Leon Eason

[mikeweil]

Anybody here ever heard this Blue Note 45? Who was Leon Eason?

This was part of an otherwise unissued session:

Leon Eason (tp,vcl) acc by Dottie Dudley (org) John Simmons (b) Ronnie Cole (d)

Hackensack, N.J., May 17, 1959

tk.1	I'm in the mood for love	Blue Note 45-1745
tk.3	I'm in the mood for love	(unissued)
tk.7	Because of you (alt)	-
tk.8	Because of you	Blue Note 45-1746 (not released)
tk.13	Song of the islands	-
tk.14	That's my home	45-1747 (not released)
tk.18	I'm just a gigolo	-
tk.20	All of me	(unissued)
tk.23	Blueberry Hill	-
tk.24	Cape Cod	-
tk.31	Lazy river	Blue Note 45-1745
tk.35	I'll never smile again	(unissued)
tk.37	Sweethearts on parade	-

 

This other 45 makes me think of some Babs Gonzales connection:

Edited February 7, 2019 by mikeweil

[JSngry]

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/leon-eason-mn0001844108

At least one item in there is blatantly wrong, but the rest might be legit (enough).

[Jaffa]

I have just played my copy again after years: It's not bad at all ! LE is copying Satchmo in a blatant manner.

I really wonder what Blue Note had in mind cutting this session...

[Chuck Nessa]

37 minutes ago, Jaffa said:

I have just played my copy again after years: It's not bad at all ! LE is copying Satchmo in a blatant manner.

I really wonder what Blue Note had in mind cutting this session...

I believe this was recorded as a favor to Ike Quebec.

[Jaffa]

Chuck

Quite possibly - but why was only one 45 issued ? Nobody bought it then.. For Juke Boxes to match the Decca-45s by LA popular then ?

[jazztrain]

From what I can tell, Eason was based in Newark.  Perhaps there was also the hope that there would be some local interest.