Huey 'Piano' Smith & The Clowns - Having A Good Time (1959)

Huey 'Piano' Smith is an American pianist who during the late 50s was an important figure in New Orleans R&B.

Born in New Orleans in 1934, Huey Smith took up the piano at an early age, influenced by the great Professor Longhair. By the age of 15 he was playing in clubs, and before long was working alongside such New Orleans legends as Little Richard, Guitar Slim and Earl King. In 1957 he formed his own band, Huey 'Piano' Smith & The Clowns, which featured among others singer (and sometime female impersonator) Bobby Marchan. They were signed to Ace Records, and that same year scored a Top 10 R&B hit with the fantastic "Rocking Pneumonia & The Boogie Woogie Flu", a brassy slice of New Orleans rhythm & blues driven by Smith's rollicking piano. They released several more singles in the same style, the highest charting being 1958's "Don't You Just Know It" b/w "High Blood Pressure", which not only made it to both #4 on the R&B chart but also broke though to the Pop chart at #9.
This album from 1959 compiled his recordings from the Ace days, featuring both hits and plenty of similarly styled tunes. Some excellent New Orleans R&B, upbeat and full of fun.

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