NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� sings in swaggering French. Louisiana native delivers a slow, slinky, swamp pop sound. Taj Mahal, Jimmie Vaughan, and more energize Creole classics from accordionist and pioneer Clifton Chenier, the late King of Zydeco.
Chenier, who died in 1987 due to diabetes-related kidney disease, would've turned 100 on June 25. To celebrate his centennial, Valcour Records founder Joel Savoy and teamed up with executive producer John Leopold to produce 鈥淎 Tribute to the King," out June 27.
Savoy's primary role was to assemble the local backing band to support these artists 鈥� and to spotlight 鈥渢he Zydeco legacy families,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y job was to help create a house band paired with the best accordion players representing Clifton鈥檚 style and the appropriate people for this project."
It was a tall order. 鈥淚n the same way Muddy Waters more or less invented electric blues, Clifton effectively invented what is now known as Zydeco. It's that driving beat,鈥� said Berlin. This tribute album 鈥渋s not just a fun record,鈥� he adds, 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e also telling the history of this music as well.鈥�
And telling it with some incredible artists who double as longtime fans. The Stones' Keith Richards said in a statement, 鈥淶ydeco and Clifton Chenier have been with me since forever! It鈥檚 deep South with some interesting French.鈥�
The first song out from 鈥淎 Tribute to the King" is 鈥淩elease Me,鈥� performed as a duet by Williams and Tommy McLain.
C.C. Adcock, who produced the track, said the song 鈥渇rames them as two old sweethearts who鈥檝e been through the wreckage and the ropes of a relationship (and maybe even of this life of honky-tonk one-nighters) and are asking to please be released,鈥� he wrote in a statement. 鈥淏oth of their souls are so pure as artists and as people.鈥�
Also included in the star-studded lineup is CJ Chenier, Clifton's son. 鈥淚t was an honor to be a part of this project with all of these wonderful, ultra talented artists celebrating my dad鈥檚 100th birthday,鈥� he said in a statement.
鈥淭he point of this album was to reflect the reach that Clifton鈥檚 music had across the whole spectrum of American music,鈥� Savoy adds. 鈥淭o show that people like Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Charlie Crockett and the Rolling Stones have been touched by this music and specifically wanted to be part of this project to pay homage to Clifton, who influenced them.鈥�
All proceeds from 鈥淎 Tribute to the King鈥� will fund the newly established Clifton Chenier Memorial Scholarship, which will provide financial assistance to students studying traditional music 鈥� specifically zydeco accordion 鈥� at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
鈥淎 Tribute t
o the King of Zydeco鈥� Tracklist
1. 鈥淶ydeco Sont Pas Sal茅s,鈥� The Rolling Stones and Steve Riley
2. 鈥淓asy Easy Baby,鈥� Charley Crockett and Nathan Williams, Sr.
3. 鈥淗ey 鈥橳ite Fille,鈥� Taj Mahal and Keith Frank
4. 鈥淩elease Me,鈥� Lucinda Williams, Tommy McClain and Keith Frank
5. 鈥淛ust Like A Woman,鈥� Steve Earle and Anthony Dopsie
6. 鈥淚鈥檓 On The Wonder,鈥� Jon Cleary and Curley Taylor
7. 鈥淢y Soul,鈥� Jimmie Vaughan, Johnny Nicholas and Steve Riley
8. 鈥淗ot Rod,鈥� David Hidalgo and CJ Chenier
9. 鈥淭out Le Temps En Temps,鈥� Shannon McNally, Keith Frank and Molly Tuttle
10. 鈥淎y Ai Ai,鈥� Ruben Ramos with Los Texmaniacs and Augie Meyers
11. 鈥淚 May Be Wrong,鈥� Marcia Ball and Geno Delafose
12. 鈥淚鈥檓 Coming Home,鈥� CJ Chenier and Sonny Landreth
13. 鈥淵ou Used To Call Me,鈥� John Hiatt and Roddie Romero
14. 鈥淲hy Did You Go Last Night," Kam Franklin, A.J. Haynes and Roddie Romero
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
