Johnnie Billy Goat: Live

Johnnie Billy Goat: Live

Boozoo Chavis is one of the originators of zydeco, that spicy blend of blues, Cajun, and Creole music. He made his first records in the 1950s, but after failing to make a living playing music, he quit to become a successful horse trainer. He was coaxed back into the music business in the mid-'80s and became one of the most popular zydeco artists in Louisiana. <I>Johnnie Billy Goat</I>, a 22-song collection taken from the three albums Chavis recorded for Rounder Records in the early '90s, is an excellent introduction to his earthy but compelling brand of accordion music. Chavis has an eccentric way of accenting the beat, a peculiar sense of pitch, and a disconcerting way of switching from French to English. But on songs like the rare Creole waltz "Valse de Derniere Fois," the raucous warning song "Lula Lula Don't You Go to Bingo," and "Paper in My Shoe," a live recording of his 1955 hit, his idiosyncrasies fuse into a gloriously cohesive sound. The music of Boozoo Chavis may be quirky, but the joy he brings to his playing gives it a charm that transcends its eccentricity. <I>--Michael Simmons</I>