Les Muscutt (bjo, gtr) – born in Barrow-in-Furness, England on June 30, 1941. A prominent jazz player, he made a name for himself among the best jazz players in New Orleans during the 1970s, particularly with The French Market Jazz Band.
This article from the revised edition of Al Rose and Edmond Souchon’s “New Orleans Jazz – A Family Album” (published by Louisiana State University Press, out of print and costing a fortune on eBay) hints at the prestige of this wonderful musician. .
It is not easy to be accepted as a “brother” in New Orleans, but Les Muscutt achieved this with the twin qualities of his mildly cheerful personality and his remarkable skill on the guitar and particularly on the banjo. His retirement due to health problems came as a shock to everyone and I was drawn to write this article to encourage you to hear his enormous production and contribution to jazz and New Orleans jazz in particular. He came from a family of musicians and the gift of a scruffy banjo and a decent “Harmony” guitar led him to take an interest in music, and with the BBC’s jazz and dance music programs his fate was sealed. When a friend of John Beecham rang the bell and asked if he would like to come rehearse with a group and maybe play some concerts, he was hooked!
They moved to central London, actually Lisle Street in Soho. Got a job at 77 Charing Cross Road, yes, Dobell’s legendary record store! Many of his clients were musicians, and Les’s first professional job was with the Nat Gonella Band. Short works with Acker Bilk, Cy Laurie, Terry Pitt and the London version of Clyde Valley Stompers and more than a year with Clinton Ford and Charlie Gall’s Jazz Band. Jobs came along with “Mike Cotton Sound” and Bruce Turner, and during all this time the quality of Les’s performance increased.
Les was married to the awesome “Babs” at the time and when an offer came in to play in the new “Your Father’s Mustache” franchise in New York, he was too good to turn down. Many moves followed to play for this franchise in the United States, and traveling with a wife and children was an expensive business. When the offer to open the franchise in New Orleans came, it came with some degree of permanence and as the leader of the band, Les snatched it up.
Opening a “Red Garter Club” in New Orleans created more opportunities. Being the leader of a gang in New Orleans is the key to the magic kingdom! The wonderful Freddie Lonzo got his first jobs with Les, then Maynard Chatters and Paul Crawford came along. The trick with “Mustache” and “Red Garter” was to know almost every song ever written and Les had learned this skill. The three chord trick was gone and Les, the master musician, was here in New Orleans.
In these jobs, quantity was essential (they lasted five or sometimes six hours a night), but Les had the added advantage of quality to increase quantity! Les was the leader of the band six nights a week and on his night off, Emmanuel Sayles led the band. Try a CD titled “Banjos on Bourbon” – ADD.NOBILITY 701 featuring Manny Sayles, Narvin Kimball and Jerry Green to sample Banjo music on the Red Garter.
During the intervals in his Bourbon Street performances, Les wandered around the corner of St. Peter Street and Preservation Hall. He began playing with the Kid Sheik band at the Hall and worked with many bands on Bourbon Street, including The Famous Door and Connie Jones’s Band.
In the Al Rose / Ed Souchon book there is a great picture of the “French Market Jazz Band”. I asked them about this; said: “It was a wonderful way to spend the weekend! The band was mostly made up of band leaders, people loved jazz, they threw money at the kitty and we had a lot of money to buy beer and we had a great time well with a little money to take home with our wives to show that we had been working. “
When Nina Buck opened “The Palm Court Cafe”, Les played with the band led by Louis Nelson. When Nelson died in 1988, Pud Brown took over and when Pud died, Brian O “Connell took the clarinet chair, Lionel Ferbos played the trumpet. And Les became the leader of the band and held this position until his early retirement. of this year.
For many years, Les toured the UK for the summer with Chris Burke. This was made possible by a lucrative visit to Norway with Chris and then a trip to the UK to meet up with old friends and play some gigs. In fact, Les was in the UK when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and he rushed home to find his Babs evacuated to the country to avoid the dire situation in New Orleans.
In 2001, Les had to undergo open heart surgery. He never fully recovered and that led to his eventual retirement. He lost feeling in two fingers on his left hand and even after extensive physical therapy, he had to admit defeat!
I must tell you that even with this problem, I have listened many nights and enjoyed his superb performance, but Les is a perfectionist and as he told me “I got tired of pretending and knowing that I couldn’t do what I wanted to do.” Then the banjo! It slips into its case and stands up so Babs can clean under it!
There are so many CDs with Les Muscutt that I’m almost scared to select them, but here it goes: 504CDS 100 “The 504 Records Story 1978-2003” This shows a cross-section of the bands that Les recorded with. 504CDS8 with Wendell Eugene’s Band; this is one of Les favorites: Albert Walters (tpt), Raymond Burke (clt) Janette Kimball (Pno), Chester Zardis (bass) and Chester Jones (drums)
He played them on a Doc Cheatham and Nicholas Payton record on the Verve label, which won a Grammy Award.
Finally, one of Les’s favorites is a Jazzology JCD-233 CD titled “Swinging Down to New Orleans” featuring the legendary Doc Cheatham.
If you come to New Orleans you won’t find Les Muscutt in a bandstand anywhere. You could catch him on a special night at the Palm Court Cafe, or if you’re fishing on the lake, the guy next to you who catches the giant catfish could be Les Muscutt!