It’s virtually impossible to summarize Leroy Martin’s eight-decade career in professional music succinctly: musician, writer, bandleader, producer, engineer and historian. In the ‘60s, his Acadians backed up Vin Bruce while his Vikings squadron supported Joe Barry with Martin producing Barry’s national chart topper “I’m a Fool to Care.” Barbara Lynn, Jimmy Donley and Mickey Gilley as well as homies Bruce, Dudley Bernard and Harry Anselmi all recorded Martin songs, which is why he’s synonymous with the Bayou Lafourche sound. Spanning two discs, Martin’s two-disc swan song resembles more a collection of memoirs than a career retrospective with 60 tracks and a fat, 30-page liner note booklet. The first dozen tracks are the most relevant, early ‘60s Jin singles that include regional favorites “Born to be a Loser,” There Goes That Train” and “Lover’s Plea.” With his dreamy crooner’s voice and finger-poppin’ horn arrangements, these tracks unequivocally demonstrate why Martin was a player in Gulf Coast rock ‘n’ roll.

After that, there’s a varied assortment of new recordings, a medley of political jingles, and guitar-and-voice demos that were pitched to the geniuses of Nashville. Of the latter, “Pretty Little Nurse” is downright hysterical—a pathetic hospital patient scheduling surgery after surgery in hopes that his attending nurse will notice him. The second disc features more demos and recordings of various bayou artists that Martin was involved with in one capacity or another. Aficionados of hardcore honky tonk will revel in Vernon Rodrique’s two tracks, “Mary Don’t Cross the Bayou”—a man’s plea to his wife not to play video poker—and “Buddy Bunn is Still the King,” an adaptation of Waylon Jennings’ “Bob Wills is Still the King” but with colorful Terrebonne Parish references. Overall, it may not be the most cohesive collection ever assembled, but it’s hard to believe there are any more untold chapters of Martin’s legacy.

My Old Swamp Pops, My Old Friends & Some New Stuff on iTunes