Biography
The Hawketts issued only a single 45, yet that lone release qualifies as an undisputed classic. Its A-side, "Mardi Gras Mambo," scored a major Southern hit and has remained a perennial New Orleans favorite, resurfacing each year during the city’s Mardi Gras festivities. Assembled in 1953, the Crescent City group was a teenage rhythm & blues outfit whose lineup placed Art Neville on lead vocals and piano alongside Alfred August on guitar, George Davis on alto sax, Morris Bechamin on tenor sax, trumpeters Israel Bell and August Fleuri, trombonist Carroll Joseph, and drummer John Boudreaux. Long afterward, Boudreaux informed a journalist, "We didn't know that a band was supposed to have a bass player," a circumstance that lent the ensemble its distinctive texture. The band quickly cultivated a regional audience, and in 1955 New Orleans broadcaster Ken Elliott—widely recognized as Jack the Cat—secured studio time for them at WWEZ. Among the tracks cut was "Mardi Gras Mambo," a number first waxed as a country tune by Jody Levens in 1953; Neville’s singing and Boudreaux’s understated yet steady drumming supplied the song with its relaxed, Latin-tinged feel. Chess Records acquired the master of "Mardi Gras Mambo" b/w "Your Time's Up" for wider distribution, and the single moved briskly throughout the South, achieving particular success in Louisiana. The Hawketts’ youth and lack of seasoning ultimately limited their prospects: Chess never demanded a follow-up, several members drifted away once the record slipped from the charts, and Art Neville pursued a solo path and military service before any second release could be made. George Davis later enjoyed an extended career as producer, musician, and songwriter, while Art Neville emerged as a cornerstone of New Orleans music through his work with the Meters, the Wild Tchoupitoulas, and the Neville Brothers.