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CD review
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Offbeat Magazine, CD review >>
BY Dan Willging
"You're either going to love it or you're gonna hate it," Geno Delafose explained in a recent radio interview regarding listeners' maiden reaction to zydeco. "And if you like it, it's going to be with you forever." The widely popular purveyor added how he attempts to reel 'em all in with a people's choice repertoire that offers a little something for everyone.
That sentiment also holds true for the strapping Creole cowboy's latest, a Herculean testament of souped-up, rocked-out, nuclear-combustin' zydeco that's invigorating all the way through. Yet, unlike others who only proclaim the same, Delafose dishes it out in heaping proportions. The first couple of tunes, the title song and "Zydeco With Geno" (two of four originals heard here), give credence to why he's one of the reigning dance floor monarchs. Succulent renditions of Sam Cooke's "What a Wonderful World" and Rockin' Sidney's "Good Time Woman" follow while enlightened country fans will likely groove on the bang-up version of David Ball's "What Do You Want With His Love."
Other than the surprising interpretation of Tyrone Davis' smash R&B hit "Can I Change My Mind" where bassist Popp Esprite does an incredible job emulating the famed soulster, the bulk of the remaining hulk is of traditional fare. Here, Delafose simply smokes on "Le Bluerunner," gallops on "La Pointe Aux Pins" and hardly horses around on "Hee-Haw Breakdown." BeauSoleil's fiddler Michael Doucet sears on "Les Flammes D'Enfer," "Port Arthur Blues" and Nathan Abshire's radiant "Belizaire Waltz." Interestingly, "Belizaire" quietly terminates before erupting into a thrusting kicking two-step, hence demonstrating that ingenuity can still be applied to even the most staunch traditionalism. Yet, out of all these chestnuts, Delafose's own "Allez Voir Ma Tit Fille" is the disc's crown jewel with all its splendid soulful beauty, striking the sweet spot of romantic sensation. Word to the wise: if you've got someone in mind for that slow one, by all means request it. It'll work, guaranteed.
- 06/01/03 >> go there
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