This 24-song disc has one notable advantage over many other Cajun compilations: the chronological span is very wide, going from Iry LeJeune's "Grande Bosco" in the mid-1950s to 1990s efforts by Jimmy Breaux, the Jambalay Cajun Band and David Greely. Partially for that reason, it has more variety than the usual Cajun anthology, though if you're the type who can only handle a few songs in the style at a time, this isn't going to change your mind about the diversity (or lack of it) in the genre. Dewey Balfa and Nathan Abshire ...
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This 24-song disc has one notable advantage over many other Cajun compilations: the chronological span is very wide, going from Iry LeJeune's "Grande Bosco" in the mid-1950s to 1990s efforts by Jimmy Breaux, the Jambalay Cajun Band and David Greely. Partially for that reason, it has more variety than the usual Cajun anthology, though if you're the type who can only handle a few songs in the style at a time, this isn't going to change your mind about the diversity (or lack of it) in the genre. Dewey Balfa and Nathan Abshire are some of the big Cajun names to be found here, yet most of these artists have a much lower profile. Includes the only Cajun song to make the Top 100, Cleveland Crochet's 1961 single "Sugar Bee," whose guitar player sounds besotted by the kind of sounds Chuck Berry got on "School Days." Bill Matte's "Parlez Vous L'Francais" (from the same year) also has a hot rock & roll guitar break. For slightly outrageous novelty, the album concludes with Nolan Cormier's "Hee Haw Breakdown," where the vocals are either riding commands from rider to horse, or imitation animal noises. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi
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