* En anglais uniquement
With a 6" pompadour, brocaded shirts, rhinestone shades, and a rhythmic, belligerent style of piano playing,
Esquerita was the original
Little Richard, years before
Penniman tutti-frutti'ed his way to stardom. Working around the Dallas-New Orleans circuit in the early '50s,
Esquerita's shot at the big time came when Capitol Records decided they needed their own version of
Little Richard after signing their answer to
Elvis,
Gene Vincent.
Esquerita's resulting recordings, though smartly produced, stand as some of the most untamed and unabashed sides ever issued by a major label. Long revered by rock & roll fans the world over, they make
Little Richard's Specialty sides look highly disciplined by comparison. Though
Esquerita continued to record in a tamer style through the '60s, his Capitol sides stand as a monument to the potential of rock & roll's lunatic power and the off-kilter genius of
Esquerita. ~ Cub Koda