V.A. - The Rough Guide To Cajun Dance (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

What is it about Louisianan dance music that keeps people listening? Is it the sheer danceability of it, regardless of the mood? Perhaps there's something in the omnipresent emotion that lets the musicians break the language barrier and put their feelings onto the listener. As one of many albums on the market in the current revival of popularity for Cajun music, the Rough Guide contribution to the current offerings is a welcome one. The major figures of the genre are present, as are a few relative unknowns with powerful abilities. The album opens up with the best contemporary Cajun has to offer, with a thumping dance from the Mamou Playboys. As it moves forward, it touches upon pieces from Beausoleil (surprisingly, the two Beausoleil pieces are the only appearances of a Doucet here) and the venerable Magnolia Sisters. Bruce Daigrepont provides a number worth hearing, as do the Balfa Brothers within a short span. D.L. Menard contributes a piece of his trademark country-inflected Cajun, and the Savoy Family makes an appearance (as with Doucet, a surprising single appearance from the stars of the genre). The compilers did a fine job of covering a range of works here, staying away from the most dated and scratchy recordings in favor of new recordings as available. The plan seems to have worked well, as the album shows off some fine stuff. Pick it up alongside other entries in the same field, such as Rounder's Cajun Music: The Essential Collection, and compare, then dig for the best on related albums. by Adam Greenberg
Tracklist:
1 Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys – My True Love (Voyage D'Amour) 4:01
2 The Jambalaya Cajun Band – Les Flammes D'En Fer (The Flames Of Hell) 3:52
3 Beausoleil – Valse Bébé 4:06
4 Zachary Richard – Madeleine 3:18
5 Magnolia Sisters – Dedans Le Sud De La Louisiane 3:15
6 La Bande Feufollet – McGee's Medley 3:41
7 Hadley J. Castille & The Louisiana Cajun Band – Chanson De Mardi Gras (Mardi Gras Song) 3:41
8 Balfa Toujours – Allons À Tepatate 2:49
9 Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys – La Toussaint 3:52
10 Mack Manuel, Jesse Legé & The Lake Charles Ramblers – Special Du Club Soixante-Treize (Club 73 Special) 3:16
11 Beausoleil – Parlez-Nous À Boire 3:36
12 Bruce Daigrepont – La Petit Cadeau (The Little Gift) 2:50
13 Dewey Balfa, Marc Savoy & D.L. Menard – J'Ai Fait Un Gros Erreur 4:19
14 The Balfa Brothers – La Danse De Mardi Gras (Mardi Gras Dance) 2:21
15 D.L. Menard – Listen To Me When I Talk To You (Écoute-Moi Bien, Porte Attention, Je Suis Après Te Parler) 2:56
16 The Savoy Family Band – Lake Arthur Stomp 4:08
17 Donald Thibodeaux & Cajun Fever – Lacassine Special 3:50

V.A. - The Rough Guide To The Music Of Louisiana (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Louisiana has one of American's richest heritages -- the cradle of jazz, New Orleans, Mardi Gras, Cajun, and Zydeco music. It's impossible to capture it all in one disc, and this doesn't try -- which is both a good and a bad thing. The disc does have some Cajun and Zydeco (from Beausoleil and Buckwheat Zydeco, among others), and nods toward New Orleans jazz with Dr. Michael White and Kermit Ruffins, from the Rebirth Brass Band -- which also handily takes in the New Orleans brass tradition. And, to be fair, "You Are My Sunshine," written by the late Louisiana governor Jimmie Davis, is here. So yes, it's impossible to fault the music here on its own terms, although the fusion of Cubanismo with John Boutté and the Yockama All-Stars is at best only half-Louisiana. Yes, Dr. John is here (although hardly at his best) and Champion Jack Dupree -- but if you're going to have piano, how can you ignore Professor Longhair? And if you're dealing with jazz, why not go to the source, and include Louis Armstrong? Where's Allen Toussaint, one of music's legendary figures, or Fats Domino (whose "Walking to New Orleans" does appear here, by Buckwheat Zydeco)? The bottom line is, as a representation of Louisiana, it's very, very far from being either satisfying or definitive. by Chris Nickson
Tracklist:
1 Dr Michael White – Louisian-i-a 6:48
Written-By – Joe Darensbourg
2 ¡Cubanismo! Feat. John Boutté & The Yockamo All-Stars – Marie Laveaux 4:45
Written-By – Glenn Patscha, Mark Bingham
3 Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys – La Danse De Mardi Gras 3:51
Traditional
Arranged By – Mamou Playboys
4 Beau Jocque & The Zydeco Hi-Rollers – Mardi Gras Blues 6:21
Written-By – Beau Jocque
5 Kermit Ruffins – Bye And Bye 4:41
Traditional
6 Champion Jack Dupree – Give Me The Flowers While I'm Livin' 4:57
Written-By – William Jack Dupree
7 Dr John – Waiting For A Train 3:18
Written-By – Jimmie Rogers
8 Buckwheat Zydeco – Walkin' To New Orleans 4:32
Written-By – Domino, Bartholomew, Guidry
9 John Delafose & The Eunice Playboys – Slow Motion Zydeco 3:20
Written-By – Geno Delafose
10 Beausoleil – Bunk's Blues 4:14
Written-By – Michael Doucet
11 Mack Manuel/Jesse Legé & The Lake Charles Ramblers – Allons A Lafayette 3:45
Traditional
Arranged By – J. Legé
12 Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas Feat. Michael Doucet – Black Snake Blues / I Can't Go Home No More 6:11
Written-By – Clifton Chenier
13 Zachary Richard – Iko Iko 3:54
Traditional
14 Irma Thomas – Hold To God's Unchanging Hand 3:05
Arranged By – Dwight Franklin
Written-By – F.L. Eiland, Jennie Wilson
15 Magnificent Seventh's Band – You Are My Sunshine 5:30
Written-By – Charles Mitchell, Jimmie Davis