Boppin by The Bayou

Various Artists - Boppin' By The Bayou: Made In The Shade (2014) {Ace Records CDCHD 1415}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 194 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 126 Mb
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© 2014 Ace Records | CDCHD 1415
Rock & Roll / Rhythm & Blues / South Louisiana / South East Texas / Cajun

The ninth release in the “…By The Bayou” series brings you some hot rockers from South Louisiana and Southeast Texas, an area where Cajun culture has had a strong influence over its music – and never more so than in the heyday of real rock’n’roll, the 1950s. Rock’n’roll was a hybrid of C&W and R&B right across the USA, but in Cajun country the influences were more specific; the country music was from Texas, the R&B from New Orleans, and into this mix went rockabilly from Memphis via Shreveport and Cajun music. In this exciting compilation you will find all of those influences to varying degrees.

Various Artists - Boppin' By The Bayou: Rock Me, Mama! (2015) {Ace Records CDCHD 1443}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 258 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 153 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 37 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2015 Ace Records | CDCHD 1443
Rock & Roll / Rockabilly / Cajun / North American Traditions / Zydeco

Time to roll up the carpet and put on your dancing shoes – 28 killer-diller Louisiana tracks. The eleventh CD in the “By The Bayou” contains some real skirt-swirlers, with a couple of slower numbers slipped in to break up the tempo. In keeping with the other “Boppin’” discs in this series, we have included some pure rockabilly and Cajun tracks alongside the swamp rockers.

Various Artists - Boppin' By The Bayou - More Dynamite (2013) {Ace Records CDCHD 1380}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 286 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 151 Mb
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© 2013 Ace Records | CDCHD 1380
Rock & Roll / Early Rock / Rockabilly

Ace spent a good chunk of 2013 boppin', bouncin', and rockin' on the bayou, and their autumn release, Boppin' by the Bayou: More Dynamite, is one of the liveliest of their excavations of the vaults of Louisiana music moguls Eddie Shuler, Charles "Dago" Redlich, J.D. Miller, and Carol Rachou. Once again, this is hardly reliant on recognizable names. There is the New Orleans giant Bobby Charles, rocking & rolling with the previously unreleased "Teenagers," but that's about it. The rest of this is jumping New Orleans R&B and rock & roll recorded during the late '50s and early '60s but sitting unreleased until this 2013 collection.

Various Artists - Swamp Pop By The Bayou (2014) {Ace Records CDCHD 1397}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 227 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 164 Mb
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© 2014 Ace Records | CDCHD 1397
Rock & Roll / Rhythm & Blues / Louisiana / New Orleans

In the mid-50s, as rock’n’roll swept across the USA, the Cajun youth of South Louisiana and South East Texas absorbed the R&B sounds emanating from New Orleans. This was reflected in their music, making it so distinctive. They thrilled to the sound of Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis and Huey Smith and performed their songs with the bands they formed, while the area’s new breed of songwriters – Bobby Charles, Jimmy Donley, Jivin’ Gene, etc – assimilated the Crescent City style in their work. Swamp pop was born, although the genre had yet to be named.

Various Artists - Bluesin' By The Bayou (2013) {Ace Records CDCHD 1368}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 218 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 141 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 26 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2013 Ace Records | CDCHD 1368
Blues / Louisiana Blues

Hardly have we savoured the full taste of “Rhythm ’n’ Bluesin’ By The Bayou” than here comes another bucketful of steaming South Louisiana gumbo and this time it’s “Bluesin’ By The Bayou” – a spicy mix of guitars, harmonicas, and even the occasional accordion, accompanying those tales of despair or machismo that are the recipe for the blues. All the tracks stem from the studios of J.D. Miller in Crowley and Eddie Shuler in Lake Charles. These two men were wonders at spotting talent and getting the best out of the performers, as illustrated on the 28 tracks on this CD.

Various Artists - Rhythm 'n' Bluesin' By The Bayou - Vocal Groups (2015) {Ace Records CDCHD 1448}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 222 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 137 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 32 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2015 Ace Records | CDCHD 1448
Rock & Roll / Rhythm & Blues

The forgotten sound of South Louisiana. Setting out on the “By The Bayou” journey, I didn’t envisage reaching CD 12. The project started as a vehicle for white Louisiana rockers, but exploration of the tape vaults of J.D. Miller and the catalogues of Eddie Shuler’s Goldband, Floyd Soileau’s Jin, Sam Montelbano’s Montel and Joe Ruffino’s Ric and Ron labels revealed more than enough great vocal group material to fill a dedicated CD. So here is a collection of chanting rockers and sweet harmonies, rather overlooked as ingredients which go into the rich gumbo of South Louisiana music of the 50s.

Various Artists - Bluesin' By The Bayou: Rough 'n' Tough (2014) {Ace Records CDCHD 1403}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 288 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 163 Mb
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© 2014 Ace Records | CDCHD 1403
Blues / South Louisiana / South East Texas

The second “Bluesin’” volume in the “By The Bayou” series concentrates on musicians from South Louisiana and South East Texas discovered and recorded by J.D. Miller and Eddie Shuler. These two giants of the post-war recording scene were supreme talent-spotters. They knew the sounds that appealed to the local record-buying public, their target audience. What they couldn’t have known, or even guessed at in their wildest fantasies, was that the appeal of their recordings would last so long and encompass the globe.

Maxwell's solo debut has been a long time in coming, but it been worth the wait, as he neatly sidesteps the curse of the non-vocalist bandleader. Bringing in Darrell Nulisch for one vocal ("Heart Attack") only distracts from this fine instrumental showcase for David's prodigious abilities. Maxwell literally sparkles on the gospel-ish sanctified shout of "Sister Laura Lee," the New Orleans strut of "Breakdown On the Bayou," the boogie woogie classic "Honky Tonk Train" and "Manhattan Max," trading licks throughout with guest stars Ronnie Earl, Duke Levine and saxman supreme Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff, basically the cream of the New England blues mafia. This is more than just an impressive debut; this is a record of great playing and uncommon musical depth.