Louisiana Saturday Night Revisited

Liner Note Author: Ian Saddler.
Photographers: Ian Saddler; Dave Thomas ; Alec Palao; Chris Gunter; Jay McCaddin.
The "Revisited" is key on this 2013 Ace compilation. The 24-track compilation does not contain songs from the prime of Louisiana R&B and rock & roll -- aka, the sounds of the '50s and the '60s -- but rather newer acts that carry the torch, hoping to keep the funky sounds of the swamp burning for their time and years yet to come. Perhaps the production is a little too clean -- a common problem with modern roots music, where everything is just a little bit too cleanly in the pocket, as if cleanliness is preferable to unscrubbable grit -- but the attitude is just right, with every one of the bands preferring a lazy, loping rhythm to an exacting, precise groove. Unless you live in Louisiana, there is no chance you'll recognize the names here -- Travis Matte & the Kingpins, Ken Marvel, Jivin' Gene, Warren Storm, Jamie Bergeron & the Kickin' Cajuns, Michael Hurtt & His Haunted Hearts top-line this disc -- but that's the appeal, as this underscores how regional the whole affair is. You get the sense that you could walk into any bar, any roadhouse joint, even any tourist trap on Bourbon Street and get something as lively as you do here, and that's ultimately the point of Louisiana Saturday Night Revisited: it's not about innovation, it's about proving that R&B, blues, and zydeco still pack a punch and this set proves that these sounds are still potent. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine