All of the photos were
taken at the Liberty
Theater in Eunice. Greg Potier is shown on
washboard. |
Click here for high res photos
posted on Flickr.
2007 New CD:
Don't Shut Me Out
Corey Ledet, whose performance of Clifton
Chenier classics has won standing ovations,
shows off his own Zydeco accordion style and
Zydeco songwriting in his 2007 CD, Don’t
Shut Me Out. Most of the cuts feature
Corey on piano accordion, but he also plays triple-row
or really anything with keys—the liner notes
don’t indicate the instrumentation for each
number. The CD features all original songs,
plus a traditional juré
number.
Like
a lot of Zydeco, some of the lyrics on songs
like “Mom Sue” are more musical phrases in
the melody and rhythm than expressions of
meaning, but everything flows together to
make for Zydeco excitement. And on “Corey’s
After Hour Blues,” he blends the lyrics with
the highly expressive musical voice of his
accordion along with the tears flowing
from Pandy “Guitar Gable Jr.” Perrodin’s
guitar into some of the most low down, late
night blues you’ll ever hear.
In
“Creole Spice,” Corey demonstrates his accordion virtuosity in an old-style
performance accompanied only by drums and rubboard (which, in the mix, he is also
playing on that cut). “C & C Waltz” is a
lovely French waltz, with Cedric Watson on
fiddle. “Going Back Home,” another fast
Zydeco number, includes Curnis Andres’ alto
sax doubling with the accordion. Curnis
appears again on the instrumental “My
Daddy’s Zydeco Shuffle,”
“Creole Cruzin’” is a smooth ride across the
prairie, with Corey at the wheel on
accordion and keyboard, and Pandy right
beside him on guitar. “On Top of the World”
includes backup vocals by Feufollet’s Anna
Laura Edmiston. The juré number, let by Cedric Watson, is a
traditional call-reponse song from a very
old Creole tradition. In the last cut,
“Nice Guys Finish Last,” Corey stakes out
his position in the long-running rivalry to
rule over the kingdom of Zydeco.
The
CD also features James “J.B.” Adams from
Houston on washboard and backup vocals, Dion
Pierre on bass, Jay Prejean on drums, plus
other guest performers, including Joel Savoy
on lead guitar on three tracks. The CD was
recorded at Joel’s studio in March 2006.
For more information on Corey Ledet, check
out his MySpace page.
Click here to go to LSUE's first page on
Corey Ledet. |
