Rumor has it he never fell out of favor in Louisville, Kentucky where he remains a cherished local treasure. He resurfaced for general consumption in 1994, turning in guitar and songwriting duties on Chuck Berry piano-man Johnnie Johnson's comeback album, Johnnie B. Bad. Both the liner notes and the music paint a picture of another place in another time. The atmosphere is heavy with the smells of barbecue and fried jack salmon, and thick with intrigue. Innocents cross paths with the world weary.
Lonely men seek temporary comfort.
The bourbon flows freely as a ragtag bunch punches out pig Latin blues in exchange for a hot meal. Meantime, the Creole princess's black magic hangs in the air, keeping the Upper Mississippi crossroads safe for all peaceful comers. It'd be easy to dismiss Mama U-Seapa as fantasy, but there's no denying that someone or something like her brought life to the music on this record. The richness and flavor of the tunes were inspired by a powerful force, something organic, vivid and wonderful. Or maybe it's the other way around.