Thanks to the
Arhoolie
label, fans of
zydeco
legend
Clifton Chenier
have another chance to hear
Clifton Sings the Blues
. Recorded in Houston on April 1, 1969,
Chenier
's accordion and vocal prowess were more relaxed on these tracks than most
fans would expect. The set features sturdy assistance from
Cleveland Chenier
,
Clifton
's brother, on rub-board, drummer
Robert Peter
, bassist
Joe Morris
, and guitarist
Cleveland Keyes
, and
's love of laid-back
Texas blues
is evident on tracks like
"Ain't No Need of Cryin' (Every Day Is the Same),"
"Brown Skinned Woman,"
and
"Trouble in Mind."
While the pace of these tunes flows between slow to midtempo shuffles, the three exceptions,
"Rosemary,"
"Me and My Chauffeur Blues,"
"Paper in My Shoe,"
are first rate uptempo dance tracks. The only regrettable aspect of the 2004 reissue of
is the omission of seven bonus tracks from 1977 that were included on the 1987 version. ~ Al Campbell