Lafayette Leake
(June 1, 1919 – August 14, 1990) was a blues and jazz pianist, organist, vocalist and composer who played for Chess Records as a session musician, and as a member of the Big Three Trio, during the formative years of Chicago blues. He played piano on many of Chuck Berry's recordings.
Leake was born in Winona, Missouri, in 1919. Information about his early years is sparse, but in the early 1950s he joined the Big Three Trio (replacing Leonard Caston) and began his association with Chess Records, where he worked closely with bassist, producer, and songwriter Willie Dixon.
Leake played piano on One Dozen Berrys, Chuck Berry's second album, released in 1958 by Chess. He was then on Chuck Berry Is on Top; Leake (not Berry's longtime bandmate Johnnie Johnson) played the prominent piano on the classic original rendition of "Johnny B. Goode". Leake played on numerous other Chess sessions from the '50s through the '70s, backing many of the Chess greats, including Sonny Boy Williamson, Otis Rush, Junior Wells, and Little Walter. Leake gave Chicago blues musician Harmonica Hinds his first harmonica lesson on the street in Toronto.
During the 1960s Willie Dixon formed the Chicago Blues All-Stars, with Leake as resident pianist. Leake toured and recorded with this group until the mid-1970s. After that he did little recording or touring, although he appeared with Chuck Berry at the Chicago Blues Festival in 1986 and recorded "Hidden Charms" with Willie Dixon in 1988.
Besides being a respected performer, Leake was a composer. He recorded a number of his own songs as a member of various ensembles, and others have been covered by notable musicians. Fleetwood Mac, for example, recorded his song "Love That Woman" on their album The Original Fleetwood Mac. Leake's song "Wrinkles", performed by the Big Three Trio, was featured on the soundtrack of David Lynch's 1990 film, Wild at Heart. Blues band Slo Leak was named after one of Leake's instrumental pieces.
Leake fell into a diabetic coma in his home in Chicago, where he remained undiscovered for several days, dying in hospital on August 14, 1990.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafayette_LeakeLafayette Leake - At His Home - Chicago (1980)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMqGvv7CdTcLAFAYETTE LEAKE - BIG PIANO MAN - FULL ALBUM - 1983 - BLUES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY68YR8OaFc&t=62sThe Aces with T Bone Walker, Lafayette Leake and Chuck..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUXHJM1sDJ8Lafayette Leake - Feel so good (1978)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpLKDv2pzB4Lafayette Leake - Fast Boogie Nº 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBI7b-AIKw0Lafayette Leake Let It All Hang Out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2K062ypI4QLafayette Leake - Trouble in Mind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLUw7DoZxEwLafayette Leake-Fine Little Girl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WavEnF1cudkLAFAYETTE LEAKE, Feel so blue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzT8_2RuF7QCarey Bell , Buster Benton & Lafayette Leake ~ Tribute 1973
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qkPye_D850Trouble,trouble LAFAYETTE LEAKE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3SDnNdgdggLafayette Leake, Slow Leake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FWgcLVjTmQSweet Little Sixteen demo-Chuck Berry, Lafayette Leake, piano.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Woxj5CtIuILAFAYETTE LEAKE, Outskirts of town
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJncQQzViwoLAFAYETTE LEAKE, Short Dressed Woman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzvVwBH76XELafayette Leake Trio After Hours (VAL 02) (1962)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqZEvb5qIdALafayette Leake Trio Disgusted (VAL 02) (1962)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFDjl5LmH-cEdgar Mullin, Lafayette Leake and his Combo - Pretty mama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3jIyXdbWlYRudy Robinson With L. Leake Combo - I Didn't Sleep A Wink Last Night - Rujo: 1021
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQRLBmTrBxkMidnight Special - Pete Seeger with Lafayette Leake & Willie Dixon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Fr_Nd0nRkWillie Dixon & Walter "Shakey" Horton - My Babe!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhfvRe74KEUWillie Dixon ~ Live At Richard's , Atlanta , GA , April 3 , 1973 Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFawrIKeh2sFast Boogie (Live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1mc3oZ9pP4Johnny Young & Big Walter Horton ~ ''Drinking Straight Whiskey''&''Sleeping With The Devil' 1968
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX38dAM8k-0Buster Benton ~ First Time In Europe ( Full Album ) 1983
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEWDM56hVFYSonny Boy Williamson "Don't Make A Mistake" with Buddy Guy (1963 take 1 & 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5ut2HhMC-s