Return of the Creole
MDS 1091 | 2011
Keeping the Tradition Alive
MDS 1087 | 2007
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| A brief history...
A hot, new band in Southwest Louisiana's Zydeco scene, Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, features the accordion mastery and soulful vocals of front man Jeffery Broussard, from the legendary band, Zydeco Force, along with long-time contributor to Cajun and Creole music, fiddle and guitar player, D'Jalma Garnier III. The band delivers great, pack-the-floor renditions of Creole classics as well as their own brand of contemporary Zydeco.
Early Creole music, as played by legends Canray Fontenot on fiddle and Jeffery's father, accordion player Delton Broussard, is experiencing a well-deserved resurgence of interest in Louisiana today.
Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys are taking the next generation's perspective of this music and presenting it with contemporary flair and expertise. With the creation of the band, both D'Jalma and Jeffery see an opportunity to continue creating incredible music and outstanding performances, cultivating and inspiring new generations of Creole zydeco fans.
Reviews...
BLUESRAG | June-July 2011
Return of the Creole (MDS 1091
Return of the Creole is a party record, radiating all the danceable ecstasy that zydeco offers. But listen closer to accordionist Jeffery Broussard's second solo disc and the perceptive ear can pick up a rough thumbnail sketch of the genre's stylish progression. For instance, Clifton's "Tante Nana" hints at simpler times when button (not piano-key) accordions were the life of that party, before revved guitars, monster basses, and the big, big beat began joining in on the fun. Or, even predating that period, back when raspy fiddles were the Creole kings, reigning uncontested over a rustic "Old Carpenter's Waltz." Yet, having been a key architect of the late-80s "nouveau zydeco" movement (symbolized by his Zydeco Force), Broussard is expert at surfing atop walls-of-sound. So the push is on with Buckwheat's "Hard to Stop" and his own "Ole Blue," slashed by cross-cut rubboards and tubular-toned electric guitars. From the swaying purity of Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me" to the insinuating 'toot toot' impurity of "(Don't Pass Ya Hand On Dat...) Make It Hot," these Creole Cowboys pump up plenty of swirl 'n' stomp into their history lessons.
~Dennis Rozanski
excerpts from THE NEW YORK TIMES | January 2009 "Zydeco Spices Up a Strait-Laced Show"
Why doesn't every choreographer work with a live zydeco band? The question came to mind while listening to Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys, who accompanied Elisa Monte Dance in "Zydeco, Zare," which had its New York premiere at the Joyce Theater on Wednesday. And yet. Mr. Broussard and his Cowboys are fabulous: You start moving in your seat as soon as their rhythmic, rich melodies, both joyous and mournful, flood the theater. "Zydeco, Zare" certainly has more life in it, especially when Ms. Monte relaxes and lets her dancers have a bit of fun in the final social dance section. Still, the eyes, following the ears, traveled again and again to those Creole Cowboys. Accompaniment or no, they were the main draw. by Claudia La Rocco
www.GeezerMusicClub.wordpress.com | February 2008
I've reviewed a lot of Cajun/Zydeco albums in the past, and at some point I usually describe them just as I did in the early part of this sentence combining them as Cajun/Zydeco. But it's not just me. The people behind the Grammys recently announced a new category: Best Zydeco or Cajun Music.
But in spite of a tendency to lump them together, they are still different. Zydeco is generally described as being very similar to Cajun, but with the addition of influences from Creole music. And for those who don't know, Creoles are usually defined as black and multi-racial descendants of French and Spanish immigrants.
Having said all that, the fact is that most South Louisiana musicians regularly feature all kinds of music no matter how they bill themselves, and Jeffery Broussard is a prime example of one of the best. Fronting his group, the Creole Cowboys, he's bottled that diverse sound and created a new album, Keeping The Tradition Alive! (The exclamation mark is part of the title - just in case you thought I was getting overly excited.)
Broussard was recently named Accordionist Of The Year at the Zydeco Music And Creole Heritage awards, and there's little doubt that he's the star of the show anytime his band is on stage. With his colorful costumes and trademark toothpick always in place (even when singing), he's a real crowd-pleaser.
This album is a nice mix of swamp music that's impossible to resist, and if your toe doesn't begin tapping then check your circulation, your foot must be asleep. Broussard leads most tracks with his accordion and vocals, but he also picks up the fiddle once in a while. The music varies from traditional, such as "Why You Wanna Make Me Cry," to the instrumental "Creole Zydeco Hot Step," which - in spite of its name - is evocative of pure country music, complete with some brief bits of melodies you might recognize.
That track was my favorite on the album, but a tune that's probably more representative of the album's theme is the similarly-named but completely different "Creole Cowboy Two Step." For this one, Broussard and his group take the traditional Louisiana dance piece and apply the band's own Creole signature.
If you already enjoy South Louisiana swamp music, add this one to your collection. If this type of music is new to you but you're ready to take the plunge, this album is a good place to start.
by BG
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