Washboard Rodeo
Washboard Rodeo - 2010
Introducing an all-star line up of veteran New Orleans musicians playing Western Swing with a Crescent City style. Featuring a repertoire consisting of Swing greats like Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Spade Cooley and Cliff Bruner, Washboard Rodeo brings us back to better days.
Rounding out their sound are influences from City Swing classics like Cab Calloway, Count Basie and The Cats and the Fiddle.
Featuring Neti Vaan on fiddle (aka Nellie Belle), Matt Rhody on fiddle and mandolin (aka Tater), Matt Johnson on guitar (aka Dapper Dan), James Walsh on upright bass (aka Big Possum) and Washboard Chaz on washboard and snare drum (aka Scruboard Chuck).
The Palmetto Bug Stompers
Live @ d.b.a. - 2009
Captures the dark mood and thrill of a packed house at Frenchmen Street's world famous d.b.a bar. The Palmetto Bug Stompers will make you want to swing, jitterbug and move your feet!
Featuring Seva Venet (guitar, vocals), John Rodli (guitar, vocals), Washboard Chaz (washboard, vocals), Will Smith (trumpet, vocals), Jack Fine (cornet, vocals #12), Robert Snow (bass), Paul Robertson (trombone), Bruce Brackman (clarinet)
The Jake Leg Stompers
Walkin' the Dog - 2009
Walking the Dog is American roots-n-blues music played on tubas, washboards, upright bass, harps, national guitars, ukuleles, banjos, mandolins, trombones, saws. You know, ACOUSTIC STUFF!!
A combination of original tunes; New Orleans, Mississippi and Memphis string band and jug band standards, a few obscure tunes from the turn of the century and a spiritual thrown in for good measure.
The vocal work is shared between Steve Gardner, Washboard Chaz Leary and Bill Steber. Brandon Armstrong handled the tuba, trombone, bass, banjo, guitar and backing vocals while Hisa Nakase played bass and rhythm guitar and sang back up. Bill Benfield played mandolin, lead guitar and slide guitar.
WBC Blues Trio
Mix it Up! 2008
Mix It Up is an instant classic featuring the original Blues Trio of Washboard Chaz, Roberto Luti on Dobro Guitar and Andy J. Forest on harmonica and backing vocals. Includes Mother Died, featured in Werner Herzog's remake of The Bad Lieutenant.
Received outstanding reviews from Offbeat, Best of New Orleans and Where Ya At and is Roberto's last recording in the US before returning to his native home of Italy.
WBC Blues Trio
Hard Year Blues - 2006
Recorded after Katrina and one of the best from the Blues Trio including a mix of originals and classics.
"Chaz plays a deceptively unique instrument, blues washboard,
not to be confused with the ubiquitous zydeco rubboard. Leary's wood framed washboard
is outfitted with a wood block and a hotel call bell. He plays it like a drum kit,
ratcheting over the ridges of the corrugated metal as if it were a snare drum and
using the block, bell and wooden frame for rhythmic accents. It's all uptempo,
jump rhythms pushed by Leary's washboard with structural accompaniment from
Roberto Luti's superb guitar chording and melodic leads and fills on harmonica from Ben Maygarden."
-- Offbeat's John Swenson
Palmetto Bug Stompers
Ol' New Orleans Home - 2006
Ol' New Orleans Home is the second CD for the Palmetto Bugs and reflects a solid musical direction.
Offbeat's Steve Steinberg says, "I'd call it funky Dixieland except that many people object to the use of ÒDixielandÓ to describe a type of jazz, so let's settle for funky trad... reminiscent of a 1930s outfit known as Billy Banks and his Rhythmakers."
Tin Men
Freaks for Industry - 2005
"The Tin Men spend as much time revelling in the sheer rhythmic
joy of standards like Fats waller's "Your Feets Too Big" and Cab Calloway's
"Man From Harlem" (assisted by the Pfister Sisters) as they do ripping out
the wires out of slightly more modern standards like "I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday",
"Mess Around" and "Immigrant Song" (Yes, that one)"
-- Robert Fontenot
Offbeat June 2005
WBC Blues Trio
Dog Days - 2004
Feet start tapping and heads start nodding as soon as the
sound of Dog Days reaches anyone's ears. The trio features Washboard Chaz Leary
(washboard and vocals),Roberto Luti ( guitar) and Ben Maygarden (harmonica and vocals),
creating a classic acoustic blues sound with a bit of New Orleans flavor thrown in.
One of the highlight of the album is "Stagolee", an old, traditional song that comes
off as fresh and new in this recording. The majority of the album maintains a pace
that makes the songs sound happy and upbeat whether the subject of the lyrics matches
the vibe, as in "Real Best Friend" or the subject and sound seem to be in stark contrast
with each other as in "Knocking Myself Out"
-- Leah Snyder
WYAT Magazine June '05
Palmetto Bug Stompers
The Palmetto Bug Stompers - 2004
The Palmetto Bug Stompers was primarily a street band until the Old Point Bar in Algiers decided to give them a shot at playing indoors. They've been packing them in ever since.
The band consists of Jack on cornet and vocals, Scotty Hill on trombone, Washboard Chaz on you know what and vocals, Seva Venet, electric guitar, and Robert Snow on bass.
They are all pretty fair musicians but they play in a rough-hewn style that's suited to the streets, a sound that they favor as a matter of choice.
That is the kind of playing you'll hear on this CD. The cuts are a bit uneven but that's deliberate too. This is no slick studio makeover. Most of the tunes were done in one take and this is the band as you'll hear it on the job.
"..a snapshot in music of some good old New Orleans fun."
Offbeat April 2005 - read the review
Tin Men
Super Great Music for Modern Lovers - 2003
Guitarist/vocalist Alex McMurray, sousaphonist Matt Perrine and washboardist Washboard Chaz play in roughly 10 other bands, but it'll be a damn shame if their collaborative effort Tin Men falls by the wayside.
Their new CD, Super Great Music for Modern Lovers, is one of the most engaging New Orleans albums in recent memory and an instance of the sum being more than its formidable parts.
Blues Trio
Courtyard Blues - 2002
Courtyard Blues is Washboard Chaz's New Orleans debut featuring Roberto Luti on guitar and Andy J. Forest on vocals and harmonica.
Their first studio album put Chaz and the crew on the New Orleans map and there's been no looking back.
It's raw acoustic blues, covering the Piedmont finger-picking style as well as Delta and Chicago-styleblues.
Courtyard Blues mixes in originals and Western Swing as well, bringing you back to those sweet New Orleans summer nights on Frenchmen Street.
That's not all - look for Chaz on these additional recordings:
Email Chaz if interested in a copy
- John Hammond - Long As I Have You (Point Blank, 1998)
- John Hammond - John Hammond (Rounder, 1995)
- John Hammond - Frogs for Snakes (Rounder, 1981)
- Bleecker St - Tumbling Down (Flying Radio, 1995)
- Bleecker St - I Need A Gun and a Drink (Flying Radio, 1993)
- Telluride Bluegrass Festival - Live at 25 (Planet Bluegrass Recordings, 1998)
- Ophelia Swing Band - Swing Tunes of the 30's & 40's (Biscuit City, 1977)
- Ophelia Swing Band - Spreading Rhythm Around (Biscuit City, 1978)
- KC Jazz and Blues - When there's Hope (Recovery, 1999)
- Telluride Festival Tapes (Flying Fish, 1978)
- Mary Flower - Cooking with Flower (1981)
- Barbecue Bob and Washboard Chaz - Live & Rocking (1986)
- Judy Roderick - Judy Roderick and The Forbears (1984)
- Tim O'Brien - Rock in my Shoe (Sugar Hill Records) (1995)
- Johnny Long - Pressure Cooker, 'bout to Blow (1996)