It’s easy to take venerable roots bands like Beausoleil for
granted because they make whatever they choose to play swing effortlessly – but
do so at your peril. Beneath the surface of this quintet joyous, dance-friendly
groove are some serious musicians willing to take significant artistic risks,
as exemplified by their latest release, From Bamako to Carencro. I can’t imagine any other Cajun band
attempting to do a French interpolation of James Brown’s torrid “I Go Crazy”
but Beausoleil’s playful adaptation makes it sound like it was written that
way. In recognition of the ancestral
links between the blues of West Africa and the Mississippi delta, Beausoleil chose
to cover “Bamako,” jazz composer Roswell Rudd’s soulful tribute to the eerie
desert music of Mali. Elsewhere, they channel John Coltrane at his most
accessible with a funky, uptempo romp through his “Bessie’s Blues.” Le Jig Creole, penned by bassist Mitchell Reed
and Michael Doucet, makes a slow, bluesy riff both hypnotic and danceable. In
appreciation to their own roots, Beausoleil closes out this wonderful disc with
a tribute to legendary Cajun fiddler Dennis McGee, covering his “Guilbeau
Pelican & Napoleon’s Reel.”
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