Way Down in Louisiana: Clifton Chenier, Cajun, Zydeco and Swamp Pop Music

Todd Mouton
Way Down in Louisiana: Clifton Chenier, Cajun, Zydeco and Swamp Pop Music
University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Just released is Todd Mouton's excellent new book on Louisiana Music "Way Down in Louisiana." The book is centered on the great Clifton Chenier, but in addition to Mouton's biography of the great zydeco legend, he weaves in portraits on a number of Louisiana acts including Chenier alumni Buckwheat Zydeco, Sonny Landreth, and Lil, Buck Sinegal along with other acts, many who have been touched in some way by Chenier's influence including Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, Filé, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys; Zachary Richard, Couteau, Lil Band O' Gold, Bonsoir Catin, and Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars. Many of the portraits appear to have been previously published (likely in "OffBeat"), but have been updated from original publication. It is the four chapters devoted to Chenier that make this book essential as Mouton traces his life and his music's evolution along with his many extensive recordings with recollections of Buckwheat Zydeco, Chris Strachwitz, Lil Buck, Landreth, son C.J. Chenier, the late John Hart and others helping flesh out this gentleman who saxophonist and visual artist Dickie Landry recalled first hearing Chenier and thinking it "sounded like surf music from Jupiter." In addition to Mouton's narrative, this book is wonderfully illustrated with photos (many rare) and album covers and includes recommended listening for each chapter. Anybody who has listened to Chenier's music or some of the artists will love this book.

Released at the same time as this volume is a documentary DVD produced by Carl Colby, "Clifton

Chenier" (The Phoenix Learning Group) that captures Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band at a dance in Louisiana in the mid-1970s. This video captures Chenier, brother Cleveland with arguably his best that included Lil Buck, Buckwheat Zydeco on keyboards and the great John Hart on saxophone. Mixed in with performances from a dance at The Kingfish in Baton Rouge is video from a performance from Jay's Lounge and Cockpit in Cankton, Louisiana, and a brief clip showing a cock fight (some cajun and zydeco lounges at the time also had a cock pit). This may be unsettling but fortunately brief and the bulk of the video is nothing but some of the best Chenier on video this writer has seen with one of the greatest roots music bands of all time doing 15 numbers including some of his most famous numbers such as "Bon Ton Roulet," "Party Down," "Calinda," "Zydeco Est Pas Salé," and "Black Gal," along with covers of Fats Domino's "Hello Josephine and a stone cold rendition of Lowell Fulson's "Black Nights." This is modestly packaged, but the performance is spellbinding and gives a sense of why Chenier was (and still is) so loved. And the magnificent tenor sax of Blind John Hart is such a bonus.

I was a supporter of the Kickstarter campaign to help get the book published and received the DVD in addition as a premium. Information on this book and the DVD is available on the website, http://waydowninlouisiana.com/. The DVD cover on the website differs from the one I received (the cover above). Not only is there links to buy the book and DVD, but there is a free downloadable sample and a performance from the DVD which I have also included below.

Lil' Band O' Gold Leads Us to "The Promised Land"

“I won’t leave Louisiana, Louisiana my home sweet home,” echoes a line in David Egan’s “Spoonbread,” the opening song on “The Promised Land” (Dust Devil Music), the new album by Lil’ Band ‘O Gold. Lil’ Band ‘O Gold is a group formed by some very notable Louisiana musicians including guitarist and roots rocker CC Adcock; Cajun accordionist Steve Riley; swamp-pop legend and drummer Warren Storm; and pianist and songwriter David Egan. Add steel guitar, and saxophones (with occasional fiddle) and one has a group that can touch on the blue-eyed soul that is at Swamp Pop’s heart mixed with some Fats Domino piano triplets and some swamp country seasoning. The album accompanies the film of the same title about the distinctive Louisiana musical genre, swamp pop which I haven’t seen, but it also provides fans of Lil’ Band ‘O Gold with a new recording that showcases their versatile repertoire and compelling sources. With a band that includes steel guitar and saxophones, the performances provide a definite musical stew of influences that make for a wonderful musical blend.

I would not be surprised that in a blindfold test, an average listener might identify the opening “Spoonful,” as a number by the Band, but its such a terrific performance with vocals being traded and great backing that it stands on its own. Next up is a great number by the late Bobby Charles “I Don’t Want to Know,” with Warren Storm’s vocal almost matching the Late Johnny Adams as Riley adds a terrific accordion solo with Richard Comeaux contributing some piercing steel guitar. C.C. Adcock revives a Gene Terry & the Boogie Ramblers rockabilly-tinged “Teardrops,” while Riley, accordion at the fore handles the vocal on a rocker with Adcock adding some hot guitar riffs with the saxophones wailing in support.

“Dreamer” is another Egan original with the steel guitar, the rhythm and the saxophones injecting some Tex-Mex flavor to Egan’s reflective vocals. Warren Storm’s vocal shines on the country flavored “Sunshine,” that was penned by the great Mickey Newbury. Adcock penned the hard rock and rolling “Runaway’s Life,” that evokes classic 50s music with an insistent driving beat followed by Warren’s wonderful haunting rendition of David Kitt’s ballad “Faster and Faster.” “Hold on Tight” “to your dreams,” Steve Riley sings (including the verse in French) as his accordion and Kenny Bill Stinson’s organ suggest the Sir Douglas Quintet in this imaginative reworking of an Electric Light Orchestra single. “Hard Enough,” another Egan original is a superb old-fashioned piece of country soul with Storm’s vocal complemented by Comeaux’s weeping steel guitar. Swamp pop legend Tommy McClain guests on the tear-in-the-throat vocal on the low-key “Memories,” while Riley revives Lawrence Walker’s cajun rock and roll, “Evangeline Rock. More country-folk flavor from Adcock on “The Last Hayride,” before the closing “So Long,” a nice rendering of an Allen Toussaint composition, with Storm leading the way on the vocal with the braying saxophones and the backing chorus adding to the mood. It is a terrific closer to a superb recording.

It has been a decade since Lil’ Band ‘O Gold’s debut recording, which has been frankly ten years too long. They are truly one of the great rock and roll bands today and “The Promised Land,” is a superb disk that continues their loving embrace of the musical legacy of their home, Louisiana which never gets mired in nostalgia but keeps pushing the music forward.

This is available in the United States from the Louisiana Music Factory in New Orleans (website is www.louisianamusicfactory.com). I am not certain about availability outside the US, but it may be on itunes in Australia.

I purchased this.