Jivin’ Gene
It’s Never Too Late
Jin Records – Drawer 10
Ville Platte, LA 70586
visit Gene on myspace
also available on the
Louisiana Music Factory
Jivin’ Gene Bourgeois, of Jivin’ Gene and The Jokers; who you say? Let’s give some preface here before we start on this review, I have lived a good bit more than half a century, and was listening to late night radio in NYC since I was old enough to sleep in my own bed and have a radio way before little transistor radios let alone iPods. There was a whole world of music out there to be heard, some great country and rock-a-billy on WWVA and lots of gospel, soul, blues, and jazz on WWRL, and those are the 2 stations I remember. Plus you had Alan Freed coming in sometimes from Cleveland, both on the air and then doing Rock & Roll shows in the city, and a whole host of other DJs whose names have faded from my mind. I grew up with Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis, Little Richard, and Fats Domino and that New Orleans sound. I loved that swampy music that just oozed into your pores and made you move. "Breaking Up is Hard to Do," "Release Me," and "Go On Go On" are some of the hits at the time that came from Jivin’ Gene Bourgeois. However somehow his name was lost in my memory bank and though I remembered the songs and the voice, but the name wasn’t there, I remembered Jimmy Clanton’s name but not Jivin’ Gene’s.
Flash forward a huge hunk of time and on my desk sent was this disc by Jivin’ Gene and though the name rang some bells no picture came through with any clarity. Then it was in the disc player and memories came pouring in, this was Jivin’ Gene and the Jokers of “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.!” WOW! And the voice is still the same, no rasp of whiskey or cigarettes or any other vocal strain. It almost felt like there had been a time capsule around his voice. Though he gave up singing for almost 2 decades, he never stopped writing songs and what we have here is the new songs and an all-star band that recreates in an organic way the music of those 50s and 60s records. Those wonderful songs that polished up the belt buckles, and drove the chaperones at those dances so many of us attended crazy as they walked around and forced their arms between us and made us separate (at least until they moved on to the next couple). This aggregation is anchored by Gene’s voice, Warren Storm on drums and rubboard (he is Gene’s contemporary) and Ken Marvel on all kinds of keyboards, from piano to Wurlitzer Piano to accordion and more. A fantastic horn section with great arrangements by Doug Deane backs it all up and puts the signature to the music. This is a great one that is well worth searching out. Do look at Floyd’s Record Shop in Ville Platte LA or call 1 800 738- 8668.