, after his 14 year hiatus from the recording industry, Red "debuted" on RCA Victor with four sides: "Jumpin' The Boogie", "Let's Have A Good Time Tonight", "Red's Boogie", and "Rockin' With Red". The last of those four tunes was a huge success and an alleged gold record.

For the next ten years Red recorded for RCA Victor, their R&B subsidiary Groove, Checker Records, and conducted a radio show from his backyard in a little "shed". In 1961, Red's show started going by the name "Dr. Feelgood & the Interns" and moved to OKeh records. In 1964, he moved to Columbia Records and recorded some great sides with his magnificent band. Unfortunately one record from 1964 sessions, "I Need You", was lost.

For 10 years (1969-1979) Red was the house pianist in Underground Atlanta's club/large tourist attraction, Muhlenbirnk's Saloon. Throughout the 1970s, Red was quite popular in Atlanta and at college frat parties. In 1974 Red played the Montreux Jazz Festival.In 1976, he joined Jimmy Carter's campaign and played in support of his presidency. 1977- Red played the Berlin Jazz Festival and during Chancellor Helmut Schmidt's innaguration in Germany. In the 1980s Willie was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame, played at The Georgia Grassroots Music Festival, began touring again, opened for Peter Tosh & The New Barbarians (on seperate occasions), and presented with the Pioneer Award by The Georgia Music Association.

In 1984, Red was diagnosed with Cancer and was in an out of the hospital. One year later in 1985, Red recorded "Wrong Yo-Yo" with country singer Danny Shirley and grazed the hit charts one last time. Piano Red passed away at 1:00 AM on July 25, 1985. Exactly 35 years after he recorded "Rockin' With Red"...

 http://www.myspace.com/pianored