Pleasant Joseph, known as Cousin Joe, (December 20, 1907 – October 2, 1989) was a New Orleans blues and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

singer, famous for his 1940s recordings with

Sidney Bechet Sidney Joseph Bechet ( ; May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important Solo (music), soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Ar ...

and Mezz Mezzrow.

Life

He was born in Wallace, Louisiana, United States, and worked at Whitney Plantation throughout his childhood. Until 1945, Cousin Joe toured Louisiana; that year he was asked to take part in the King Jazz recording sessions organized by Mezzrow and Bechet. In the 1970s, Cousin Joe toured extensively throughout the UK and Europe, both individually and as part of the American Blues Legends '74 revue organised by Big Bear Music. He also recorded the albums ''Gospel-Wailing, Jazz-Playing, Rock'n'Rolling, Soul-Shouting, Tap-Dancing Bluesman From New Orleans'' for Big Bear. Cousin Joe died in his sleep from natural causes in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, at the age of 81. He was survived by his wife Irene Joseph, son Michael and his three grandchildren Rahsaan, Mignonne and Jarrell.

Autobiography

*''Cousin Joe : Blues from New Orleans'' / Pleasant "Cousin Joe" Joseph and Harriet J. Ottenheimer. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1987. xi, 227 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.

Partial discography

* 1971 : ''Bad Luck Blues'' ( Black & Blue) with

Jimmy Dawkins James Henry “Jimmy” Dawkins (October 24, 1936 – April 10, 2013) was an American Chicago blues and electric blues guitarist and singer. He is generally considered to have been a practitioner of the "West Side sound" of Chicago blues. Career ...

and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown * 1973 : ''Cousin Joe From New Orleans'' ( BluesWay) * 1974 : ''Gospel Wailing, Jazz Playing, Soul Shouting, Tap Dancing Bluesman from New Orleans'' ( Big Bear Records) * 1974 : ''American Blues Legends '74'' ( Big Bear Records) * 1984 : ''Cousin Joe from New Orleans in his prime'' ( Oldie Blues) * 1985 : ''Relaxin' in New Orleans'' ound recording/ Cousin Joe. New Orleans, LA : Great Southern Records. 1 sound disc : analog, 33 rpm ; 12 in. * 1995 : ''Jumping at Jubilee'' ound recording London :

Sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

, NEM CD 749 * 1996 : ''Blues Festival'' ound recording , NEW CD 17 105 * 2003 : ''Magic Bostic - Bostic, Earl, 1913–1965'' ound recording/ Earl Bostic. Paris : Jazz Archives

Filmography

* 2005 : DVD ''The Blues of Cousin Joe'' (live - 29 August 1984 in

) (Storyville Films)

References

External links

Answers.com: Pleasant JosephSatchmo.com/cousinjoe/
1907 births 1989 deaths Jazz musicians from New Orleans Blues musicians from Louisiana American blues pianists American male jazz pianists American blues singers American jazz pianists American jazz singers Singers from Louisiana Savoy Records artists Decca Records artists Imperial Records artists 20th-century American singers 20th-century American pianists People from St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana 20th-century American male musicians Black & Blue Records artists {{US-jazz-pianist-stub