New Buckwheat Zydeco CD: "Lay Your Burden Down"

I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- BlueNotes is way far behind on his CD reviews.

So today I'll play catchup with Buckwheat Zydeco's latest (truth in journalism here - actually released May 5 - at least it's still May), titled "Lay YOur Burden Down" (Alligator Records).

Buckwheat is actually Stanley Dural, master of zydeco, the accordion, the Hammond B3 and Cajun musical rhythms that can make your body move even if you are as old as BlueNotes. 

But this album is a little different. Yes, it's got all the above stuff, and great New Orleans stylings, but it's also got a a lot of heart and mind behind it. Dural has put together a collection of thoughtful, wide-ranging songs that may not have been origianlly intended for the accordion, but still come up pulsating with the Buckwheat spirit.

Dural takes an old Memphis Minnie tune written by Kansas Joe McCoy, "When the Levee Breaks" (about a famous MIssissippi River flood in 1927), and turns it into a contemporary walk through hard times of hurricane disasters with dirgelike zydeco undertones, led by Dural on the B3 (ain't it a shame that this great song actually had to become popular when Led Zeppelin recorded it?).

Then there's a slow swampy rocker by Florida swamp rootsman JJ Grey, "The Wrong Side," while Grey shares vocals and helps out on piano. There's a somber take on Bruce Springsteen's "Back In Your Arms," and even a Captain Beefheart tune (you remember the Captain, don't you?), "Too Much Time."

Still,  Dural has written or co-written about half of these tracks, and taken as a whole, they create a work of intense emotion, passion and hearty good times. It all seems to be an interesting shift from previous party-like work, adding special guests Grey, Trombone Shorty ( great solo on "Don't Leave Me"), Sonny Landreth and Warren Hayne, who wrote the title great and contributes extra-fine guitar.

It's a fine album, mixing Dural's multi-talented approach, thoughtful songwriting, and elegant production. The music is pretty darned good, too.

Here's a sample of the excellent work on "When the Levee Breaks":

And here's a video of Buckwheat Zydeco at work:

Koko Taylor recovering from surgery

Here's a note from Alligator records on recent surgery for blues belter Koko Taylor:

Koko Taylor, 80, Grammy Award-winning "Queen of the Blues," is recovering from surgery to correct a gastrointestinal bleed. The surgery was performed on May 19 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Her doctors anticipate a full recovery.