Dans la Louisianne

Recording information: Castle Studio, Tulane Hotel, Nashville, TN (02/13/1952); Castle Studio, Tulane Hotel, Nashville, TN (02/18/1953); Castle Studio, Tulane Hotel, Nashville, TN (05/14/1954); Castle Studio, Tulane Hotel, Nashville, TN (08/10/1952).
Illustrator: Vin Bruce.
Photographer: Vin Bruce.
This compilation features 20 songs that major early Cajun music singer/guitarist Vin Bruce recorded for Columbia Records between 1952 and 1954. Most of them found release on 45s at the time, though a couple French-language tunes, "Le Délece" and "Si Toi Tu M'Aime," make their first appearance on this CD. Though this music doesn't sound startling to modern ears, these are important Cajun recordings, for a couple of reasons. According to Michael Hurtt's liner notes in the accompanying 36-page booklet, Bruce's stint with Columbia "represented the first time that a Cajun artist was marketed to the widespread record-buying public by a major recording company." Bruce was also the first Cajun artist to record with leading Nashville session players as that city became established as the country music capital, including Chet Atkins, Owen Bradley (on piano), and Grady Martin, all of whom make contributions to these tracks. Accordingly, the music can sound as country as Cajun, almost like a link between Louisiana sounds and early hillbilly/honky tonk. Singing in both English and French, Bruce had a laid-back, almost low-energy delivery that puts him on the mild side of this hybrid. If you're looking for a Cajunized, less intense version of early-'50s Hank Williams (with whom Bruce played at Williams' 1952 wedding), this might do the trick. ~ Richie Unterberger