C.J. Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band
Step It Up
Alligator - 4882
Released - 2001
available ON
Amazon
This is the son of the man who popularized Zydeco, taking the music of his father and imbuing it with more of the funk and music he grew up listening to, soul and R & B. Pushing and exploring one of the two main roots that his father fused to become Zydeco. One root is the music of the Cajuns and Creoles of Southwestern Louisiana, and the other is the root that C.J. Chenier is exploring here, the rhythm and blues/funk root. This makes sense coming from C.J. because that is the music he grew up with and was the first music he played. Make no mistake this is still Zydeco, but it owes much more to the roots music from the gulf coast of Texas and the Port Arthur region, as opposed to the Louisiana side. The music that was dominant in this area of the country was/is the Blues and the driving horn sections of the rhythm and blues bands. He used to play saxophone with various bands and then joined his father’s band playing sax. You can see this love of the horns is still with him as he arranged all the horns and directed the rhythm section. He is now playing his father’s full sized piano accordion, and bringing that funky bluesy energy to the music. Most importantly he has got one of those smoky voices that lends itself to the music. Plus he has a feel that many only wish for whatever the tempo of the song. It may be an up beat dance number, or listen to the wonderful job he does on slow, The Right To Walk Away. He displays a feel for this song that makes it a standout on this disc. Many times the slower numbers are just throwaway songs; this one is full of the passion that sells a song. Now he is writing more of his material and the songs are getting stronger. The influence of his father is strong, yet here he is continuing to make his own voice heard loud and strong.
Produced by C.J. Chenier and Bruce Iglauer
Songs, times and writers
1 Zydeghost – 4:22 - C.J. Chenier &Alex “Gumbo” Carrier
2 It’s About Time – 4:59 – John Ellison
3 Everybody Needs A Little Monkey Business – 2:13 – Marty Badenhamer
4 The Right To Walk Away –3:31 - John Lyon, Dennis Loccoriere, & Leroy Preston
5 Coochie Coo Wi’chou – 3:26 - C.J. Chenier, Fred James & Mary-Ann Brandon
6 Eat More Crawfish – 3:02 – Al Lauro & Mike Dunbar
7 Let’s Agree To Disagree – 4:54 - C.J. Chenier, Fred James & Mary-Ann Brandon
8 It’s Alright – 3:33 - C.J. Chenier, Fred James & Mary-Ann Brandon
9 Road Dog – 3:46 - C.J. Chenier, Fred James & Mary-Ann Brandon
10 The Power Of Love – 4:24 - C.J. Chenier, Fred James & Mary-Ann Brandon
11 Zydeco Mardi Gras – 4:18 - C.J. Chenier, Fred James & Mary-Ann Brandon
12 Turn Around And Say Goodbye – 2:51 - C.J. Chenier
13 Johnny Can’t Dance – 3:22 – Clifton Chenier
Musicians
C.J. Chenier – accordion and vocals
Tim Betts – guitar, percussion
Wayne Dalcourt – guitar, percussion
Glenn Griffin – bass, percussion
Nick Daniels III – bass (#1, 5, 11, 12)
James Joseph Alfred – rubboard
Brian Brignac – drums (#1,3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13), percussion
Randy Carpenter – drums (#2, 6)
Ernie Haynes – drums (#8)
with
Marshall Cyr – trumpet (#2, 7)
Pat Breaux – tenor sax (#2, 7)
Lynn Boudreaux – percussion, congas
Tony “King of Triangles” Daigle – T-Fer