Bayou Blues

Here is where the Chenier legend began. This disc contains the 12 Bumps Blackwell-produced tracks Clifton cut in 1955 in Los Angeles for Specialty Records. On tracks like "The Cat's Dreamin'" or his first hit single, "Ay 'Tète Fey" (which is the Cajun-French form of its better-known title, "Eh, Petite Fille" meaning "Hey, Little Girl"), Chenier's amalgam of blues, R&B, and rock & roll mixed with traditional French dance tunes is still rough but already has the power and drive that he (and his accordion) would later hone to a fine edge. Instrumental greats and mainstays of Chenier's early road bands like tenor saxman Lionel Prevost and guitarist Lonesome Sundown add their considerable talents to these sessions. The starting point for any comprehensive Chenier collection. --Robert Baird