(Cardell Boyette)
(4CD)
BIOGRAPHY
Like so many transplanted African-Americans from Texas and neighboring states, Red had been living in Southern California since the early 1950s. He started out playing piano in some of the Southland's most hottest nightspots with many well-known jazz and blues artists. With the rise of the popularity of the guitar in nightclubs of the '50s, Red took up the instrument.
Red credited T-Bone Walker as his greatest influence, though his style was clearly an amalagam the artists he worked with. By the end of the '60s, Red had a long resume, having played with the likes of Blues stars like Lowell Fulson, Big Joe Turner, Percy Mayfield, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Ray Agee, Smokey Wilson, and Pee Wee Crayton. His credits eventually included tours around the U.S., Europe, and even Israel.
Red made his first record in the '60s (a 45 rpm) entitled "Down Below Texas" and "Bottom Side Up" on Wonder Records. Later, Red and various other Los Angeles-based musicians put together a CD called "Anthology of LA - Hard Times" on Black Magic Records, originally for teh Amsterdam Blues Estesfette Festival in November 1991 while touring with the William Clarke Band.
For over 40 years, Red worked as a blue collar employee during the day. By night, and on weekends, Red would play his axe in numerous southern California night spots. With retirement, Red aimed to devote his energies full-time to music...."
Among other CDs beside the import L.A. compilation, Red also issued the following:
A full CD called "Nobody Knows" -on Uptown Video Records, 1995, out of Fresno, Calif. Red received some positive notices in various Blues magazines with this release.
"Live at the Blues Bouquet" 1997 on Ocala Records (marred a bit by some studio audience sweetening between tunes)
One of his best came out in 2000 on the same Ocala label, entitled "DOWN ON THE BAYOU". For once, the production did not seem to cut corners, best showcasing this real deal bluesman. Red truly seemed to have arrived on this disc.