A JOHN ANGELATOS SPECIAL PRESENTATION - VA - The Legendary Jay Miller Sessions, Volumes 01 -57 [1976-1989] (55 x CDs)

A JOHN ANGELATOS SPECIAL PRESENTATION - The Legendary Jay Miller Sessions, Volumes 01 -57

This is frankly extraordinary and as a fan of all things Americana from Cajun to Zydeco and Swamp Rhythm and Blues of the South in Louisiana to Texas, it is well worth checking out

From the Big Bopper to Slim Harpo to Clifton Chenier and Rockin’ Dupsie ; Fais Do Do!

Eh, BON TON ROULET!

BUTTERBOY says "JOSEPH DENTON "JAY" MILLER - The Architect of Swamp Blues and Cajun Soundscapes

Born on May 5, 1922, in Iota, Louisiana, Jay Miller grew up steeped in Cajun music, later relocating with his family to El Campo, Texas. By his teens, he was back in Crowley, LA, forming bands and landing radio gigs, including a spot with The Four Aces, who recorded for Bluebird Records. After serving in WWII, Miller returned home, married, and opened a record store, laying the groundwork for a prolific career in regional music production.

Miller founded the Fais-Do-Do label to meet the growing demand for Cajun recordings, producing early hits with Happy Fats and the Rayne-Bo Ramblers at Cosimo Matassa’s New Orleans studio. He also launched Feature Records, a country imprint that spotlighted artists like fiddler Lee Stoner and Al Terry. His songwriting chops earned national attention when Kitty Wells took “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” to No.1 in 1952.

By the mid-1950s, Miller pivoted toward R&B and swamp blues, closing Feature Records and opening his Crowley studio to a new wave of talent. His hypnotic, echo-laden productions defined the Swamp Blues genre, and his decade-long partnership with Excello Records yielded classics from Lightnin’ Slim, Lazy Lester, Slim Harpo, and others. Miller famously coined many of their stage names and built a house band that backed Excello’s finest, Tabby Thomas, Whispering Smith, and Lonesome Sundown among them.

He also championed Zydeco, releasing early sides by Clifton Chenier on his Zynn label, and helped launch Slim Harpo’s career with “I’m a King Bee,” a track that rippled through the British blues boom. Harpo’s “Baby Scratch My Back” became Excello’s biggest hit, reaching No.1 on the R&B charts and crossing into the Hot 100.

Miller’s career ended abruptly in 1966 after a falling-out with Excello and a controversial turn toward segregationist material via his Red Rebel Records imprint. He left the music business soon after, passing the studio to his son Mark and resurfacing only briefly to oversee digital reissues of his Excello catalog. Jay Miller died on March 23, 1996, during heart surgery. (Excerpts from All About Blues Music)

His legacy is complex, but the Jay Miller Sessions remain a cornerstone of Southern blues history. raw, rhythmic, and regionally rooted. 

For years, I hunted these elusive recordings, piecing together the set one by one until the day I finally found them all online. With gratitude to the original uploader, I now share them here, knowing others will find joy and meaning in these timeless tracks. (John Angelatos)

VA - The Legendary Jay Miller Sessions, Volumes 01 -57 [1976-1989] (55 x CDs)

This set represent one of the most ambitious and historically vital archival undertakings in blues and roots music, spanning 55 volumes issued by Flyright Records. This series offers a panoramic view of Louisiana’s swamp blues, rockabilly, and regional R&B, as captured by producer Jay Miller at his Crowley, Louisiana studio.

Issued between 1976 and 1989, the series draws from Miller’s vast vault of unreleased recordings, demos, and alternate takes, many of which had languished unheard since the 1950s and 1960s. Working with Flyright Records in the UK, Miller helped curate a sprawling anthology that not only preserved his own legacy but also illuminated the careers of artists like Lightnin’ Slim, Lazy Lester, Slim Harpo, Lonesome Sundown, Silas Hogan, and Al Ferrier. These were the architects of swamp blues and Louisiana rockabilly, genres defined by hypnotic rhythms, laconic vocals, and regional flair.

The sessions were recorded at Miller’s Master Trak Studio, often with minimal equipment but maximum atmosphere. His production style, raw, echo-laden, and rhythm-forward, became synonymous with the Excello sound, a label that leased many of Miller’s recordings in the 1950s and 1960s. But the Flyright series goes deeper: it includes alternate versions, unreleased tracks, and obscure artists whose work never made it to vinyl during Miller’s active years. Volumes like They Call Me Lazy (Vol. 7), King of Louisiana Rockabilly (Vol. 10), and Harpo’s Shake Your Hips (Vol. 31) offer collector-grade insights into the evolution of regional American music.

Each volume is curated with care, often focusing on a single artist or theme, and accompanied by liner notes that contextualize the recordings within Miller’s broader output. The series is not just a document of music, it’s a portrait of a studio, a town, and a producer whose ear for talent shaped the sound of southern blues. From the haunting minimalism of Lonesome Sundown to the rollicking energy of Johnny Jano, the sessions reveal a sonic world that’s both intimate and expansive.

For collectors, historians, and deep listeners, The Legendary Jay Miller Sessions remain a cornerstone of American roots reissue culture. They offer not just preservation, but revelation, proof that the margins of music history often contain its most enduring treasures.

The entire set offers over 700 tracks and 28hrs brilliant music.

Please note There is NO Volume 46 or 53 (they don't exist.)

Please give thanks to John Angelatos for this wonderful share. He alone is responsible for this share.” [BUTTERBOY]

Check the link to see the full track listing as it is frankly staggering!