One of the best things about the growing popularity of Cajun and zydeco music is the increasing availability of recordings of new and vintage material. Here’s a look at several recent releases covering a diverse musical spectrum.
Balfa Toujours’ second disc, A Vieille Terre Haute (Swallow), finds the group in a less tentative mood than their debut recording. The band combines talented Louisiana natives with accomplished non-native players, and the new album features several spirited acoustic numbers and a few mournful waltzes wrought with traditional sentiments. Five of the fifteen cuts are originals, and the quintet shares lead vocal duties on the project. The touching “Les fleurs du printemps,” composed by the wife-and-husband team of Christine Balfa and Dirk Powell, is a standout of this collection, which includes three songs by Christine’s father, the late Dewey Balfa, and a French version of George Jones’ “Don’t Stop The Music.”
Some of legendary fiddler/Cajun music ambassador Dewey Balfa’s first recordings are captured on Cajun Honky Tonk (Arhoolie), a 26-cut disc of vintage material recorded for Lake Charles’ Khoury label in the early 1950s. Gritty recordings by Nathan Abshire and Lawrence Walker open the disc, which includes selections by Harry Choates, Floyd LeBlanc, The Texas Melody Boys and Shuk Richard & Marie Falcon. If you want to hear how post-war pioneers performed their music, these historic recordings effectively capture the spirit of the seminal sessions.
A more global perspective on music history is offered by Masters of the Folk Violin (Arhoolie), a disc featuring live recordings by Irish fiddler Brendan Mulvihill, jazz violinist Claude Williams, bluegrass pioneer Kenny Baker, Nova Scotia’s Natalie MacMaster and Lafayette’s Michael Doucet. The acclaimed tour of the same name has made five runs through the United States, and this document demonstrates the depth and breadth of these musicians’ legacies. Doucet is featured on five cuts, assisted by his brother David on guitar and Mitchell Reed on second fiddle. “L’Ouragon (The Hurricane): “Doc’s Two-Step” and “Chanky-Chank Francais” are among the titles performed by the BeauSoleil leader on the 72-minute album.
These fine recordings of folk masters stand in stark contrast to Like A Real Cajun, the latest from Bourbon Street fiddler-in-residence Waylon Thibodeaux. These slick, pop-rock versions of songs by Clifton Chenier, Hank Williams, Sugarboy Crawford and others have little to do with roots or legacies. The only thing this disc is missing is its “Warning: For Tourists Only” label.
It’s La La Time (Maison de Soul) is the latest from Zydeco Force. A medium-hot dance record, this disc demonstrates the band’s zydeco and soul chops but fails to achieve the energy level of Beau Jocque’s dance floor workouts or the tunefulness of Boozoo Chavis’ best work. Most of the record’s 14 cuts are caught somewhere between those two influences, and the disc’s abundant voiceover dialogue is more annoying than cute. Covers on the album include John Delafose’s “Broken Hearted,” Leo Thomas’ “Why You Wanna Make Me Cry?” and “Knock Knock,” a version of Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” credited to Randy Crawford.
Cajuns and Creoles in Cyberspace … Fans of Cajun, zydeco and swamp pop music who are subscribers to America Online might want to check out the bulletin board that’s home to discussion of those topics. Founded by writer Shane Bernard, the board is accessed by typing the keyword “music,” clicking on the “music message center” and opening the jazzlblues folder.
According to Bernard, jazzlblues was the only category in which the genres even remotely fit.
Attention 1-10 West travelers … there’s a new jam session in Opdousas. Cajun fiddler Hadley Castille and friends host the musical get-together at La Louisiane Cajun Folk Arts & Crafts, which begins at 11 a.m. every first and third Saturday of the month. The La Louisiane building is located on West Landry Street, across from the Courthouse. Built in the 18005, the building was formerly home to the Jim Bowie museum.
