40 years ago today, (1/30/80), New Orleans bluesman Professor Longhair died of a heart attack at age 61. Known as “Fess”, he left behind a body of work that not only influenced the likes of Dr. John and Allen Toussaint, among many others, but may quite possibly be what pops in the heads of most people when they think of “New Orleans music”, whether they know it or not. Fess was glorious on the piano and his loose, free-wheeling style of R&B perfectly captured the culture of his city. Since it never gets old, lets watch Fess rip out “Big Chief” live
