Ernie Vincent and the Top Notes

Lonesome Sundown, Lightnin’ Slim and Silas Hogan – names that conjure up the halcyon days of Excello swamp blues. Well – to that list you can now add Ernie Vincent – yes, he is that good! Vincent is a throwback – locked in a time-warp – who you could just imagine playing his blues in a Baton Rouge jook joint like Tabby’s Blues Box. Brooding, declamatory vocals, sparse, ringing guitar and wailing harp – yes, Vincent even has his own Oscar Harpo or Lazy Lester in the form of Andrew Duhon. On every track on this set you are just waiting for Vincent to proclaim “play your harmonica son” – but the fact that it doesn’t happen in no way detracts from the authenticity of Vincent’s swamp blues. The set opens with “Party On The Bayou”, and that’s exactly what it is as Vincent’s gravely vocals fired by pumping harp create a Louisiana “Wang Wang Doodle” feel. The upbeat “Swamp Daddy’s” recalls Lightnin’ Slim and finds Vincent and Duhon in great form creating a jook joint atmosphere that has me screaming “I want to go there!” “Bayou Road” is a brooding Hogan styled blues that had me looking for “roaches in my kitchen” – the foot-tapping “King Bee” is again permeated with Slim, using his technique of “swampifying” Muddy’s Chicago blues – whilst “I Can’t Believe” has a spiritual “Honest I Do” feel.That leaves the self explanatory and truly infectious, “Swamp Jump Boogie”, and the irresistible rhythms of “Mardi Gras Chief” which features Big Chief Monk Boudreaux on tambourine – who just happens to be the next artist under consideration in this review. - Blues in Britan

In his liner notes to Bayou Road Blues, New Orleans singer and guitarist Ernie Vincent recalls “Friday night fish fries playing Jimmy Reed songs with the likes of Little Freddie King,” and learning “Muddy Waters licks and drinkin’ “White Lightnin’” while watching the sun go down.” Well, if that doesn’t elicit visions of the delta blues, what can? Funny thing—this is Vincent’s first acoustic delta blues album, even though the music’s always been close to his heart and he’s been a performing musician for many of his 69 years.
People know the name Ernie Vincent from his 1972 funky dance hit “Dap Walk,” one of the most sampled songs ever in Europe. A wary businessman, he hasn’t recorded much since. It took this off-the-cuff recording made in somebody’s kitchen, and friend and producer Jerry Moran’s astonishment upon hearing the tapes to make this album. Look at the cover photo; Vincent’s fingers are Robert Johnson snake-like. (Another funny thing—he’s not holding an acoustic guitar, but rather the battered electric he’s written every one of his songs on, and which he calls his wife.)
Settling down into his chair (and you can hear it creaking), Ernie Vincent eases into the revelry of “Party on the Bayou” singing in a jagged but tuneful voice and playing agile, rhythmic guitar. Adding hot spice and tremendous feeling is up-and-coming New Orleans star Andrew Duhon on 2nd position harp, the juxtaposed talents of the two artists creating a riveting blues experience. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux hits a tambourine in “Mardi Gras Chief,” a fantastic melding of Crescent City and delta rhythms. “I Can’t Believe” is a heart-wrenching soul ballad with a lonesome whistle of a harp line. Otherwise, Vincent and Duhon visit familiar delta themes with inventiveness. There’s hardship reflected in the brooding “Bayou Road,” relationship woes in the insistently rocking “Just Like My Woman,” and of course sexual innuendo in the front porch ruminations of “I’m Your Snake Baby.” “River City People” offers a lowdown, picturesque take on the locals’ festivities. All ten songs are Vincent’s and every one is more staggering with time.

TOM CLARKE - Blues Revue~The World's Blues Magazine

In his liner notes to Bayou Road Blues, New Orleans singer and guitarist Ernie Vincent recalls “Friday night fish fries playing Jimmy Reed songs with the likes of Little Freddie King,” and learning “Muddy Waters licks and drinkin’ “White Lightnin’” while watching the sun go down.” Well, if that doesn’t elicit visions of the delta blues, what can? Funny thing—this is Vincent’s first acoustic delta blues album, even though the music’s always been close to his heart and he’s been a performing musician for many of his 69 years.
People know the name Ernie Vincent from his 1972 funky dance hit “Dap Walk,” one of the most sampled songs ever in Europe. A wary businessman, he hasn’t recorded much since. It took this off-the-cuff recording made in somebody’s kitchen, and friend and producer Jerry Moran’s astonishment upon hearing the tapes to make this album. Look at the cover photo; Vincent’s fingers are Robert Johnson snake-like. (Another funny thing—he’s not holding an acoustic guitar, but rather the battered electric he’s written every one of his songs on, and which he calls his wife.)
Settling down into his chair (and you can hear it creaking), Ernie Vincent eases into the revelry of “Party on the Bayou” singing in a jagged but tuneful voice and playing agile, rhythmic guitar. Adding hot spice and tremendous feeling is up-and-coming New Orleans star Andrew Duhon on 2nd position harp, the juxtaposed talents of the two artists creating a riveting blues experience. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux hits a tambourine in “Mardi Gras Chief,” a fantastic melding of Crescent City and delta rhythms. “I Can’t Believe” is a heart-wrenching soul ballad with a lonesome whistle of a harp line. Otherwise, Vincent and Duhon visit familiar delta themes with inventiveness. There’s hardship reflected in the brooding “Bayou Road,” relationship woes in the insistently rocking “Just Like My Woman,” and of course sexual innuendo in the front porch ruminations of “I’m Your Snake Baby.” “River City People” offers a lowdown, picturesque take on the locals’ festivities. All ten songs are Vincent’s and every one is more staggering with time.

TOM CLARKE - Illinois Blues Society

Rootstime is reporting for :
Euro Americana Chart & Roots Music Report
Blues singer / guitarist Ernie Vincent names his father Ernest Duncan Williams as his first musical influence along with Muddy Waters and with many others. He mentions the Friday night blues party, where everyone who likes the spirit of the blues got drunk there looked for allies as described in the liner notes. Ernie Vincent with his coarse-grained voice seems to nestle comfortably in that center. However, he is better known as the funky bluesman who in 1971 founded “The Top Notes’ and scored the huge deep funk hit” Dap Walk “and released several albums of Funk / Blues . The present time seemed ripe for Vincent to release his material of the Louisiana Delta blues for the first time, with harmonica player Andrew Duhon beside him who discreetly accents. In the Ten unpolished songs Vincent visualizes the Louisiana bayou, swamp, snakes, insects, females and all that which can boast picturesque New Orleans. On ‘Mardi Gras Chief “with Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, it is equally festive state. In the liner notes Ernie Vincent also thanked “Sweet Home New Orleans” team that assisted him in releasing this recording. This album is rooted in the history of the Southern Delta country blues, where vocals, guitar and blues harp are sufficient to guarantee an intimate atmosphere, still untouched by the virus and commerce which is increasingly rare. That being said, the recording quality is raw here and there, which adds to the charm and authenticity of this “live” album , which happens to be a tribute to the ‘River City People, “one of the ten acoustic songs. Only the last “Jump Swamp Boogie ‘is Mike West Bank with electric guitar, as an invitation to all the Saturday morning meeting swinging dance. Marcie - RootsTime.BE Belguim and Netherlands

A sound of a cracking wooden chair emerges from the silence – someone has just sat comfortably. After a voice saying “oh right” the music begins. But it’s very different from what is served nowadays by huge blues labels. It’s acoustic but in the spirit of Lightnin’ Hopkins rather than Robert Johnson. It’s more loose, lazy, a bit like folk – blues recordings from the sixties. The rhythm is deep and the guitar playing mixes with articulated foot tapping and acoustic harmonica playing. Then the voice starts to emerge from the music. Not young and rough, but more cheerful than depressed, as if singing for friends during the weekend barbeque. That’s the music of Ernie Vincent, singer and guitar player, who made the funk hit “Dap Walk” in 1972. On the “Bayou Road Blues” he’s going back to the roots, which is proved by using the names of the artists such as Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed or Hopkins, who was already mentioned, on the CD’s cover. The whole album is clearly reminiscent of the Hopkins’ sound. The main difference is the subtle taste of the whole CD, like with a few drops of New Orleans sauce. This impression is increased by Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, who plays tambourine on the track called “Mardi Gras Chief”. It’s a very short longplay, just like the long-lost album. But it’s great, that we can find it again, because – with all the anticipation for the latest productions – it has something, that is very hard to hear elsewhere.
Przemek Draheim editor-in chief Blues in Poland Magazine - Blues.pl is the oldest Polish on-line blues magazine established in 2000.

On Saturday June 20th two profound pioneers of traditional New Orleans music will converge at Tipitina’s for a musical performance.
Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and his band the Golden Eagles will share the bill with Ernie Vincent and the Top Notes.
Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and the Golden Eagles -
In the late 1960s, Boudreaux joined the Wild Magnolias, the Mardi GrasIndian group lead by his Big Chief Bo Dollis. Dollis and Boudreaux have been close friends since their childhood.In 1970, Boudreaux appeared with the Wild Magnolias at the very first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and also in the same year, the groupreleased the single “Handa Wanda” on Crescent City Records, the first studio recorded music by the Mardi Gras Indians. In 1974, he appeared with the Wild Magnolias on their debut album on Barclay/Polydor Records which featured Snooks Eaglin and Willie Tee in the supporting musicians. Boudreaux is exclusively featured on Golden Eagles’ album Lightning and Thunder, a live recording released in 1988 on Rounder Records. After being with the Wild Magnolias for over 30 years, Boudreaux left the group in 2001 as a result of disputes with the group’s manager over guarantee payments. Since then he has performed and recorded with artists such as Anders Osborne, Galactic and Papa Mali aside from the Golden Eagles. In the recent years, he has also participated in the recording and tour of the Voice of the Wetlands All-stars, a band that also featured Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, and Dr. John among others. He is also featured on one track in the New Orleans Social Club’s album Sing Me Back Home released in 2006. Boudreaux appeared in full dress on the 2006 Congo Square Poster of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Ernie Vincent and the Top Notes-
Considered by many to be a funk music pioneer, Ernie Vincent grew up playing guitar in the bayous of Southern Louisiana. From a very young age, his family and his neighbors taught him to play guitar. In the early 1970’s Ernie formed the Top Notes. Soon after the band gained local notoriety playing clubs all over New Orleans including the Mason Strip and backing many of the top Rhythm & Blues acts of the era including Solomon Burke, Joe Tex, and Joe Simon.Since it exploded in 1972, the funk anthem “Dap Walk” has been shaking butts all over the world. Most recently featured on HBO’s hit series “Sex and the City”, Dap Walk has become a cult classic from Sweden to Tokyo and DJ’s worldwide are scrambling to find the few remaining copies of the original 45. For many record collectors worldwide, Dap Walk is a most sought after record. Recently, Ernie has reformed his band The Top Notes with some fine young New Orleans talent, Eric Heigle(drums), Josh Reppel(bass), Phillip Breen(Keyboards), and James Martin(sax). Additionally local accomplished trumpet player Shamarr Allen will be joining the horn section when his schedule allows, and yes he will be there Saturday at Tipitinas! If you’ve been waiting for some low down funky blues, Ernie’s primed to deliver !
Ernie has also recently completed an Acoustic Delta Blues CD with Bluesman Andrew Duhon(harmonica) entitled “Bayou Road Blues” which will be released 7/2/09! - Press release