Joe Banashak
b. 15 February 1923, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, d. 1985. A jazz fan as a teenager, Banashak entered record distribution after serving in World War II. After marrying a Texan, he moved to Houston and in the mid-50s took charge of a distribution network based in New Orleans. There he founded Minit Records with local disc jockey Larry McKinley in 1959. With Allen Toussaint as house producer and songwriter, Minit and its sister label Instant were responsible for many hits of the early '60s from New Orleans artists such as Ernie K-Doe (Mother-In-Law), Chris Kenner (I Like It Like That), Jessie Hill(Oo Poo Pah Doo) and the Showmen (It Will Stand). National distribution was handled by Imperial and when Toussaint left for army service in 1963, the creative dynamic was gone and Banashak sold the Minit catalogue to Lew Chudd of Imperial. Banashak persevered with Instant Records and a new partner, Irving Smith. The label's most successful artist was Kenner who continued to record for Instant until 1969, while Toussaint's studio band backed other local artists like Art Neville, Eskew Reeder (aka Esquerita) and Lee Dorsey. On the subsidiary label, Alon, Toussaint's group the Stokes recorded Whipped Cream later a big hit for Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass. Shortly afterwards, Toussaint left the company. Banashak continued with new A&R men Sax Kari and Eddie Bo who produced blues and soul tracks for Instant until the late '60s. The company became inactive in the '70s.