Corey Ledet Zydeco

Corey Ledet
Corey Ledet Zydeco
Nouveau Electric Records

Houston born Corey Ledet keeps the zydeco flame burning bright with this new release full of hot grooves and soulful vocals. It was mostly recorded at Dockside Studios, Maurice, Louisiana, in June 2019, with one selection recorded during the Covid-19 lockdown. Corey is featured on lead, harmony and background vocals, accordion, drums, and washboard. Others playing on this album are Cecil Green on Hammond B3 organ, bassist Lee Allen Zeno, harmonica player Grant Dermody, Julian Primeaux on rhythm and lead guitar and backing vocals, and Gerard Delafose on drums and washboard.

Ledet comes from a family rich in music history. His great grandfather played bass with Bunk Johnson, while his grandfather, Buchanan Ledet, was the first zydeco drummer playing with Clifton Chenier and Rockin' Dopsie. Buchanan invented the twice-pumped bass drumming pattern called "double clutching" that's been an integral part of the genre ever since and is celebrated by the exuberant "Buchanan Ledet Special," one of several songs enthusiastically delivered in French.

Things start with the spirited "This Is All I Want," which conjures up the non-stop grooves of Boozoo Chavis. It is followed by "Buchanan Ledet Special," which has a brief spoken introduction. "Mon Marche" is a French rendition of Fats Domino's "I'm Walking" in a manner that would make Clifton Chenier smile. A bit more of a Clifton Chenier flavor is heard on "Per Mo (Call Me)." Grant Dermody adds a harmonica solo here. Dermody also is featured on the warp speed rendition of Ledet's cover of Big Joe Turner's hit "Flip Flop and Fly." He captures some of the high energy of such post-Chenier-Buckwheat Zydeco acts like Dwayne Dopsie. Try not to at least move one's feet listening to this track.

"Nina's Hot Step" is a traditionally rooted two-step creole instrumental that is a solo performance that Corey recorded to complete this project and adds to the variety of music here. Also, there is a delightful waltz, "Mon Make (I Miss)" that evokes Chenier's "Louisiana Waltz" from an early Arhoolie album. Ledet evokes some of the zydeco greats without imitation and, with his superb accordion playing and first-rate singing, has produced a sterling recording. The only possible complaint is that the playing time is short, but there is not one wasted moment.

I received a review download from a publicist. After writing the review I came across an article about the issues the pandemic has created for cajun and zydeco artists with the closure of clubs and cancellation of festivals that were major sources of their income. Corey was one of the artists mentioned, so purchasing this album helps Corey out in addition to providing the listener with some superb music. It is available on Bandcamp, https://coreyledetzydeco.bandcamp.com. Here is a video of Corey performing a song not on this album, "Promised Land Two Step." Yes, that is Paul 'L'il Buck' Sinegal on guitar on the left.

Little Walter and Clifton Chenier

These reviews originally appeared in the June 1978 Buffalo Jazz Report (Issue 52). I do not recall if I purchased these or received review copies.

There is a plethora of other new albums out. How can one miss with Little Walter, Blue and Lonesome (Le Roi du Blues 33.2007). This record contains unissued sides, alternate takes and sides only reissued overseas by the master of blues harmonica. Leonard Chess calls Walter, Little 'Motherfucker' Walter on the longer version of the title track than the released take. Sidemen include Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, the Aces and Robert Lockwood and do I have to tell you the other titles. Great stuff, which might be the only Walter currently in print.

Clifton Chenier has not exactly been under recorded. His new Arhoolie album And His Red Hot Louisiana Band (1078) is typically fine even if it breaks no new ground. John Hart plays great tenor. Clifton wails on accordion and guitarist Paul Senegal gets more than usual solo space. This album is bluesier than Clifton's more recent recordings and especially nice is "Hungry Man Blues" with its Muddy Waters touches and the closing "Highway Blues". A typically solid album that may be overlooked if you are well-stocked with him, but if you don't have any of Clifton's Arhoolie albums, what are you waiting for.

Little Walter's recordings (including those that were on Blue and Lonesome) are available on a number of other reissues. This specific Clifton Chenier recording may be available used. There is plenty of Clifton Chenier on Arhoolie Records available from Smithsonian Folkways. You can visit folkways.si.edu and search for Clifton Chenier. Here Clifton performs "I'm a Hog For You."

 

Goldman Thibodeaux and the Lawtell Playboys La Danse à St. Ann's

Goldman Thibodeaux and the Lawtell Playboys
La Danse à St. Ann's
Nouveau Electric Records

This new album is a real surprise and delight for fans of Louisiana music. Goldman Thibodeaux, aged 87, is a living legend and one of the last musicians performing in the traditional French Creole style. I had the pleasure of seeing him at the 2007 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at the Fais Do-Do Stage (pictured below), where he and the Lawtell Playboys entranced listeners and moved the many dancers with their music. Goldman and the Playboys have been a regular act for twenty years at JazzFest. They were scheduled to perform at this year's Festival, which was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thibodeaux may be one of the last living musicians to have seen the legendary Amédé Ardoin perform when he was a child. The Lawtell Playboys were founded in 1946 by brothers Bébé and Eraste Carriere. Bébé, known as the "King of the Zydeco Fiddle," and played alongside his brother Eraste, on accordion, for many years. Over time, Eraste passed the accordion position to Delton Broussard while Bébé passed the position of fiddle player to Eraste's son, Calvin Carriere. Goldman learned to play accordion in his 50s after a heart attack. When Delton became ill, he passed the accordion position to Goldman. Calvin and Goldman played for several years before recording their first cd in 2001 titled "Les Miseres Dans le Coeur." Before he passed Calvin, he asked Goldman to take over the band and continue using the name "Lawtell Playboys".

 La Danse à St. Ann's was recorded by Mark Bingham at the Thibodeaux Family Reunion, November 2019 in Mallett, Louisiana. Bingham and the band's fiddle player Louis Michot (co-founder of Lost Bayou Ramblers) produced this remarkable document. This recording was made at a church hall with hundreds of family members gathered. The Lawtell Playboys' line-up at this performance was:

Photo © Ron Weinstock

Goldman Thibodeaux - accordion and vocals; Brock Thibodeaux – frottoir; Louis Michot - fiddle and vocals; Courtney Jeffries - acoustic guitar; Justin Leger - electric bass; and Barry Cormier - drums and vocals.

 It is marvelous to hear the traditional Louisiana creole music as heard here, starting with a marvelous two-step, "Two-step de St-Ann's." This driving number showcases not only Thibodeaux's one-button accordion-playing but Michot's down-home fiddle set against a simple rhythm groove. Much of the music here goes back to the La La music style that preceded zydeco, including irresistible fast dance numbers like "Allons Sur la Plancher," "Allons Dancer," and relaxed waltzes such as "Valse des Miseres." There are more modern numbers like the blues "Lucille," a staple of Clifton Chenier's repertoire, "Watch That Dog," evoking the late Boozoo Chavis, and "Pauvre Hobo," a reworking of the cajun fiddler Harry Choates' cajun swing recording.

Goldman Thibodeaux sings and plays with the robustness of a younger man. Added to the charm of these performances are some of the comments included. For example, Goldman announces that food is ready, and folks can get their plates and meals. The final track is an intermission announcement for all the family members to go outside the Church Hall, where a drone will take a family picture. This atmosphere adds to the charm of the marvelous music presented here.

I received a download to review from a publicist. Here is a video of Goldman Thibodeaux in performance.

Take 5 With Clifton Chenier

This edition of Take 5 brings us a short playlist of Clifton Chenier, The King of Zydeco who left us so many years ago. Zydeco is the music of the Black Creole French Speaking People of Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas. A musical cousin of Louisiana Cajun music, zydeco's roots also included blues and Caribbean influences. The accordion is the lead instrument. Unlike cajun music where a button accordion is used, Zydeco accordion players vary in the type of accordion they play. In the case of Chenier, he played a piano accordion and often came off sounding liking like a one-man big band. The Louisiana born Chenier was based in Texas Cities like Port Arthur and Houston as bayou communities like Lake Charles and Lafayette.

His first recordings were made for the small Elko label, but in the mid-50s he recorded for Specialty and with Specialty had his first hit record, "Ay Tete Fee," with a band that included guitarists Lonesome Sundown and Phillip Walker.

Clifton had an up and down musical career until Lightnin' Hopkins took Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie Records to see Hopkins' cousin, Clifton Chenier at a Houston bar. It would lead Strachwitz to record Chenier which began a long-standing relationship. Also, bu this time Clifton had reunited with his brother Cleveland who would play the frottoir, a fabricated aluminum rubboard that Clifton invented that replaced the washboard as a percussion instrument. For Arhoolie, Clifton recorded some of the rhythm and blues he performed and Strachwitz got him to record half of the album, "Louisiana Blues and Zydeco" in French. Here is "Louisiana Blues" sung in French.

There are so many recordings I could highlight by Chenier, but one of my favorites is his rendition of Big Joe Williams' "Baby Please Don't Go," with his uncle Morris Chenier on the gut-bucket fiddle.

Just with a drummer or his brother on frottoir, Clifton could fill a ballroom up with dancers. There are many two-steps and other hot numbers. Here he revives a big band number associated with Glenn Miller, "In the Mood."

Finally, we close with the bluesy slow dance, "I'm Coming Home."  

There is so much more Clifton Chenier one could choose. He still remains one of my favorites.

Corey Ledet & His Zydeco Band Standing on Faith

Corey Ledet & His Zydeco Band
Standing on Faith

Corey Ledet has been one of the vital 'young' voices in Zydeco for over a decade. Rooted in the creators of the idiom like Clifton Chenier, John Delafose, and Boozoo Chavis, he has musically evolved to incorporate some of the modern trends in the music. It has been a few since his last recording, but this new recording, while relatively short, provides a solid look at the versatility he exhibits when playing zydeco.

Corey is heard of accordion, washboard and drums as well as vocals, while Jesse Delgizzi plays guitar, bass, moog and vocals with Cecil Green on keyboards. After an opening funk "Intro" with keyboards and vocal effects on the spoken intro (presumably by Delgizzi), Corey takes us into a Boozoo Chavis styled rocker, "Push Me Away," with some marvelous button accordion playing and the crisp, emphatic groove. Given Ledet's overdubbing his accordion over his drums and washboard, the recording sounds natural. In contrast, an instrumental "Love Never Felt So Good," comes off as a mix between zydeco and contemporary dance music with Delgizzi's funky bass and synthesizer work intriguing.

The driving zydeco gospel number, "Standing on Faith," is Ledet's statement of his faith, followed by an contemporary urban soul ballad, "Take Me There." "New York City" is a terrific zydeco rocker that will evoke Clifton Chenier and Roy Carrier as he sings about going to New York City for a zydeco dance. "Good Day" again takes things in a more contemporary mode where Delgizzi's synthesizer playing emulates steel pans lending a Caribbean rhythmic accent. The closing "Street Light," is another contemporary zydeco number, well played and sung, but being perhaps a bit smoother at the edges..

With its relatively short playing time and its contemporary flavor, there may not be enough straight-ahead zydeco here to appeal to the more traditional zydeco audience. Those looking for a more updated twist on the idiom will be more interested in this latest chapter In Corey Ledet's career.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a video for "Street Light" from this album.

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.

My Music MIx For Today

Today they are having a party at my office to celebrate my upcoming retirement. Knowing my interest in music they asked me to prepare some music to play. I prepared a CD and here is the playlist with song, artist, and composer.  I must say it is a pretty diverse set of music. And I included some youtube clips that are mostly the recordings but an occasional live performance mixed in.

1 My One And Only Love by John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, written by Robert Mellin & Guy Wood

2 Love For Sale  by  Dexter Gordon written by Cole Porter

3 I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) by Aretha Franklin,  written by Ronny Shannon

4. In Walked Bud  by Thelonious Monk, music by Thelonious Monk and lyrics by Jon Hendrick

5. You Used To Call Me by Clifton Chenier and written by Clifton Chenier

6. Flowers For Albert by the Skatalites and written by David Murray

7. Burgundy Street Blues by The George Lewis Band and written by George Lewis

8. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy by Cannonball Adderley and written by Josef Zawinul

9. When Something Is Wrong With My Baby by Charlie Rich and written by Isaac Hayes & David Porter

10. Petite Fleur  by Evan Christopher and written by Sidney Bechet

11. A Man And The Blues  by Buddy Guy and written by Buddy Guy

12. Jumpin' At The Woodside  by Count Basie Orchestra and written by William Basie 

13. Mr. Moonlight by Roy Lee Johnson and written by Roy Lee Johnson

Jeffery Broussard's Mines Zydeco Roots

While some of today’s zydeco sounds not far removed from hip hop and rap, it is a joy to find artists who music is still inspired and shaped by the creole music’s roots and traditions. Not to say that they simply recreate old recordings, but rather they bring their youth and passion to the more traditionally oriented songs perhaps, but they play with a zest that makes the music sound as fresh as any ‘contemporary’ zydeco.

One such artist is Jeffery Broussard, whose late father Delton led the Lawtell Playboys. Broussard and his band, The Creole Cowboys, have a terrific new release on Maison de Soul, Return of the Creole, that reaches back into zydeco roots for a throughly entertaining and lively recording. Broussard is quite an accordion player, playing the button or diatonic accordion while supported a solid backing band that includes Classie Ballou Jr. on bass.

The recording has quite a varied repertoire with interpretations of songs associated with Clifton Chenier and Boozoo Chavis, cajun classics and originals including one instrumental on which he plays fiddle. The set opens with a nice take on a Clifton Chenier waltz, Tante Nana, taken at a nice tempo and sung wonderfully. It is followed by a spicy rendition of Allons a Lafayette, with a solid creole rhythm replacing a cajun band’s less syncopated attack. Baton Rouge bluesman, Tabby Thomas is the source of the bluesy zydeco shuffle I Love Big Fat Women, as he celebrates the meat shaking on their bones.

The title track is an instrumental old-style waltz that morphs into a hot two-step whose melody evokes Clifton Chenier’s Zydeco Cha Cha. Another original, the mid-tempo lament, Tu Connaitre Ça Fait Mal (Oh You Know It Hurt), follows after which a lovely instrumental Pinky’s Heavenly Waltz, follows with some nice guitar from Scott Ardoin. A lively Boozoo Chavis rocker Prier Pour Moi (Pray For Me), is followed by a feature for Broussard’s old-fashioned sounding zydeco fiddle on Canray Fontenot’s Old Carpenter’s Waltz.

Madeleine is a lively updating of Adam Hebert’s cajun recording and followed by covers of Boozoo Chavis and Buckwheat Zydeco (Hard to Stop is a nice rocker) before his driving original, Ole Blue, an adaptation of Nathan Abshire’s Pinegrove Blues. The disc closes on a bluesy note as he provides a strong zydeco twist on Sam Cooke’s Bring it On Home to Me. It is a solid end of the 15 strong performances contained here. I don’t believe I have had the pleasure of seeing Jeffery Broussard perform, but this is a terrific recording to appeal to fans of zydeco everywhere. His website is http://www.jefferybroussard.com/.

This was a purchase. Image of Jeffery Broussard courtesy of his website.

French Boogie Blues and Zydeco Releases

There is a myth that there was very little new blues of note recorded in the 1970s. The fact is labels like Alligator, Delmark and Blind Pig produced fine albums, and labels like Stax and Jewel produced strong modern urban blues. Also, there were a number of recordings released in Europe, usually by touring American musicians, on labels like Isabel and Black & Blue. Three reissues from Barclay’s Maison de Blues series caught my attention when issued three decades ago, and these new CD releases allow me to replace my worn vinyl LPs. Memphis Slim & Buddy Guy, Southside Reunion, was recorded when Buddy Guy and Junior Wells were touring Europe in September 1970. This 35 year old session brought together the expatriate Slim with the Buddy Guy-Junior Wells Band for what was a terrific session mixing Slim’s rolling barrelhouse piano, urbane singing and the tough sound Guy and Wells put together with one of the great blues bands of all time. Guy and Wells had Phil Guy on rhythm guitar, Ernest Johnson on bass, A.C. reed and Jim Conley on sax and Roosevelt ‘Snake’ Shaw on drums. When Slim kicks off a duet with Buddy on the opening When Buddy Comes to Town, the music takes off on a cooking shuffle that I doubt Buddy could come close to matching today with his more hard rock approach, and how many modern rhythm sections could handle the shuffle groove or settle in so able behind Slim on Leroy Carr’s classic, How Long Blues? Guy also handles the vocal on You’re the One while Wells ably supports on harp throughout. An alternate take of You’re the One, and Jamming at the Castle are bonus tracks and come across as worthy companions for a really magnificent reissue. Professor Longhair was at the beginning of his re-emergence as a performer when he recorded the 1974 release Rock’n’Roll Gumbo, which was reissued on George Winston’s Dancing Cat label in 1985 with horns added to the reworking of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The Maison de Blues reissue is musically the same as the Dancing Cat and had Fess pared with Gatemouth Brown on guitar (and fiddle for Jambalaya,) with a rhythm section of Julius Farmer on bass, drummer Sheba Kimbrough, who recently (October 2005) passed away, and Alfred ‘Uganda Roberts on congas. The music is marvelous as the empathy between Brown and Fess is obvious throughout whether on remaking Hey Now Baby and Tipitina or bringing a fresh take to Junco Partner, Ray Charles’ Mess Around, Stag-O-Lee, and Mean Ol’ World. After the mix of funk and blues grooves, the album closes with just Fess at the piano taking care of business on (They Call Me) Dr. Professor Longhair. This is perhaps my favorite Longhair album, and interestingly Rhino took seven songs from this when they did their two-CD Professor Longhair anthology. The third reissue is Clifton Chenier’s Frenchin’ the Boogie, recorded at a time when Stanley ‘Buckwheat’ Duval was part of the band on keyboards. The Frenchin’ in the title refers to the fact that Chenier sings a number of blues and rhythm and blues classics in Creole French. There are several nods to Louis Jordan, Caledonia, Choo-Choo Ch’Boogie, and Laissez Les Bon Tons Roulet (a retitled Let the Good Times Roll) along with versions of Shake Rattle and Roll and Going Down Slow mixed with a waltz. Chenier was in peak form for this 1976 session, singing ebulliently and soulfully, putting as much soul in his piano accordion as Jimmy Smith on the organ and the Red Hot Louisiana Band rocking as hard as any band ever did. Like the other two releases, this is spectacular stuff. The above was a relatively recent (March-April 2006) review from Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 280) of some reissues of blues recordings from Europe. They are still available (although perhaps easier to get as downloads than hard physical copies). I likely received review copies from Jazz & Blues Report.

Wood & Fraher's Texas Zydeco Excellent Book On Creole Music

If you are looking for a holiday present for the blues and/or zydeco fan, then the superb, Texas Zydeco is a book that should be considered. It combines authoritative writing with some beautiful photography.

Texas Zydeco
by Roger Wood & James Fraher (photographer)
University of Texas 2006


Zydeco music is usually associated with Louisiana, but historically Texas, and especially the city of Houston has been central to the growth and development of the idiom from the more traditional la la music of the creole population that is concentrated in southwestern Louisiana and neighboring portions of Texas that include House. The place of Texas in the rise and evolution of zydeco is the subject of Texas Zydeco, the latest collaboration between writer Roger Woof and photographer James Fraher, who previously collaborated in Down in Houston: Blues in Bayou City, the superb book on Houston’s blues scene.


Like the previous volume on Houston Blues, Wood does more than simply provide sketches of the history of the music. He takes us into the world of the zydeco as his first chapter introduces us to the various venues for zydeco and the audience and musicians there ranging from the clubs and church dances to the all day festivals at a rodeo arena. The history of the music as it was transformed from la la to zydeco and some of the pioneering figures and recordings are presented and the fact that some of the recordings were made in Houston including a rare Lightnin’ Hopkins recording on organ, Zologo. Folklorist Mack McCormick was responsible for the spelling of zydeco, but it was not until a Clifton Chenier recording used that spelling, that this spelling received the credibility until it became the established way to spell the term


A chapter is devoted to Chenier and his influence. Chenier’s mix of traditional creole music with rhythm and blues as well as his use of the piano accordion led to the emergence of zydeco as a musical genre and through interviews with some of Clifton’s contemporaries as well as some of the musicians who played with him, including his son C.J, and guitarists Philip Walker and Sherman Washington who recall their experiences with Clifton and how he was a mentor to them which they recognize even today the value of his lessons for them. Clifton was a remarkable person. Chenier invented the frottoir (rubboard) which replaced the washboards that had been used previously, having the first frottoirs fabricated and Wood spends some pages with the individuals that crafted these instruments for use.


Another chapter discusses some of the post-Chenier performers in the world of Texas zydeco, noting that many, but not all, have adopted the button accordion as opposed to the chromatic piano accordion, and provides an overview of these new breed performers including Corey Ledet, Dora and the Zydeco Bad Boyz, J. Paul and Skip Riteau, and in showing their individual maturation as artists how Texas remains a fertile ground for zydeco to continue to evolve.


James Fraher, certainly one of the most outstanding blues photographers alive, contributes some stunning photography. It is unfortunate that Wood and Fraher did not include some actual photographs of Chenier and other masters that Fraher never was able to document, as a photograph of a old Zodico poster for Chenier is not quite the same thing. But this is only a quibble as this book brings the world of zydeco, not simply reciting the lives of major figures, and joins Down in Houston as an important and engrossing book on African-American vernacular music traditions.


This review originally appeared in the November/December 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 288). I likely received a review copy from the publisher.

Buckwheat Zydeco at Duke Ellington Jazz Festival

2009-0614 DEJF at Sylvan-2324-1
Originally uploaded by NoVARon

The following is an excerpt of an article I did on the 2009 Duke Ellington Festival as it related to the June 14, 2009 performance by Buckwheat Zydeco currently celebrating 30 years of performing as among the top zydeco acts anywhere. He will be closing out the main stages at the Pocono Blues Festival, Sunday, July 27, 2009 ay Big Boulder Mountain in Lake Harmony, PA.

"Its been thirty years since Stanley Dural has assumed the mantle of Buckwheat Zydeco and has been playing the creole music throughout the world, extending the musical base that Clifton Chenier, his one-time employer created. His band included his son Reginald on frottoir (the rubboard), Paul ‘Lil Buck’ Sinegal (also a veteran of Clifton Chenier’s Red Hot Louisiana Band) and Olivier Sciazec on guitar, and Lee Allen Zeno on bass. Buckwheat Zydeco got the crowd rocking and dancing with his opening “Party Down,” followed by a nice “Walking to New Orleans” where a member of the audience got to help him play the accordion.. Pacquito D’Rivera on alto saxophone joined the band for a rousing “Hot Tamale Baby,” while Buckwheat laid down the accordion for a rousing B-3 organ instrumental. Then he followed with the title track of his new CD “Jackpot,” with it’s refrain “I’ve Always Been Lucky, I Hit the Jackpot With You,” There was also a reggae tinged groove on”Why Can’t We Live Together,” with its plea for love and happiness. Really nice set by one of the standard bearers for zydeco."

For info on the Pcoono Blues Festival check http://www.jfbb.com.

20080625-2008_Smithsonian_Folklife_Festival-1085

20080625-2008_Smithsonian_Folklife_Festival-1085
Originally uploaded by NoVARon

Texas, along with Bhutan and NASA (yes NASA) are featured at the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which is held on the National Mall between Congress and the Washington Monument. A wide range of Texas music is featured including country and swing from the likes of Guy Clark and Jody Nix and The Texas Cowboys, Conjuncto from accordionist Mingo Saldivar, gospel from the Jones Family singers, zydeco from C.J. Chenier and older creole style music from Les Amis Creole, Augie Myers, Joe Ely, blues from Texas Johnny Brown (this week thru June 29) and Tutu Jones (next week July 2 through July 6). Also appearing will be Marcia Ball and Tutu Jones. There are two main stages for music at the Texas Exhibit, the Texas Opry House and the Texas Music Hall. It is this latter stage at which I caught Texas Johnny Brown performing today. Brown, who turned 80 in February, remains vigorous and was terrific with his urbane modern blues. He first recorded nearly 60 years ago, toured with Amos Milburn, Junior Parker, wrote Bobby Bland's "Two Steps From the Blues." Roger Wood, author of the essential books on Houston blues and Texas Zydeco was a presenter.

2008 JazzFest Day 3

Continuing my write-up of the music I saw in New Orleans the last week of April, 2008, here is the portion devoted to Day 3. The earlier days were all covered in the prior two blog entries. This whole account can be found in the June 2008 Jazz & Blues Report which you can download as a pdf file from that publication's website.


The weather forecast Sunday was even less promising than Saturday, but the morning was sunny, so I ventured back to the Fairgrounds where my first stop was Lionel Ferbos, who made it and led his band through several vintage numbers including the old classic ballad, 'Try a Little Tenderness,’ that was refreshing to hear in its pre-Otis Redding form. On the way to the Blues Tent, the Paulin Brothers Brass band kept alive the legacy of their day, Doc Paulin, who died relatively recently. Into the Blues Tent to catch Little Freddie King who was getting down with his boogie and tend a bit of hot zydeco from Willis Prudhomme on the Fais do Do stage before catching pianist and songwriter David Egan (he has written for so many, and has a gritty vocal style). I stopped in Economy Hall to hear the excellent group led by clarinetist Tim Laughlin that included Tom McDermott (a marvelous ragtime rooted pianist who is a superb Jelly Roll Morton interpreter) and cornetist Connie Jones for some first class music, and with the clouds gathering, I headed to the blues tent to catch Larry Garner, with special guest Henry Gray. Garner’s music, full of wit and irony was delivered in his convincing, understated style before he brought the former Howlin’ Wolf pianist Gray who perhaps carries on the legacy of Big Maceo better than anyone still alive. One last musical stop for me to catch Leroy Jones, trumpeter with Harry Connick and others with an entertaining set. With the crowds getting ominous, I left. regretfully I missed Tab Benoit and the Voices of the Wetlands All Stars with r. John and Cyril Neville amongst others as well as Davell Crawford’s New Orleans Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, perhaps the two acts I would have wanted to see the most. The rains likely dampened some enthusiasm but after I headed back to my hotel, the music continued with such names as Irma Thomas, Nicholas Payton and Pete Fountain holding forth and the closing acts that day (for those hardier than I) included Tim McGraw, Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint, Al Green and Beausoleil. Even this shortened day did not prevent me from getting a good sampling of music.


I have been told that the weather was better the second weekend and among the performers for those four days included Bonerama, Widespread Panic, Randy Newman, Deacon John, Donald Harrison, Mem Shannon,Bettye LaVette, Steve Riley, C.J. Chenier, Papa Grows Funk, Art Neville, Stevie Wonder, John Prine, Trombone Shorty, John Boutté, The Lee Boys, John Hammond, Belton Richard, D. L. Menard, Terence Blanchard, The Subdudes, Jimmy Buffett, Diana Krall, Steel Pulse, The Bad Plus, John Mooney, Pinstripe Brass Band, Geno Delafose, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstafunk, Santana, Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly, Galactic, The Radiators, Dianne Reeves, Jonathan Batiste, Snooks Eaglin, Derek Trucks, and The Neville Brothers. My protestations of the booking major pop acts does not change the fact that there is so much still to enjoy of the culture and food of New Orleans and Louisiana.