I am getting ready to go the New Orleans, Lafayette, Breaux Bridge and few other towns in south west Louisiana to enjoy the food and music. I will be writing about this trip a good bit on this blog on weekends. To get in the mood I have been reflecting on the music of the Louisiana countryside. Here are a few of the greats.
Clifton Chenier
I was lucky to hear Clifton Chenier in 1989 in New Orleans shortly before he died. He came to the Maple Leaf Bar that night and played with a younger zydeco group. Between sets he sat near us at the bar and the bartender told us he had recently won a Grammy. We got his tape the next day at the Tower Records. Clifton and Boozoo Chavis were the early pioneers of zydeco in the 1950s. I saw Boozoo in Jacksonville before he passed away. I picked up “Bogalusa Boogie,” considered one of the finest recording by Clifton and his Red Hot Band. It is a driving collection and in contrast, there also is his “Clifton Chenier Sings The Blues,” much more laid back.
Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas
I first heard Nathan and his group at a Cajun festival in Rhode Island, along with a full day of other groups. They stood out. Nathan Williams, from Lafayette, Louisiana has given himself the nickname, "The Zydeco Hog.” I picked up “Let's Go!,” Nathan's seventh recording for Rounder Records. In it Nathan's mix of lyrics and rhythms are infused with contemporary arrangements. I also have, “I’m a Zydeco Hog,” recorded live at the Rock ‘n Bowl Lanes in New Orleans, a bowling alley devoted to live music. I try to get to Rock ‘n Bowl whenever I go to New Orleans. Here are some images from the new location.

Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers
Beau is the leader of trend in modern zydeco which blends traditional Creole sounds with contemporary elements of rap and hip-hop. According to his site he also loves to cook in his kitchen in Kinder, Louisiana. I have. “Git It, Beau Jocque,” recorded live at Slim's Y-Ki-Ki Lounge in Opelousas and Harry's Lounge in Breaux Bridge. I hope to get to Slim's Y-Ki-Ki Lounge when I go to Opelousas
Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band
Chubby was born in Lafayette, LA raised in Church Point, LA. He is the third generation zydeco artist. As a child, he learned the music by listening to his father Roy Carrier and his grandfather Warren Carrier. His 1996 recording on Blind Pig records, “Who Stole the Hot Sauce” is in my collection. His group is a great party band that frequently plays in Southern Louisiana. I plan to see him in Lafayette as he will be playing while I am there.
Buckwheat Zydeco
Buckwheat Zydeco has achieved a lot of commercial success and recorded some very well produced CDs. They are more well known that most zydeco bands and have been the opening act for Eric Clapton (including entire North American tour and a 12-night stand at London's Royal Albert Hall), U-2, Robert Cray, Los Lobos. Buckwheat Zydeco also played at the 1996 Summer Olympics, the 1996 Democratic Convention and with the Boston Pops. I have their first live CD, “Buckwheat Zydeco: Down Home Live!" played during his annual Thanksgiving show at El Sid O's in Lafayette, La. He played a part in the great show, From the Big Apple to the Big Easy.
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys
Here is a great traditional French speaking Cajun group like Bruce Daigrepont, I recommended last week. I have “Bon Rêve,”, which was nominated for a Grammy in 2004. Here’s what Dr. Barry Ancelet, professor of folklore at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, has to say about Bon Rêve:
"It's the Sgt. Pepper's of Cajun music. It's so strong in so many areas: performance/musicianship, the poetry, the conception, the whole album working together as a sort of a thematic unit. It's an incredible effort. What's really remarkable is that they're sort of competing with themselves. They're competing with their own last effort, and that's got to be hard to do. And yet they keep pulling it off."
I saw Steve and his band at he Rock n Bowl. There is a chance I will catch them on this upcoming trip.
Bruce Daigrepont
Bruce is one of the best traditional French language Cajun musicians. In 1986 he begun his fais do do dance sessions at the original Tipitina's, corner of Napoleon and Tchoupitoulas streets, where it continues to this day, every Sunday evening from five till nine. We have heard him several times and try to make sure we include a Sunday on our visits to New Orleans to see Bruce. He will play for four hours straight with no break and the dancers range from teenagers to older couples. His CD, “Paradis,” recorded in 1999, captures the spirit of these Sunday sessions.
Boozoo Chavis
Boozoo was a traditional zydeco band leader. Nicknamed the "Creole Cowboy" for his signature C&W attire, he recorded zydeco's first big hit--"Paper In My Shoe" in 1955. He and Clifton Chenier were the early pioneers of zydeco. However, for the next two decades, Boozoo retired from the music business, outside of house parties, and turned his full attention to raising ponies. He made a comeback in the early 80s and toured until his death in 2002. I heard him in Jacksonville in 1998 and recommend his “Zydeco Homebrew.”
Zachary Richard
Zachary offers a contemporary French language interpretation of Cajun and zydeco. I first heard him in Montreal, on the riverfront at a Confederation Day celebration in 2002. Zachary is from Louisiana and has recorded in English and French. In 1995, he returned to French language recording with “Cap Enrage,” recorded in Pairs and our recommendation. It reestablished his presence in both Canada and France. I even thought he was from Quebec when I first heard him.