Papa Lemon: New Orleans Ukulele Maestro & Tent Show Troubadour

The one thing we are not told in the evocative and often hilarious liner notes of this album, is whether Lemon was indeed Lemon Nash's real first name. Internet searches aren’t helpful; we can only conclude that it was, and conjecture as to whether his brothers and sisters were also named after citrus fruit. Papa Lemon was a New Orleans street musician who sang a mix of blues, vaudeville, gospel and show tunes of the day: his bluesy singing isn’t sharp or sour at all, and his ukulele playing is in fact rather sweet. Honestly recorded in a domestic space, rather than a recording studio, you would have to be made of stone not to be charmed by the genteel, old-fashioned way he delivers ‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out’ or ‘Grave Diggers Blues’. The naughty double-entendres of songs like ‘Anybody Seen My Kitty?’ call to mind the UK's own uke-playing cheeky chappy, George Formby, only Lemon has a suave, seductive voice and considerable dexterity on his cute little instrument.

Songs are interspersed with his spoken reminiscences. He describes what he does as ‘serenadin’’ and pronounces New Orleans, fittingly, as more like ‘Rawleans’ throughout, bringing to life all the characters and chancers he ran into while playing at Medicine Shows and Fish Fries. Like the old slogan said: suck it and see.