La Chanson Perdue is an album by the American musician Geno Delafose, released in 1998.[2][3] He is credited with his band, French Rockin' Boogie.[4] Delafose considered the album to be a combination of Creole zydeco and Cajun music; however, the title of the album ("The Lost Song") in part refers to the popularity of zydeco overtaking traditional Creole music.[5][6] Delafose supported the album with a North American tour.[7]
| La Chanson Perdue | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1998 | |||
| Studio | Ultrasonic Studios, New Orleans | |||
| Label | Rounder[1] | |||
| Producer | Scott Billington | |||
| Geno Delafose chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editRecorded at Ultrasonic Studios, New Orleans, the album was produced by Scott Billington.[8][9] Delafose switched between piano accordion and diatonic button accordion.[10] Most of the songs are sung in French.[11] Christine Balfa played acoustic guitar on several songs; Dirk Powell played fiddle.[12][13]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| The Baltimore Sun | [14] |
| MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide | [9] |
| Orlando Sentinel |  [15] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [16] |
The Province deemed the album "edgy and raw with all the moonshine-fuelled fire of a jam session at a back-porch crawfish boil."[17] The Orlando Sentinel noted that "Delafose is not a commanding singer, but his simple, unadorned vocals are full of the restrained longing that infuses the old Cajun and Creole tunes."[15]
The Baltimore Sun wrote that, "in Creole and Cajun French, accordionist Delafose pines away for lost love, launches lilting waltzes and kicks back with an irresistible dance beat."[14] The Wall Street Journal determined that Delafose, "perhaps zydeco's ultimate neo-traditionalist, borrows heavily from the Cajun repertoire and forges a distinctive approach that is at once rhythmic and romantic."[18]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Je Va's Jamais la Voir Encore (I'll Never See Her Again)" | |
| 2. | "Bernadette" | |
| 3. | "'Tite Monde (Little One)" | |
| 4. | "Bon Soir Moreau (Goodnight Moreau)" | |
| 5. | "Chère Ici, Chère là Bas (Dear One Here, Dear One There)" | |
| 6. | "La Chanson Perdue (The Lost Song)" | |
| 7. | "Une Autre Soir Ennuyante (Another Night Without You)" | |
| 8. | "Mon Vrai Amour (My True Love)" | |
| 9. | "Bayou Pon Pon" | |
| 10. | "I Want It All" | |
| 11. | "Double D Two Step" | |
| 12. | "Valse de Opelousas (Opelousas Waltz)" | |
| 13. | "'Quo Faire/Jolie Bassette (What to Do?/Pretty Bassette)" | |
| 14. | "'Tits Yeux Noirs (Little Dark Eyes)" | |
| 15. | "Save the Last Dance for Me" |
References
edit- ^ "'Creole Cowboy' set to perform at city club". Charleston Daily Mail. 29 July 1999. p. 2D.
- ^ "Geno Delafose Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ World Music: Latin and North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific. Rough Guides Ltd. 1999. p. 566.
- ^ "Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie, La Chanson Perdue". OffBeat.
- ^ Patterson, Rob. "Separate but equal". Dallas Observer.
- ^ Himes, Geoffrey (17 July 1998). "Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie: 'La Chanson Perdue'". The Washington Post. p. N14.
- ^ Wolgamott, L Kent. "Musical Smorgasbord". Ground Zero. Omaha World-Herald. p. 3.
- ^ Billington, Scott (June 16, 2022). Making Tracks: A Record Producer's Southern Roots Music Journey. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781496839169.
- ^ a b MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 210.
- ^ Seemann, Charlie (October 3, 2016). The Real Singing Cowboys. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781493022328.
- ^ McDonald, Sam (3 Feb 2002). "Foot-Stompin' Style". Daily Press. Newport News. p. K1.
- ^ a b "Geno Delafose La Chanson Perdue". AllMusic.
- ^ Stivale, Charles J. (June 26, 2003). Disenchanting Les Bons Temps: Identity and Authenticity in Cajun Music and Dance. Duke University Press. ISBN 0822330202.
- ^ a b "Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie La Chanson Perdue". LIV. The Baltimore Sun. 17 Sep 1998. p. 12.
- ^ a b Gettelman, Parry (11 Sep 1998). "Zydeco Master Favors Tradition". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 12.
- ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 161.
- ^ Derdeyn, Stuart (20 Aug 1998). "Cajun/Zydeco Music". The Province. p. B9.
- ^ Havighurst, Craig (19 Apr 1999). "Zydeco Picks Up the Beat". The Wall Street Journal. p. A20.