This list includes only LPs and CDs. For information on Esquerita 45's, please refer to the biographical notes.

ESQUERITA! (Capitol #T-1186; 1959) - much sought after by collectors who will pay upwards of $300 for a copy
1. Hey Miss Lucy
2. She Left Me Crying
3. Hole In My Heart
4. Believe Me When I Say Rock 'n' Roll
5. I Need You
6. Why Did It Take You So Long
7. Get Back Baby
8. I'm Batty over Hattie
9. Gettin' Plenty of Lovin'

WILDCAT SHAKEOUT (UK Ember/Specialty #SPE 6603; 1969).
1. Rockin' the Joint
2. Hole in my Heart
3. Hey Miss Lucy
4. Get Back Baby
5. Baby You Can Depend on Me
6. I'm Batty over Hattie
7. Crazy Crazy Feeling
8. Gettin' Plenty of Lovin'
9. Esquerita and the Voola
10. Laid Off
11. Believe Me When I Say Rock and Roll is Here to Stay
12. Oh Baby
13. I Need You
14. Why Did It Take So Long?

BEST OF ESQUERITA (Capitol 2S 150 85370/1; France, 1978) - 2 LPs, all of the Capitol tracks (for list, see Capitol Collector's Series CD below).

ESQUERITA! (France - Pathe Marconi reissue - Capitol 1550791; 1984). -- exact replica of the 1959 LP.

SOCK IT TO ME BABY (Bear Family BCD #15504; 1987) - 12 previously unreleased tracks recorded in 1965 for Atlantic Record's Herb Abramson; also includes a segment of an interview with Little Richard. Available from Bear Family Records.
1. Introduction by Little Richard
2. Sock It To Me Baby
3. Nobody Wants You (When You're Down and Out)
4. Mississippi God-Damn
5. Wig-Wearin' Baby
6. I Can't Stand It Anymore
7. Get Along Honey, Honey
8. I Guess I'll Go Through Life Alone
9. Never Again
10. Until Then
11. At The Dew Drop Inn
12. (I Don't Want Nobody Gonna) Steal My Love From Me
13. What's Wrong With You

ROCKIN' THE JOINT (Official #6001; 1988). Produced in Denmark; liner notes by Clive Anderson; 16 tracks from the '58 Capitol sessions

ESQUERITA! (Stateside #SSL 6037; 1989). UK reissue of the scarce and highly-valued 1959 LP (Stateside was also known as EMI-UK). Liner notes by Charlie Gillet (author of "The Sound of the City").
1. Hey Miss Lucy
2. She Left Me Crying
3. Hole In My Heart
4. Believe Me When I Say Rock 'n' Roll
5. I Need You
6. Why Did It Take You So Long
7. Get Back Baby
8. I'm Batty over Hattie
9. Gettin' Plenty of Lovin'

BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY ROCK AND ROLL IS HERE TO STAY (New Rose / FanClub #FC 053; 1989). Double LP; same 28 cuts as the 1978 'New Rose' album listed above.

After the relative disappointment of the recent Stateside compilation (see Q33), here's the real thing. Fan Club, an offshoot of French independent label New Rose, have licensed the complete Capitol recordings and released them as a 28-track double LP. Here, among the piano-pounding rockers left by the man who taught Little Richard so much of his style, are all his singles, their B-sides, assorted rarer tracks like I Live The Life I Love (both versions) and the wilder pounding drums, Latin piano and soprano warblings of Esquerita And The Voola, plus his rarest cut, Laid Off. Esquerita may not have been a particularly memorable writer nor did he have such a dramatic, swooping vocal range as his famous pupil, Little Richard, but there's an infectious raw RHYTHMANDBLUES energy in his playing and pleasing vitality in his gruffer, more soulful vocals that sounds much less time-warped than a lot of other early rock'n'roll. Nor is it all frantic hammering and hollering-there's slower material and plenty of other instrumentation featured here too, all of which make this set thoroughly enjoyable in its own right.

--Ian Cranna -- © Emap Consumer Magazines Limited.

I NEVER DANCED NOWHERE! (Charly #224; 1990; OOP) - This CD is becoming very difficult to find, but it's worth the search. 17 tracks cut in New Orleans in 1962, including some never previously released. The last five tracks are from a studio jam. Esquerita is in fine form as he puts the Eskerettes through their paces in some gospel-laden numbers, then gets Allen Toussaint to pump out Mardi Gras in New Orleans at a frenzied pace, and does a terrific version of Laid Off. Liner notes by Neil Slaven.
1. Undivided Love
2. I Waited Too Long
3. The Flu
4. Margie
5. I Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind On My Baby)
6. Sarah Lee
7. How Long
8. Green Door
9. 10-4 (Calling All Cars)
10. Like You
11. Never Will I
12. The Flu
13. A Tear
14. I Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind On My Baby)
15. Mardi Gras in New Orleans
16. Laid Off
17. Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean

CAPITOL COLLECTOR'S SERIES: ESQUERITA (Capitol #CDP 7918712; 1990; OOP) - all 28 Capitol tracks recorded originally in 1958.
. The accompanying sleeve-booklet is very well researched and so this CD, being a limited edition, now commands fairly high prices - usually $30 or $40. 1. Oh Baby
2. Please Come Home
3. Sarah Lee
4. I Live The Life I Love
5. Katie Mae
6. Wait A Minute Baby
7. Rockin' The Joint
8. Golly Golly, Annie Mae
9. I Found Her
10. Hey Miss Lucy
11. I'm Battie Over Hattie
12. Crazy Crazy Feeling
13. Esquerita And The Voola
14. She Left Me Crying
15. Why Did It Take You So Long
16. Gettin' Plenty Of Lovin
17. Believe Me When I Say Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay
18. Laid Off
19. I Live The Life I Love (Version 2)
20. This Thing Called Love
21. Get Back Baby
22. Baby Come Back
23. Baby, You Can Depend On Me
24. Just Another Lie
25. You Can't Pull Me Down
26. I Need You
27. Maybe Baby
28. Hole In My Heart

Minit Records Story (EMI, E2 30879 ; 1994; OOP). A 2-CD set which includes many great hits from Joe Banashak's Minit Records label. All four of Eskew Reeder's issued Minit tracks are included: "I Waited Too Long", "Green Door", "Never Again", and "We Had Love" (note that "Never Again" = "Never Will I" and "We Had Love" = "Like You" on the Charly S.Q. compilation). Out of print, this is nevertheless a bit easier to find than the Charly "I Never Danced Nowhere" compilation.

The Minit / Instant Story (Charly, 1996; OOP). A 2-CD set which includes many hits from Joe Banashak's various New Orleans labels (Minit, Instant, Alon, Seven B). Only two Eskew tracks are included: "Green Door" (Minit 648) and "The Flu" (Instant 3258). This, too, is out of print, but not too difficult to find.

The Best of Hermitage Records (Night Train #7044; 1996). A collection of singles by various artists issued on the Hermitage label out of Nashville. This includes two songs by the Eskerettes with Esquerita backing on piano, one of which - Southern Style - is tremendous. There is also a Willie B. song which supposedly includes piano backing by the Voola . Many of the other songs on the CD are great (Joe & Ann's "Runnin' and Foolin'" for instance), which makes this CD definitely worth looking for (and this just became easier to do; there is now a Night Train Records Website where it's available; or try cdconnection.com).

ROCKIN' THE JOINT (Collectables #2713; released March 3, 1998) - same 28 songs as Capitol Collector's Series. Available from Collectables Records.

VINTAGE VOOLA (Norton #202; 1987; OOP) -first edition; was only available on vinyl; 9 tracks.

VINTAGE VOOLA (Norton #202; 1997) -vinyl/CD; 11 tracks (same 9 as 1987 edition, plus "Dew Drop Inn"and the same Little Richard interview as appears on the Sock it to Me CD). Contains all seven of the surviving recordings from the Sellers Co.Recording Studio acetates. These recordings precede his Capitol recordings. Also included are two Paul Peek (of Gene Vincent's Blue Caps) sides ("Sweet Skinny Jenny" and "The Rock-A-Round") with Esquerita accompanying on piano; plus "Dew Drop Inn" and an interview with Little Richard. Available from Norton Records.
Review from All Music:

Originally issued as a vinyl album, this compact disc reissue adds some new tracks and wild, eye-boggling color photos to the original package. The seven original demo acetates Esquerita cut in Dallas at Sellers' Recording in 1958 are still aboard, sounding raw and wonderful as ever, fleshed out with his contribution to Paul Peek's lone NRC single, "Sweet Skinny Jenny" and "The Rock-A-Round," which he helped co-author. Added to this is Esquerita's late-'60s original version of "Dew Drop Inn" (later recorded by Little Richard) and a Little Richard interview where he waxes effusive about the artist who influenced him so greatly. Although a bit short in the running time department, this nonetheless is the perfect companion piece to any solid collection of his Capitol sides from 1958. -- Cub Koda

Northern Soul Fever (Goldmine, GSCD027; 2000). Only one track by Eskew Reeder - "You Better Believe in Me" - but it's absolutely sizzling! This was the flipside of the Crosstone single "Dew Drop Inn" (available on the CD version of Vintage Voola - see above). There is a least one more compilation - The Cream of Vintage Soul (Life on Mars Entertainment, MARSCD2; 1997; available at cdconnection.com) - that includes "Better Believe Me". Aside from the one S.Q. number, these CDs are filled with relatively obscure but often great Northern Soul. The first compilation is available at the Northern Soul Record Store.