Geno Delafose
LA CHANSON PERDUE
Rounder 2151
available on Amazon
Another gem from that swampy musical world of southwestern Louisiana, and one of the finest discs that combines the traditional and the new. You get the best of both worlds here. The traditional sounds and rhythms of Creole music from the back porches played for the sheer enjoyment of playing, combined at times with the music of the Saturday night dances. First held at houses then moving to the clubs as they became too populated and put too much of a strain on the families holding them. Geno Delafose was raised by his father John, a musician who got the songs from the old time originators of this music, people like Dewey Balfa (whose daughter appears on 4 songs) and Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin, before it became fragmented into Creole/Cajun/Zydeco, and who knows what other separations they are going to add on in there. This disc is populated by several musicians who share Geno's passion for these old songs that they grew up with representing a people and a way of life that is vanishing. People such as Steve Riley, Christine Balfa and Dirk Powell contribute their love and feeling for this music as well as their expertise to enhance the sound this disc puts out for our listening pleasure. Before you think it is only a celebration of the old time music, stop and give a listen to risks he takes and the treatment he provides for the classic Doc Pomus-Mort Shuman tune, SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME. The growth in his music and the treatments he is giving to songs only come from being willing to take that risk of failure and go from there. Not only can I not find a weak song on the disc, but he provides more than enough variety in tempo and feeling to please anyone. Again I take a hat off to Scott Billington for his production on this disc, and his backing vocals on I WANT IT ALL. This is one disc that will serve as sampler to the music of the region for those who don't know it, and enhance any collection for the serious student of this wonderful musical heritage. Beyond all of that it will get you up from your comfortable chair and out on the dance floor, real hard not to start moving to the infectious rhythms.
Players -
Geno Delafose - diatonic, triple-row piano accordions, piano on UNE AUTRE SOIR ENNUYANTE, drums on I WANT IT ALL, vocals
Joseph "Cookie" Chavis - guitar
John "Pops" Esprite - bass and backing vocals
Steve Nash - rubboard
Germaine Jack - drums, rubboard on I WANT IT ALL
Songs, times, writers
1. JE VA'S LA VOIR ENCORE (I'LL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN) -4:48 - Geno Delafose
2. BERNADETTE - 4:05 - traditional from John Delafose
3. 'TITE MONDE (LITTLE ONE) - 4:43 - traditional from Canray Fontenot
4. BON SOIR MOREAU (GOODNIGHT MOREAU) - 4:51 - traditional from Bois Sec Ardoin and Canray Fontenot
5. CHERE ICI, CHERE LA BAS (DEAR ONE HERE , DEAR ONE THERE) - 4:39 - traditional from Bois Sec Ardoin
6. LA CHANSON PERDUE (THE LOST SONG) - 3:12 - Geno Delafose
7. UNE AUTRE SOIR ENNUYANTE (ANOTHER NIGHT WITHOUT YOU) - 4:40 - Neil Sedaka-Benjamin Goldman-Howard Greenberg
8. MON VRAI AMOUR (MY TRUE LOVE) - 4:38 - Balfa Brothers
9. BAYOU PON PON - 4:13 - traditional from Iry LaJune
10. I WANT IT ALL - 4:11 - Billy Swan-Glen Clark
11. DOUBLE D TWO STEP - 4:26 - Geno Delafose
12. VALSE DE OPELOUSAS (OPELOUSAS WALTZ) - 3:06 - traditional from Amede Ardoin
13. 'QUO FAIRE/JOLIE BASSETTE (WHAT TO DO/PRETTY BASSETTE) - 4:39 - John Delafose
14. "TITS YEUX NOIR (LITTLE DARK EYES) - 3:57 - Lawrence Walker
15. SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME - 4:04 - Doc Pomus-Mort Shuman
with
Christine Balfa - acoustic guitar and 'tit fer on 'TITE MONDE, LA CHANSON PERDUE, and VALSE DE OPELOUSAS, 'tit fer on MON VRAI AMOUR
Dirk Powell - fiddle on TITE MONDE, VALSE DE OPELOUSAS, and MON VRAI AMOUR, acoustic bass on LA CHANSON PERDUE
Steve Riley - fiddle on 'QUO FAIRE/JOLIE BASSETTE and BON SOIR MOREAU
Scott Billington - backing vocal on I WANT IT ALL