Music » Piano Music

Roy "Professor Longhair" Byrd was a largely forgotten New Orleans bluesman when this album of his '40s and '50s Atlantic sides appeared in 1972. By decade's end, he was justly celebrated as a thoroughly one-of-a-kind father of rock & roll. These tunes, many initially issued as singles, showcase Longhair's droll vocals and unmatched sense of syncopation. "In the Night," "Tipitina," and "She Walks Right In" are among the hippest things you'll ever hear--no matter what kind of music you like. --Rickey Wright

Release Date: 1998-04-07, Audio CD, Easydisc

Release Date: 1994-08-16, Audio CD, Rounder / Umgd

Start with the Meters, whose hard funk is so efficient there's not a wasted note or out-of-sync beat. Add producer Allen Toussaint's wonderful vocal and horn arrangements. Top them off with seven Rebennack originals plus four well-chosen covers, and you have an album that seemed to arrive out of nowhere at the time of its original 1973 release. It still sounds garden-fresh today, not just the monster hits, "Right Place, Wrong Time" and "Such a Night," but also the chain-gang funk of "Same Old Same Old," the verbal insults of "Qualified," even the second-line soul of "Shoo Fly Marches On." The closest thing to a weak link is "Peace Brother Peace," in which Rebennack anoints himself the Dr. Feelgood of love and happiness. But the Meters sound as if they believe every word he's singing, so who are we to argue? --Keith Moerer

Release Date: 2002-08-20, Audio CD, RCA Victor Europe

Release Date: 2002-08-20, Audio CD, RCA Victor Europe

Release Date: 1996-09-10, Audio CD, Delmark

The only comprehensive single disc/cassette collection of the best of the Night Tripper!

No Description AvailableNo Track Information AvailableMedia Type: CDArtist: CHARLES,RAYTitle: VERY BEST OF RAY CHARLESStreet Release Date: 03/14/2000

Japanese only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD - playable on all CD players) pressing. Warner.