Lazy Lester

Contrary to his colorful sobriquet (supplied by prolific South Louisiana producer J.D. Miller), harpist Lazy Lester swore he never was all that lethargic. But he seldom was in much of a hurry either, although the relentless pace of his Excello Records swamp blues classics "I'm a Lover Not a Fighter" and "I Hear You Knockin'" might contradict that statement, too. While growing up outside of Baton Rouge, Leslie Johnson was influenced by Jimmy Reed and Little Walter. But his entry into playing professionally arrived quite by accident: while riding on a bus sometime in the mid-'...