Master of the Cajun Accordion: The Classic Swallow Recordings

Liner Note Authors: John Broven; Lyle Ferbrache; Ann Savoy.
Photographers: Paul Harris ; Mike Leadbitter; James LaRocca .
Nathan Abshire is one of the classic Cajun figures of the mid-20th century and Ace's 2013 compilation, Master of the Cajun Accordion: The Classic Swallow Recordings, captures many of the best of his last years. Abshire recorded regularly and many of his earliest sides are collected on Ace's 1995 collection The Great Cajun Accordionist, but this 2013 set captures the last phase of his career, when he sometimes flirted with crossover -- he covered Joe South's "Games People Play" in 1970 and started incorporating a harder backbeat as the calendar crossed over into the '70s -- while still remaining true to his Bayou roots. Ace has collected this material before, but this comp contains the entirety of the two Swallow LPs Abshire released, along with various singles, all supplemented by detailed liner notes highlighted by an exacting discography. Abshire is one of the greats of 20th century Cajun music, and this collection does justice to his final act. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine