#758- > Jeffery Broussard and the Nighttime Syndicate - Bayou Moonlight (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2025 – Fairground Records
Release Date : May 23, 2025
 
By Phillip Smith; July 11, 2025
 
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Jeffery Broussard has been a mainstay in the Louisiana Zydeco scene for well over thirty years, playing in Zydeco Force, and later with the Creole Cowboys. His latest recording Bayou Moonlight is the first he has made with Nighttime Syndicate. The new configuration brings in members of TBC Brass Band from New Orleans and couples them with a swing-oriented rhythm section. They have a very cool approach to their music, flavoring their brand of Zydeco with subtle bits of Jazz, Ranchera, and Ska, and R&B. They really make the music pop. With frontman Broussard on accordion and lead vocals, the rest of the band consists of Gary Francois on washboard, a horn section featuring JU9CEY, Paul Chéene, and David McKissick, drummer Hanna Davis, bassist Spike Perkins, Zachary Wiggens on piano/organ, and producer Romain Beauxis on guitar.

The album commences with a fresh recording of “Whatever” from Zydeco Force & Lil Guyland’s 2005 album Louisiana Chicken Shack. It sets the mood quite nicely and conjures the spirit of good times. Keeping the positive flow going, they follow up next with “It’s Alright” featuring Jamie Lynn Fontenot (The Daiquiri Queens) and K.C. Jones (The Benzie Playboys) on vocals. This music quickly puts me in happy mode. I love their cover of Sam Cooke’s “Change is Gonna Come”. Hearing this ever so-poignant song delivered in New Orleans-fashion with Broussard singing in such a soulful and delicate way, really makes this a stand out performance. The keys and horns add a reverent touch to the track. “Madelin” is another which has a strong draw. The ska-soaked rhythm brings me to their wonder-filled world where the squeezebox and horns are best friends. It truly is a potpourri of sound. I adore their follow-up homage to Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me” called “I’m Coming Home”. I can’t help but be swept away into that era of early Sixties R&B. Special guest Anna Moss brings her lovely voice to an exceptional horn-infused cover of Rosie Ledet’s (The Zydeco Playboys) “Hello Baby” from her 2001 album Show Me Something.

Bayou Midnight absolutely soothes my soul with every listen. It’s surely one of my favorite releases of the Summer.

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Available on BandCamp

Billy Pierce & Friends - Take Me Back to the Delta

By Phillip Smith; April 5, 2014

Listening to the new album, Take Me to the Delta from Billy Pierce & Friends is like taking a mini musical vacation to New Orleans.  The songs are marinated in a Cajun-style country blues sauce and served buffet-style, so as to make sure everyone gets a little of what they have to offer.  Along with Pierce, who handles the vocals and slide guitar, is bassist Chris Miller and drummer Billy Meyers.  Joining the band is a multitude of guest musicians which include the likes of Sonny Landreth, Charlie Wooton, Waylon Thibodeaux and the guys from Bonerama.

Title track, “Take Me Back to the Delta” is a bluesy treat.  With guests Landreth on slide, Wooton on bass, and Thibodeaux fiddling away, you can’t go wrong. This one is just plain fun.  I really like the instrumental, “Song For Sonny”.  This is my favorite.  It pretty much falls into the category of trance blues.  Guest drummer Johnny Digiovanni, keeps a steady interesting beat running throughout the song as Pierce plays some bodacious slide guitar. I would love to hear a full album of more songs like this one.  Coming in at number two, is “Rooster”, a song about putting stuff behind you and letting go.  Jimmy Carpenter’s sax playing surely contributes to the cool factor.  While on the subject of cool factors, check out Wooten’s funky bass track on “Big Joe”.  It goes really well with that cool swampy slide Pierce lays down.      

A couple of notable covers to mention are Big Bill Broonzy’s “Key to the Highway”, and Hank Williams Sr.’s “Jambalaya”.  Like Heinz ketchup, the Broonzy cover is ‘Slow Good’.  Bonerama provides the horns and Johnny Neel tickles the ivories, giving this a really nice authentic New Orleans sound.  And we all know, no trip to The Big Easy is complete without a big bowl of the aforementioned Jambalaya.  This bowl is spiced up with help from Thibodeaux, Digiovanni, and Henry Ramato on accordion.  

Take Me Back to the Delta has some really cool musical components, and fans of both Blues and Zydeco music are encouraged to check this album out.