Overton Amos Lemons, más conocido por todos como Smiley Lewis (1913-1966)... Una leyenda de New Orleans azotada por la mala suerte y que esquivó la fama sin pretenderlo. Si su música hubiera surcado las ondas radiofónicas con más frecuencia en aquel tiempo, su fortuna hubiera cambiado muy probablemente....
" We just couldn't get Smiley started. He always had the best material. His records would sell great all around New Orleans but we just couldn't break him nationally like everyone else. It was a frustrating situation." --- Dave Bartholomew
¿Qué seguidor de la maravillosa serie de TV de David Simon, "Treme", no puede acordarse de la versión de "Shame Shame Shame"? Cualquiera un poco aficionado al RnB, disfrutará con estas 96 perlas sonoras. Smiley Lewis no vivió lo suficiente para disfrutar del creciente interés que resurgió a partir de los setenta por el RnB más clásico de New Orleans y que perdura hasta nuestros días.
Sus grabaciones han sido reeditadas muchísimas veces a lo largo de las últimas décadas, pero en ninguna de ellas su música se había recogido con tanto mimo y detalle como en esta publicación a cargo de Bear Family Records. Cuatro discos y un atractivo libreto de 36 páginas repleto de jugosa información, una edición donde el espíritu de Smiley Lewis arde con el impetuoso fuego de su música.
"Smiley was an original, he had an original big sound. An, one thing about him, he could sing annything, any type of music." --- Dave Bartholomew
Dave Bartholomew, Herb Hardesty, Tuts Washington, James Booker, Huey Smith, Lee Allen, Alvin Tyler, Allen Toussaint, Earl Palmer...y un innumerable número de músicos "anónimos" de extrema calidad lo acompañaron, y que mejor que las opiniones de algunos de ellos para conocer un poquito más la dimensión de este gran artista:
"He didn't need a mike. And he was a singer, not just a regular blues singer, he could really sing. I believe he could have been an opera singer, that's how much pitch he had in his voice." --- Herb Hardesty
" He was the most underrated, underestimated singer from New Orleans, and he was beautiful to work with. I worked with him at the Dew Drop, around town, all that, and on records, and he was a perfect gentleman at all times." --- Lee Allen
" If Smiley hadn't died by now he would have become one of the all-time great blues singers. The man had a natural big blues voice." --- Earl Palmer
DISC 1:
2. Tee-Nah-Nah
3. Lowdown
4. Slide Me Down
5. Growing Old
6. If You Ever Loved a Woman
7. Dirty People
8. Where Were You
9. My Baby
10. Sad Life
11. Bee's Boogie
12. Don't Jive Me
13. My Baby Was Right
14. The Bells Are Ringing
15. Lillie Mae
16. You're Gonna Miss Me
17. Gypsy Blues
18. You're Not the One
19. Gumbo Blues
20. Ain't Gonna Do It
21. It's So Peaceful
22. Calsonia's Party
23. Lonesome Highway
24. Standing on the Corner
25. Oh Baby
DISC 2:
1. Big Mamou / Play Girl
2. I Love You For Sentimental Reasons
3. Lying Woman
4. Little Fernandez
5. It's Music
6. Show Me the Way
7. Down the Road
8. Blue Monday
9. The Rocks
10. That Certain Door
11. Nobody Knows
12. Can't Stop Loving You
13. Ooh la La
14. Too Many Drivers
15. Lost Week End
16. Jailbird
17. Farewell
18. Real Gone Lover
19. Bumpity Bump
20. I Can't Believe It
21. I Hear You Knocking
22. Hey Girl
23. Come On
24. Queen of Hearts
DISC 3:
1. One Night
2. Nothing But the Blues
3. Line & Sinker She's Got Me Hook
4. By the Water
5. Rootin' and Tootin'
6. Please Listen to Me
7. No No
8. Someday You'll Want Me
9. Down Yonder We Go Ballin'
10. No Letter Today
11. Mama Don't Like
12. Shame, Shame Shame
13. Shame, Shame! Shame
14. Sweeter Words (Have Never Been Told)
15. When Did You Leave Heaven
16. You Are My Sunshine
17. I Wake up Screamin'
18. Go on Fool
19. How Long
20. Goin' to Jump and Shout
21. The Shiek of Araby
22. Bad Luck Blues
23. School Days Are Back Again
24. Crazy
25. My Love Is Gone
DISC 4:
1. Lil Liza Janel Shall Not Be Moved
2. Ain't Goin' There No More
3. Oh Red!
4. Last Night
5. I Want to Be With Her
6. Tell Me Who
7. Stormy Monday Blues
8. These Bones
9. Goin' Down the Road
10. Tore Up
11. I'm Coming Down With the Blues
12. Tomorrow Night
13. To the River
14. I Wonder
15. Sometimes
16. Lookin' For My Woman
17. One Night of Sin
18. The Bells Are Ringing
19. The Jump - (TRUE instrumental)
20. Walkin' the Girl - (TRUE instrumental)
21. Oh Red!
22. Aint' Goin' There No More