New Orleans
Zydeco, Mardi Gras, Cajun, N'awlins flavor.
Gulf Coast Blues
Downright depressing, isn’t it? It’s unfathomable at the moment to take in the amount of havoc, destruction, and chaos that Hurricane Katrina caused along the Gulf Coast. My brother in law and his girlfriend, both residents of New Orleans, now sit in a friend’s home in Birmingham, Alabama, as they watch news reports showing their neighborhood submerged, while the remaining living residents get plucked from rooftops or caught looting on camera. My prayers go out to anyone affected by this disaster…
The Swan Silvertones:
Savior, Pass Me Not(mp3) – from the Big Easy SoundtrackThe Neville Brothers:
Yellow Moon(mp3 – live at KBCO) – studio version is the title track on their 1989 albumBuck + Dwight = Hank
The last week has featured some Cajun sounds, a little 80’s Minneapolis funk, and some old school country. Now to marry it all up, it’s Buckwheat Zydeco’s collaboration with Dwight Yoakam. They got together in 1990 to lay down their take on Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Lookin'”, and I love the result.
Dural’s accordion shares the spotlight, as he and Yoakam trade verses and put their mark on this classic tune.Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural was born in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1947. His mentor was the late Clifton Chenier, the “King of Zydeco”. It’s obvious that I need to visit New Orleans as fast as humanly possible. I just might never come back.
Buckwheat Zydeco (w/ Dwight Yoakam): Hey Good Lookin’
- Buy ‘Where there’s Smoke There’s Fire’ on Amazon (you can get it used for $1.75, so do yourself a favor).
- Buy his 2005 release, ‘Jackpot’.
Transmission from the Big Easy
Listening to Beausoleil last week got me in that good ol’ Cajun mood. I can’t think of another type of music that elicits so much good nature and positivity. Of course, a lot of it is sung in French, which I don’t understand, so they could be singing about armaggedon and I wouldn’t be the wiser.
My real introduction to the Cajun / Zydeco sound came by way of the soundtrack to ‘The Big Easy’, a 1987 movie starring Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin (what happened to her?). For the 18 years (wow) that I’ve been listening to this CD, it’s never lost its luster. It’s an amazing showcase from start to finish. Tonight I sample 2 songs from the soundtrack, one from boogie woogie piano man Professor Longhair, the other from the film’s star, Dennis Quaid. Don’t make the wrong assumptions on Quaid’s swampy ballad. It’s a great love song. And Fess’ tune? Well, you’ll see… it’s the song that inspired the name for the New Orleans club Tipitina’s, which was pretty much created to provide a place for Fess to lay down his rhumba, R&B, boogie-woogie piano rhythms.
Enjoy.
Professor Longhair: Tipitina
Dennis Quaid: Closer To You
- Buy The Big Easy soundtrack on Amazon.
- Check out Tipitina’s web site.
Fessin on Fat Tuesday with Professor Longhair
Well Mardi Gras has gone and snuck up on us again. In honor of Fat Tuesday, we need the sounds of Professor Longhair emanating through the blogosphere… “Fess” came up as a New Orleans piano pioneer in the 30’s and 40’s. He has influenced the likes of Dr. John and Fats Domino, and is known for his signature ‘rhumba-boogie’ piano playing style. This tune does it for me all year, but especially now during Mardi Gras, where I will celebrate wildly by going to the fridge for a beer at some point… maybe even two! Watch out… I’m wiiild!! It’s not all beads n’ boobies you know…
From ‘Go to the Mardi Gras’, Wolf Records, 1997BUY
Learn more about Fess on All Music
