Clifton Chenier - Louisiana Blues And Zydeco

Another drop dead classic from the only King you're gonna hear around these parts.  Get yuh boogie on!!

Arhoolie Records 9053
1965

Clifton Chenier (vocals, accordion); Cleveland Keyes, Felix Benoit (guitar); Elmore Nixon (piano); Fulton Antoine, Joe Morris (bass); Bob Murphy, Madison Guidry, Robert St. Judy (drums); Cleveland Chenier (rubboard).

Recording information:
Bill Quinn's Gold Star Studio, Houston, TX (05/11/1965);
Gold Star Recording Studios, Houston, TX (05/11/1965);
Sierra Sound Laboratories, Berkeley, CA (05/11/1965).

This was the first full album by a zydeco artist to be released by Arhoolie. It became something of an advance scout as the Cajun accordion army began to spread its music outside of the Louisiana bayous, with Clifton Chenier winding up with a Grammy for his efforts, as well as performances all over the world. This album puts together a few different instrumental lineups for recording at Houston's Gold Star studios, a facility with an important place in Texas blues history. Nonetheless recording sound is a tad thin, as perhaps the engineers were frightened by some of the manic moves of a few of the instrumentalists. Although this style of music is known mostly for the accordion and rubboard antics as featured on the second side, the tracks on the first side also include some ferocious piano and electric guitar playing. Some tracks just really cook and should put any listener in a good mood. The instrumental "Hot Rod" has a great drum part and accordion improvising that sounds totally relaxed, followed by an under-recorded but nasty-sounding guitar solo. Too bad it fades out so quickly. Altogether, lots of variety, plenty of creative musical ideas, and some deeply soulful singing delivered by this great zydeco artist just as his career was starting to lift off.  - Eugene Chadbourne/AMG