Attired in a zebra-patterned suit and armed with a high-pitched tenor that could fool a trained ear into thinking it originated from the opposite sex, JB Lenoir was a totally unique artist.
The victim of a car accident at only age 38, it’s intriguing to ponder what further accomplishments might have lain ahead.
Three Lenoir tunes are Blues repertoire standards: '”Mojo Boogie”, “Mama Talk To Your Daughter”, and “Voodoo Boogie”. Lyrically, Lenoir’s songs stood a cut above the rest in terms of their sensitivity, maturity, and willingness to tackle matters of substance. His politically controversial “Eisenhower Blues” caused such a storm in 1954 that it was temporarily taken off the shelves and renamed “Tax Paying Blues”.
Many early sides were recorded with the likes of Sunnyland Slim, Alfred Wallace, and most noticeably saxophonist JT Brown (of Elmore James renown). After his JOB and Parrot sojourns, Lenoir spent three years at Checker, and bolstered his catalogue with performances like “Don’t Touch My Head” and “Natural Man”. He also recorded on labels like Vee-Jay, Shad, and USA.
In 1965-66, Lenoir cut two acoustic albums for German blues promoter Horst Lippman, recorded in Chicago under Willie Dixon's supervision. Free to write and sing whatever was on his mind, titles such as “Alabama March”, “Vietnam Blues”, and “Shot On James Meredith” emerged. Since the airing of an entire episode of Martin Scorcese Presents The Blues series devoted to JB
Lenoir, interest in his music has never been higher.
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