Leave it to Leroy Thomas. Nearly a decade after his 2015 release We Love You Leroy, Thomas returns with a dance floor-filling 14 tracks rife with novel content and up-tempo tunes that live up to the title’s claim of rockin’, as in Rockin’ the Bayou. One of Thomas’ novel ideas kicks off the proceedings, a bouncy interpretation of “The Battle of New Orleans” that’s believed to be the first recording of the Johnny Horton country classic by a zydeco band. It doesn’t have all the lyrics, most notably the comical part about using an alligator as a cannon, perhaps in an attempt to be PETA- (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) friendly.
Another novel idea was “Port Ag Zydeco,” an endorsement for a local concrete company. During this groove-cutting original, Thomas cites the company’s phone number not once but twice, loud and clear. The backstory is Thomas befriended Port Aggregates’ president, Adam Guinn, and inquired if he would be interested in band sponsorship. Guinn asked if he had any jingles. Thomas eventually countered with “Port Ag Zydeco,” probably the catchiest number ever involving a concrete company. Call the company and if you are put on hold, you’ll hear “Port Ag” play in the background. Interestingly, this may be the start of how grassroots bands fundraise for future recordings: by publicizing sponsors. It may seem like pandering, but it’s not far off from when Cajun bands christened songs after the neon-lit nightclubs to curry favor for gigs.
Just as Thomas has done with his previous albums that have targeted the regional country market, he makes another good choice with “Drinkin’ Problem,” the 2017 hit for Texas country group Midland that eventually achieved double-platinum status.
Thomas covers Beau Jocque’s signature song, “Cornbread,” but with a few modifications. For starters, it’s peppier than the original. Then, after Gabriel Perrodin, Jr.’s roasty guitar solo and Jeff Laparouse’s keyboard run, Thomas surprisingly launches into Nas X’s country rap “Old Town Road” at an auctioneer’s pace before returning to the cornmeal concoction theme.
Since it had been a minute since Thomas’ last release, it’s also a catch-up of honoring those close to him. Prince’s “Purple Rain” may seem out of place for a zydeco album, but the late Paul Marx of KBON admired Thomas’ live vocals enough to buy studio time for him to record it. Unfortunately, that never happened in Marx’s lifetime, but Thomas immortalizes him in the spoken word intro. “Oh Lil Girl” is a trad reworking of his cousin John Delafose’s song.
Of Thomas’ other originals (besides “Port Ag Zydeco”), the blitzing “Do the Rapper” was constructed onstage after observing Charles “Rap” Faulk and his wife Cyndi dance distinctly one evening. “Long Long Time” alludes to all the years of hard work he put into becoming a successful zydeco band and is now enjoying the fruits of his labor. “I Can Do Bad by Myself” is a humorous hopper about Thomas not needing assistance to find trouble.
It can be a challenge to get the stars and planets aligned in a peaceful state of harmonious equilibrium when recording. Occasionally, it’s raw sonically, such as on “Josephine Sa Pa Ma Femme,” which could pass for a radio broadcast. Still, Thomas has solid reasons for his selections and plenty of creativity to make it an enjoyable outing.
