ROCK STAR

Cosimo Matassa died today. Most of you probably don't know who he is, because the people who do know who he us don't show up here. Rather than visit a digital shit hole that writes about how the "I stubbed my toe today, and by the way, here's Gene Vincent" they go to places that more closely match their musical eggheadedness. That is, if they don't host their own place online. But here's the deal, Cosimo Matassa is a name you should know. Matassa was there at the inception of rock 'n' roll, when rhythm and blues got legs. In a modest studio behind a record shop, he recorded some of the most influential sides of early rock 'n' roll and New Orleans R&B. Listen to the songs below, and keep in mind that it's just a random sampling. I had to stop at a few because there's no good place to quit, there's hundreds and hundreds of them. Check out the Cosimo Code site and you'll see what I mean. Trust me, this is a cool rabbit hole.

Update 9/15/2014: Funky 16 Corners posted a twenty two song Cosimo Matassa mix. Go there to get it.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
Roy Brown - Good Rockin' Tonight mp3 at Rocky 52
Professor Longhair - Mardis Gras In New Orleans mp3 at Shimmy She Wobble
Little Richard - Tutti Frutti mp3 at Neverest
Guitar Slim - The Things I Used To Do mp3 at DJ Perro
Big Bo and the Arrows - Big Bo's Twist mp3 at Craft Reunion
Barbara Lynn - Oh Baby! (We Got A Good Thing Goin') mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Smiley Lewis - I Hear You Knockin' mp3 at DJ Perro
Poka-A-Dot Slim - Trick Bag (streaming) at YouTube 
Matassa mix:
Cosimo Matassa: The Master - 22 song mix at Funky 16 Corners
Visit:
The Cosimo Code
Cosimo Matassa - Profile at Know LA
Cosimo Matassa at Wikipedia