Esquerita

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....