Carl Stewart

This Texas keyboard player and singer worked for the odious Huey Meaux at the end of the 60s and into the early 70s. His Copyright sides, at least one of which may have been cut at the Grits ‘N’ Gravy studios near Jackson, MS judging by the Thomas-McRee-Thomas writing credits, are pretty much organ led instrumentals, although Stewart himself would seem to be a guitarist if Youtube videos can be relied on. The exception is the bouncy “Let’s Do It” where the vocal is taken by Becky Bowser, but neither this track nor the other ones on the label do Carl much credit sadly.

As is so often the case with indie producers like Meaux, it is the tracks that he was able to lease out that overshadow the cuts they have to release themselves. And that holds true for Stewart as his self-penned Mercury 45 is far and away his best work. Ain’t Going Back To That has a melodic lilt and rhythmic structure that reminds me very much of the sort of music that was coming out of Malaco at the time. The official top side Gimme A Big Leg Woman is an answer to Israel “Popper Stopper” Tolbert’s huge smash of a year earlier. I think the arrangement works really well, particularly the syncopated bass line, and the background singers do a bang-up job behind Stewart who shows some strong vocal nuances. Check out the “Mr Big Stuff” horn charts at the bridge.

UPDATE ~ Dante Carfagne writes to say that Carl was from Beaumont, Texas and was a bit of a legend on the local scene.
May of the town's best players passed through his band at one time of the other.

Thanks to Bob McGrath and Dante Carfagna as ever for more discographical info.

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