Louisiana Red - The Lowdown Back Porch Blues

180-gram vinyl remastered by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios

Louisiana Red (born Iverson Minter) was a flamboyant guitarist, harmonica player, and vocalist. He lost his parents early in life through multiple tragedies; his mother died of pneumonia a week after his birth, and his father was lynched by the Klu Klux Klan when he was five.

Red began recording for Chess in 1949, then joined the Army. After his discharge, he played with John Lee Hooker in Detroit for almost two years in the late '50s, and continued through the '60s and '70s with recording sessions for a number of labels. Louisiana Red moved to Hanover, Germany, in 1981, and maintained a busy recording and performing schedule through the subsequent decades into the new millennium. He died in Germany in 2012 when his thyroid imbalance brought on a stroke

Recorded in New York with Tommy Tucker, Lowdown Back Porch Blues is Louisiana Red's first album and, in many ways, it's his best. Supported by a bare-bones rhythm section, Red plays a number of traditional tunes and originals. His guitar is nearly as powerful and overwhelming as his vocals, making this a truly compelling listen.