Cajun Music: The Essential Collection

Overview

An installment of Rounder's 30th anniversary celebration, this album showcases the best of Cajun music available on the label since the beginning. This album, like its zydeco counterpart, attempts to cover all of the major aspects of Cajun music over the course of the track listings. Here, the time line stretches from the very beginnings of Cajun with a cover of Amede Ardoin's old work by Geno Delafose & French Rockin Boogie, up to the present day in the Bluerunners' rock-informed sound, with all points in between touched upon. The fusion of Coteau provides a nice halfway point, with a deep influence of country thrown in, and the next group featuring Michael Doucet, Beausoleil, is also featured with an even higher step of fusion, with electric guitars working their way in. Where necessary, the accordions play a stunning bit of work, and the fiddles stay in the rhythmic accompaniment section. Where necessary again, the vocals take a strong stance in front of the instrument lines. All of the greats of contemporary Cajun music are represented with a song or two, and all of the styles that have come and gone over the history of Cajun are represented by an artist or two. As far as introductions to the genre are concerned, this album is certainly a worthwhile pick. For someone already acquainted with Cajun music, the album may perhaps be better passed up in favor of single-artist albums by the artists on the compilation for further breadth. ~ Adam Greenberg

Product Details

Release Date:	11/19/2002
Label:	Rounder Select / Rounder
UPC:	0011661160422

Tracks

1. La Jalouserie (Jealousy)  - Bruce Daigrepont
2. Evangeline Special  - Iry LeJeune  - Jo-El Sonnier
3. Les Conseils J'Ai ¿¿cout¿¿  - Eddie LeJeune
4. La Femme Que J'Ai Jamais Oubil¿¿e  -  Charivari  - Mitchell Reed  - Randy Vidrine
5. Elle Savait Pas J'Etais Mari¿¿  - D.L. Menard
6. La Porte d'en Arri¿¿re  - D.L. Menard  -  Newman  - Jimmy C. Newman  -  Cajun Country
7. Opelousas Sostan  -  Mamou
8. Au Bout de Chemin  -  Bluerunners  - Steve LeBlanc
9. Pine Grove Blues  - Nathan Abshire  - Jo-El Sonnier
10. Madame Bozo  -  BeauSoleil  - M. Doucet  - Michael Doucet  -  Traditional
11. Dans la Louisiane  - Al Berard  -  Basin Brothers
12. Grand Mamou  - Clifton Chenier  -  Coteau
13. La Fleur de la Jeunesse  -  Magnolia Sisters  -  Traditional
14. Les Barres de la Prison  - Canray Fontenot  - Courtney Granger
15. J'Ai Vu le Loup, le Renard et la Belette  -  Balfa Toujours  -  Traditional
16. Jolie Blon  - Zachary Richard  -  Traditional
17. Je M'Ennuie de Toi  - Danny Collet
18. Tes Parents Veulent Plus Me Voir  - Canray Fontenot  -  Riley
19. Valse de Opelousas  - Geno Delafose  -  Traditional

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Cajun Country   Primary Artist
Jimmy C. Newman   Primary Artist,Vocals
The Basin Brothers   Primary Artist
Danny Collet   Primary Artist,Vocals,Button Accordion
Coteau   Primary Artist
Mamou   Primary Artist
Bluerunners   Primary Artist
Al Berard   Primary Artist,Fiddle,Vocals
Bruce Daigrepont   Primary Artist,Button Accordion,Vocals
Eddie LeJeune   Primary Artist,Vocals,Button Accordion
Charivari   Primary Artist
Magnolia Sisters   Primary Artist
Balfa Toujours   Primary Artist
Jo-El Sonnier   Primary Artist,Guitar (Rhythm),Button Accordion,Vocals
Jimmy C. Newman & Cajun Country   Primary Artist
Courtney Granger   Primary Artist,Fiddle,Vocals
Geno Delafose   Primary Artist,Vocals,Button Accordion
BeauSoleil   Primary Artist
Zachary Richard   Primary Artist,Vocals,Button Accordion
Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys   Primary Artist
D.L. Menard   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar
Dirk Powell   Fiddle,Guitar,Vocals
Steve Conn   Piano
Sonny Landreth   Slide Guitar
Bessyl Duhon   Button Accordion
David Greely   Fiddle,Vocals
Mark Meaux   Mandolin,Guitar (Acoustic)
Tommy Alesi   Drums
Brian Brignac   Drums
Frank Kincel   Drums
Gabrielle Newman   Bass,Vocals
Lois Sprague   Bass
Keith Blanchard   Drums
Dwayne Brasseaux   Bass
Jane Vidrine   Vocals
Randy Vidrine   Guitar,Vocals
Dan Drilling   Guitar
Ron Eoff   Guitar (Bass)
Steve Crossan   Bass
Jim Markway   Bass
Junior Martin   Guitar (Steel)
Dave Ransom   Bass
Peter Schwarz   Bass,Vocals,Guitar (Bass)
Rufus Thibodeaux   Fiddle
David Doucet   Guitar
Steve LeBlanc   Fiddle,Vocals
Bill Goodwin   Drums
Errol Verret   Button Accordion
Joe McMahan   Guitar (Acoustic)
Kevin Dugas   Drums
Michael Doucet   Fiddle,Vocals
Michael Palmer   Vocals (Background)
Tommy Comeaux   Guitar (Rhythm)
Kenneth Blevins   Drums,Percussion
Christine Balfa   Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Cruz Fruge   Vocals (Background),Drums
Adrian Huval   Button Accordion
Charles Landry   Drums
Victor Palmer   Vocals (Background)
Lionel LeLeux   Violin
Mike Lejeune   Drums
Hubert Maitre   Guitar
Steve Lafleur   Guitar,Vocals
Fabian Champagne   Guitar
Danny Zeringue   Drums
Bennie Hasha   Bass
Jonno Frishberg   Fiddle,Button Accordion,Vocals (Background)
Tony Balfa   Bass
Joe Rogers   Dobro,Vocal Harmony
Ann Savoy   Guitar,Vocals
Kevin Wimmer   Fiddle
Bruce MacDonald   Guitar,Vocals
Mitchell Reed   Fiddle
Tim O'Brien   Mandolin
Gina Forsyth   Fiddle
David Scott Cash   Piano

Technical Credits

Scott Billington   Compilation Producer,Design,Mixing,Producer,Liner Notes,Art Direction
Bill Halverson   Mixing,Editing,Producer
Ken Irwin   Producer
Dirk Powell   Mixing,Producer
Eddie LeJeune   Composer
Tony Daigle   Mixing,Editing,Engineer
Traditional   Composer
Steve Conn   Producer
Sonny Landreth   Producer
D.L. Menard   Composer
Clifton Chenier   Composer
M. Doucet   Composer
David Rachou   Assistant Engineer
Joel Savoy   Mixing,Engineer
Dewey Balfa   Arranger
Rob Jaczko   Mixing
Mark Miller   Engineer
Eddie Bodin   Engineer
Rick Olivier   Photography
Christian Clayton   Illustrations
Benny Graeff   Engineer,Assistant
Ken Isham   Engineer
Jane Vidrine   Mixing
Greg Robert   Engineer
Randy Vidrine   Composer
Peter Schwarz   Producer
Jesse Henderson   Mixing,Engineer
Mark Tanzer   Assistant
Mark Wessel   Mixing
Jim Robeson   Mixing
Jimmy C. Newman   Producer
Rick Lagneaux   Engineer
Nathan Abshire   Composer
Rex Hebert   Mixing,Engineer
David Farrell   Mixing,Editing,Engineer
Steve LeBlanc   Composer
Bluerunners   Producer
Al Berard   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Bruce Daigrepont   Composer,Producer
Gregg Lunsford   Mixing
Jonathan Wyner   Mastering
Randy Best   Mixing
Michael Doucet   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Bil VornDick   Mixing,Engineer
Iry LeJeune   Composer
Jo-El Sonnier   Mixing,Producer
Rex Herbert   Engineer
Victor Palmer   Assistant
Pete Bergeron   Editing
Nancy Given   Design,Art Direction
Steve Nails   Engineer
Alex U. Case   Assistant
Ann Savoy   Mixing,Producer
Mitchell Reed   Composer
Tim O'Brien   Mixing,Producer
Canray Fontenot   Composer
Danny Collet   Producer
Zachary Richard   Arranger,Producer