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J & M Studio: Making Musical Magic in New Orleans
Initially located in the back room of a music shop, J & M Studio moved twice en route to becoming the crucible of the New Orleans sound of the 1950s. Nearly all of the biggest hits by Fats Domino and Little Richard—as well as landmark records by Lloyd Price, Guitar Slim, and Clarence (“Frogman”) Henry—were recorded at J & M under the watchful eye of owner-engineer Cosimo Matassa. Many of those recordings were supervised by Dave Bartholomew, Robert (“Bumps”) Blackwell, or Paul Gayten and released on out-of-town labels (Imperial and Specialty in Los Angeles, Chess in Chicago). Bartholomew, a multitalented ...(100 of 149 words)