Whispering Smith

Harpist Whispering Smith made it in on the tail end of the swamp blues movement that swept the Baton Rouge region, working with Lightnin' Slim and Silas Hogan before making his own fine singles for Crowley, LA producer J.D. Miller. Alternating down-in-the-bayou entries such as "Mean Woman Blues" (not the Elvis Presley/Roy Orbison rocker), "I Tried So Hard," and "Don't Leave Me Baby" with the storming instrumentals "Live Jive" (also featuring the fleet guitar of Ulysses Williams) and "Hound Dog Twist," Smith was an excellent performer who arrived in Crowley just a trifle late, after the heyday of the swamp blues sound. Excello decided to give swamp music another try in 1970 without Miller's expert supervision, inviting Smith back to cut an LP in Baton Rouge that just didn't live up to his former glory. ~ Bill Dahl