Boppin' by the Bayou: Made in the Shade

Liner Note Author: Ian Saddler.
Ace continues its deep dive into the vaults of Louisiana independent record labels from the late '50s and early '60s with Boppin' by the Bayou: Made in the Shade," the ninth installment in the label's ever-shifting, ever-evolving By the Bayou series. This one concentrates primarily on rock & roll and high-octane Cajun country, picking highlights from 45s originally released on such imprints as Hitt, Zynn, Rocket, Flyright, Diamond, Goldband, La Louisianne, and Tamm -- a bunch of labels known only to Louisiana mavens, who will also cherish the eight previously unreleased alternate takes here. These aren't the only cuts not released at the time. Some previously excavated sides are scattered throughout -- Larry Hart's "Freight Train" showed up in 1984, Mickey '"My Baby's Cheatin' On My" in 1983, John Bass' "Don't Move Too Slow" in 1981, etc -- but it's not like a single one of these 28 tracks are well-known. The particulars may not be familiar, but the combination of Jerry Lee Lewis boogie, New Orleans funk, and backwoods rockabilly does capture a particular time and place, and these sides illustrate how deep that rock & roll explosion resonated. There aren't any great new discoveries -- many of the artists have popped up on previous By the Bayou installments -- and it'd be hard to argue any of these acts should've had anything more than a regional hit, but their regionalism is what's now appealing about this greasy rock & roll. Buried deep in the Louisiana Bayou were seemingly countless collectives of jumping, rocking Cajuns and hillbillies, pouring so much energy into their performances that the recordings still spark years later. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine