Biography

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Michael Frank, CEO
Earwig Music Company, Inc.
2054 W. Farwell Ave.
Chicago, IL 60645
e-mail mfrank@earwigmusic.com
office phone 773-262-0278
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Click here to go to Blessings and Blues Volume 1
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It’s long been said that you have to live the blues in order to play them. It would be difficult to argue that anyone performing on the blues scene today has felt the blues more than Louisiana Red. Born Iverson Minter in Bessemer, Alabama on March 23, 1932, Red has overcome adversity at every step of his life. His songs are powerful, passionate reflections on both his tragic childhood and life struggles.

Red’s mother died from pneumonia when he was only seven days old. When he was five, the KKK murdered his father. From then on, he was shuffled between family members who abused him and an orphanage, where he suffered further abuse. Throughout these difficult times, he found solace in music. Making his first instrument at age nine out of an old cigar box and rubber bands, he was encouraged by his grandfather, a self-taught bottleneck guitarist who gave Red his first real guitar – an old Kay acoustic that he still has. While living in Pittsburgh, he became a protégé of local guitarist Crit Walters, and received encouragement from John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson," who gave Red a Hohner Old Standby harmonica.

At the age of sixteen, he lied about his age and joined the army, serving in Korea. After his honorable discharge, he recorded a few tracks for the Chicago’s Checker label, a subsidiary of Chess Records (featuring Little Walter on harmonica and Muddy Waters assisting on guitar). This experience allowed Red to hit the thriving Southside blues joints, where he played with Jimmy Rogers, Otis Spann, and Baby Face Leroy, learning from them, and helping to develop their styles. Perhaps his greatest inspiration, however, came when he moved to Detroit and played with John Lee Hooker, the final piece of the puzzle that would make up Red’s style.

Since moving to Germany in 1982, he has toured worldwide. He now has more than a dozen albums under his belt, and continues to record and write new material. A master of slide guitar, he plays both traditional acoustic and urban electric styles, with, lyrics both honest and often remarkably personal. He continues to connect with audiences throughout the world, and as he puts it, "Plays the blues… hard.

Louisiana Red Driftin' EWR-4947
Release Date August 25, 2016

Album Credits

Musicians

Louisiana Red - lead guitar and vocals
Allen Batts - piano
Brian Bisesi - rhythm and lead guitar
Willie Kent - bass guitar
Willie “Big Eyes” Smith - harmonica
Dave Jefferson - drums
Michael Frank - harmonica track 10

1.Driftin' 5:44
2.Hard Hard Time 5:48
3.Bring Me Some Water 5:29
4.Leaving Grandma 3:22
5.In The Garden 1:58
6.The Day I Met B.B. King 5:06
7.Keep Your Hands On The Plow 4:06
8.Teddy Bear/Cootie In The Gump Stump 3:37
9.Getting Weaker Day By Day 5:35
10.I Met Lightnin' Hopkins 2:21
11.Chankity Chank Chank 5:25
12.Baby, You Gonna Miss Me 2:39
13.Powder Room Blues 3:55
14.Train Station Blues 3:08
15.He Will See You Through 2:11

All songs written by Iverson Minter, known as Louisiana Red,
except as follows: Bring Me Some Water by Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins, In The Garden by C. Austin Miles,
Getting Weaker Day by Day by Kent Cooper, He Will See You Through, traditional.

Produced by Michael Robert Frank
Production assistance by Dora Minter, Doug Waltner
and Brian Bisesi
Cover photo by Robert Barclay
Booklet photo by Niles Frantz
Graphic design by Al Brandtner

Band tracks were recorded June 8, 1999 and solo tracks June 9, 1999 at Acme Recording studio, Chicago, Illinois
Blaise Barton - recording, mixing, editing and mastering
engineer on all tracks except tracks 6 and 13, recorded November 7, 1998 at Hot Ham ’n Cheese Recording Studio, Chicago by Engineer Chad Moore

Reviews

“Half this CD is down home, acoustic country blues. Red plays music so raw and personal you’d swear you were walking through some clapboard shantytown in the Deep South listening to Red playing on his porch. The remainder of the cuts use a band, and its sound is best described by the the term, chooglin’ blues...Louisiana Red with this album solidifies his reputation as a consummate storyteller in song.” – Blues Connection of Central New York

“Red is on top of his game with a fine mix of raw electric and unplugged blues that will make you take notice—this is the real thing.” – Twin Cities Blues News