CD Review
Various Artists
"Music From the Zydeco Kingdom"
Rounder (11579)
by Tony Glover
Review date: February 2000
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1999 KBA Award Winner
Achievement for Blues on the Internet
Presented by the Blues Foundation
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Michael Tisserand is the author of ZYDECO KINGDOM (Arcade Publishing 1998) and this is his CD companion compilation to the book. The music heard here spans nearly seventy years, kicking off with a 1929 recording of "Eunice Two Step" by Amede Ardoin, one of the founders of the genre. Over the course of an hour+ and 19 cuts, the set samples both well and little know practitioners of the funky art of squeezebox/washboard dance music. Well known names from the Zydeco circuit are included. Clifton Chenier does Fats Domino's "What A Price" and "Cher Catin", while his son, C. J. Chenier offers a French version of "Down Home Blues". Queen Ida has a live version of her autobiographical "La Femme de Dight". Boozoo Chavis does a remake of a 1934 Ardoin tune with his "Grand Mary's Two Step", Beau Jocque "Give Him Cornbread" (based on "Shortnin Bread", done with rap/soul influences) and Buckwheat Zydeco a burning "Hot Tamale Baby". Rocking Dopsie might be familiar from his work on Paul Simon's GRACELAND, here he does "Dopsies Cajun Stomp." Lesser knowns include Little Latour, his 1968 "C Key Blues." originally a Goldband label recording, is a doleful minor mood number that has the swamp blues feel so often heard on Lightning Slim/Lazy Lester's Excello sides--but instead of guitar the lead instrument is, of course, accordion. Rosie Ledet's "I'm Gonna Take Care Of Your Dog" was a regional hit, she's one of the few female artists in the field. Les Freres Carriers are a brother accordion/fiddle duo--at 91, fiddler Bebe sounds like there’s still a lot of snap to his beans. A couple performers appear on both CD's but with different material.
This ain't a scholarly, chronological work tracing the evolution of a music, rather its, as Tisserand says in his notes, "a combination of a party mix and something more historical". Which means it works well as an overview while sampling some of the landmark artists playing tracks from both then and now. Match it up with the book (now in paperback) and you've got a good introduction to this vital and growing form. What’s more-- you can dance to it. Either or both of these sets are a good introduction to this vital musical form.
This review is copyright © 2000 by Tony Glover , and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved.
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