HPEPPER RECORDS - Zydeco on the Road – Live in Richmond Virginia (Liner Notes) On a warm June evening, at the Tin
HPEPPER RECORDS - Zydeco on the Road – Live in Richmond Virginia (Liner Notes)
On a warm June evening, at the Tin Pan in Richmond, Virginia, the band performed to a
standing room-only crowd. They transported the audience to the original zydeco
dance halls of Southwest Louisiana – Slim's Y-Kiki, Richard’s and The Hamilton Club.
The only thing missing was the wooden foors that bounced as dancers two-stepped
the night away and the big window fans that battled the humid night air.
Through storytelling, Arceneaux lays out his journey to zydeco. After a short-lived
interest in playing the guitar, 10-year-old Corey became obsessed with learning to play
the accordion. Luckily, the “Lil Red Accordion” he saw in the Sears catalog met his
parents’ per kid total Christmas gift limit of $100. After convincing an accordionist who
was also their neighborhood sanitation worker to teach him to play, he was on his way.
With more than 85 years of Creole music history in his family, it’s no wonder he was a
natural. Great-grandfather Ferdinand Arceneaux performed house dances in the
creole/lala genre. He was later joined by his son, Fernest Arceneaux, who was billed
as the “Prince of the Accordion” and performed zydeco worldwide in the beginning of
the genre. On his maternal side, his great uncle, Rodney Bernard, has performed as a
drummer and scrubboardist with many zydeco legends.
The old school, intimate yet festive evening and live recording feels part speakeasy
and part Mardi Gras. He pays homage to the artists and music he grew up listening to
and admiring – Buckwheat Zydeco, Clifton Chenier and Fernest Arceneaux. In “I’m
Coming Home,” he gives tribute to the King of Zydeco Clifton Chenier. This audience
favorite brings out the majesty of the piano note accordion and Arceneaux’s mastery
of it.
This CD ends with a tearjerker “My Star,” a dedication to Arceneaux’s mom, the late
Debra Melancon Arceneaux. On one of his frequent visits to Louisiana in 2023, his
mother asked him when he was going to write a song for her, and he said, “on the next
project.” Sadly, she passed away a few months later, but he kept his promise. While on
earth, she was his best friend. Now, she’s his guiding star.
Albeit short, if you’re from Louisiana and familiar with zydeco, you’ll feel like you got a
dose of “joie de vivre” that only a visit home can give you after listening to this album.
If you’re not, you’ll quickly recognize what makes southwest Louisiana and its people
unique and special – creative, country, caring, cayenne-spiced and always ready to
“pass a good time.” Then, you’ll rush to the next Corey and the Zydeco Hot Peppers
show near you.