By Doug Schroeder’s admission, this all-original, mostly Cajun music affair wasn’t supposed to happen. The fiddler wrote “La Valse de la Peine” and recorded it with Megan Constantin (vocals), Jimmy Breaux (accordion), Johnny Daigle (bass) and a fiddle section consisting of himself, wife Susanne Giezendanner and Blake Miller. Schroeder only intended this to be a one-time shot, but everyone had such a good time they encouraged Schroeder to keep at it.

So, Schroeder and co-contributor Giezendanner kept writing and cutting songs at Chris Stafford’s Staffland Studios. By the time it was all over, the collective had grown to 15 participants, with every tune having a different configuration of musicians. Nine of the 10 tracks can be attributed to Schroeder and Giezendanner. The lovely “Bébé Tu m’fais du mal” was written and sung by Marie-Laure Boudreau.

It’s not your typical Cajun dancehall stomper, though the swinging “Johnny Peut Pas Cuire” (“Johnny Can’t Cook”) belted by Amelia Biere does well in that regard. Instead, it basks in a community feel and a back-porch aesthetic that emphasizes fiddles and acoustic guitars over accordion heard on only five tracks.

Yet, every song is enveloped with an enchanting, memorable melody. Schroeder came up with imaginative content for his songs, like basing the title track on a real-life Creole traiteur (folk healer). The tuneful “La Courtise des Ours” (“The Courtship of the Bears”) is the proceeding’s crown jewel, a love affair between two same-sex bears. Its sequel, “Le Mariage des Ours” (“The Wedding of the Bears”), stops you in your tracks. The two tie the knot as Doreen Buller is perfect for the role of an organ-pumping church choir soloist.

Regardless of who played on what, every arrangement is carefully crafted with thoughtful finishing touches. On “Rerpris,” Phil Kaelin picks a bright melody over Constantin’s singing and strumming, while on “La Courtise des Ours,” Miller adds tasty steel-guitar twang.

There’s even an English-sung honky-tonker with the humorous “Accidentally Well Dressed” with Joel Breaux and Biere channeling classic country duets on a song based on a true story.

Giezendanner, inspired by Quebecois fiddle tunes, performs the haunting “Immigration Stumble” with Miller over three-time signature changes for the album’s lone instrumental. 

There’s so much going on here, you practically need a scorecard to keep track of it all. Luckily, the impeccable liner notes aren’t lacking for detail, with bilingual lyrics and participant information on every tune. If this CD doesn’t garner at least some sort of an honorable mention, it should at least win an award for its colorful cover art, packaging, and accompanying YouTube videos.