Back around the mid-‘70s, someone bought me, completely by mistake, a copy of an Arhoolie album, ‘Louisiana Cajun Music Volume 2’. It gathered dust for a couple of weeks until I, rather petulantly, finally got round to playing it – and was I hooked! I’ve not listened to much Cajun music over the last few years, but it does help that this set contains three numbers that were on that fondly remembered album of vintage material. The Michot Brothers consist of a marine biologist and a District Court judge and his son but this real old-timey Cajun music – Tommy Michot on accordion and harmonica sharing vocals with fiddler Rick Michot, whilst Patrick Michot Jr. plays guitar. The songs themselves are mainly from venerable sources, and the closer is an a cappella performance. There are plenty of Waltzes, Two-steps and classic songs, such as ‘Allons A Lafayette’ and ‘J’ai Passé Devant Ta Porte’. The accordion chugs and wheezes along, the fiddle keens, the vocals are high and in French throughout, the guitar keeps the beat – and it was recorded at La Louisianne Studio in Lafayette in 2008. The booklet notes that a large proportion of these songs were learned directly form older musicians, and there is even a fine harmonica version of Narmour & Smith’s ‘Carroll County Blues’, learned from the fiddler Varis Conner. To be honest, I had almost given up hope of hearing Cajun music this good again. A real joy…
Norman DARWEN – BLUES & RHYTHM
Norman DARWEN – BLUES & RHYTHM
