Texas Hill Country roots musician Johnny Nicolas hails his Valcour Records debut as a homecoming of sorts and for good reason: he’s been cultivating South Louisiana roots for years. Nicholas’ buddy Link Davis, Jr., son of Link “Big Mamou” Davis, Sr., first indoctrinated him into South Louisiana culture with visits to Basile, Louisiana starting in 1976 to jam with legendary Cajun accordionist Nathan Abshire. Dewey Balfa often stopped by since he worked at a nearby furniture store. Nicholas was part of Abshire’s last big gig, the 1981 Jazz Fest, just weeks before he passed away on May 13, 1981.
Since then, the connections have become too numerous to cite. A shortlist would include being part of Golden Triangle with fiddler David Greely and Mamou Playboys guitarist Sam Broussard and the 2017 Black Pot Festival where he pounded the piano as part of Los Texmaniacs’ thrilling set.
Of these ten tracks, nine are originals, with the lone cover being a beautiful rendition of Stephen Bruton’s “River Runs Deep.”
The Louisiana connection is most evident on barrel-bustin’ “Highway 190,” the blacktop that runs through Basile, that mentions the historic Bearcat Lounge. Though Nicholas is quite entertaining with his witty demeanor, the closing line is the most memorable of all: “Honest Jeanette, it was a straight cigarette and a big old bottle of coke.”
The Louisiana connection continues with the funky title track where Nicholas plays a New Orleans-style piano. “She Didn’t Think of Me That Way” is ingenious in how the story line marries the Bayou State and the Lone Star State. The tale of unrequited love starts with a mysterious Creole woman who shakes her smitten devotee by relocating to San Antonio. At this point, the song inherits a rich Tex-Mex flavor from Texmaniacs’ accordion virtuoso Josh Baca.
But any way you look at it, Nicholas is a pro: a multi-instrumentalist with a knack for performing and, best of all, a serious songwriter. Though a number of them are pure party fodder (“She Stole My Mojo”), he’s also a raconteur who takes his time to unravel a yarn. With simple but vivid imagery, “Guadalupe’s Prayer” feels like something that could have stepped out of the songbook of Guy Clark—it feels that classic.
Nicholas receives stellar support from his band, especially Austin string wizard Scrappy Jud Newcomb, various Acadiana notables and producer/engineer Joel Savoy. Nicholas may sing about mistaken identity, but there’s no mistake that he was in the right place this time.
