COLLECTION (55CD)
REVIEW
Jay Miller operated a small studio and record label (Feature) out in
Crowley, Louisiana. In addition to Feature, he had other small labels such
as Fais Do-Do and Feature, Rocko (originally Rocket) and Zynn. He had been
recording some regional Cajun and Country music in the early fifties when
he first heard Lightnin‟ Slim at WXOK in Baton Rouge. Miller has said that
Lightnin‟s music “did something to me”, and, with the help of disc jockey
Diggy-Doo, he recorded Lightnin‟s “Bad Luck” in the Spring of 1954.
There was no way Miller could keep up with the demand for the record, and
he decided to travel to Nashville for a record convention in 1955. Miller
met with Ernie Young and worked out a deal that would lease the material
he was recording back in Crowley to Excello Records for release and
distribution. Soon Miller‟s studio became ground zero for the sound known
as “swamp-blues” issuing records by Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester, Silas Hogan,
Lonesome Sundown and many others.
Of his unique sound, Miller said: “It wasn‟t technical as far as audio
but I had a sense of something. Maybe that was the best thing that could
have happened. I didn‟t know too much about it, I didn‟t go by the book,
because I went by these two things – my ears!!! I‟ve had so many
compliments about the sound I got.” He further explained: “I ran all my
sessions myself. I gave them as much leeway from a "feel‟ standpoint (as I
could) but from a professional standpoint I took over there. In other
words, I didn‟t want my artists to sing a song like I wanted it sung, as
long as they had the feel, but if they didn‟t have the feel I was either
gonna change songs or try to explain to them what we needed.”