egroj world: Buckwheat Zydeco • Lay Your Burden Down

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Buckwheat Zydeco • Lay Your Burden Down

Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny

Contemporary zydeco's most popular performer, accordionist Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural was the natural successor to the throne vacated by the death of his mentor Clifton Chenier; infusing his propulsive party music with strains of rock and R&B, his urbanized sound -- complete with touches of synthesizer and trumpet -- married traditional and contemporary zydeco with uncommon flair, in the process reaching a wider mainstream audience than any artist before him. Dural was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, on November 14, 1947; with his braided hair, he soon acquired the nickname "Buckwheat" (an homage to the Our Gang character), and by the age of four was already touted as a piano prodigy. Although often exposed to traditional zydeco as a child, he preferred R&B, and by the mid-'50s was playing professionally with Lynn August; Dural's acclaim as a keyboardist quickly spread, and he also backed notables including Joe Tex and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.

In 1971, Dural founded Buckwheat & the Hitchhikers, a 16-piece funk band that he led for the next half decade; however, in 1976 he finally fell under zydeco's sway when recruited to back Chenier -- a friend of his father -- on tour. Originally brought on as an organist, Dural picked up the accordion within two years and began learning from the master himself; rechristening himself Buckwheat Zydeco, he formed his own combo by 1979, the Ils Sont Partis Band (translated as "They're off!," so named in honor of the cry heard at the beginning of each horse race at the Lafayette track). Upon signing to the Blues Unlimited label, the group debuted in 1979 with One for the Road, followed in 1980 by Take It Easy, Baby. After 1983's 100% Fortified Zydeco, the group moved to the Rounder label, where it issued the Grammy-nominated Turning Point; the 1985 follow-up, Waitin' for My Ya Ya, was similarly honored.

In 1986, New York-based music critic Ted Fox helped Buckwheat Zydeco land a deal with Island Records, in the process becoming the first zydeco act ever signed to a major label; Fox subsequently acted as their producer as well. The group made its Island debut in 1987 with the acclaimed On a Night Like This, another Grammy nominee; that same year the band also appeared in the hit movie The Big Easy, further increasing its public visibility. Taking It Home followed in 1988, but after 1990's Where There's Smoke There's Fire, Buckwheat Zydeco was dropped by Island, signing to Charisma for 1992's On Track. The years to follow saw the band drifting from one label to another, signing to Warner for 1994's Choo Choo Boogaloo, then hopping to Atlantic for 1997's Trouble; although their commercial fortunes may have dipped, they remained hugely popular as a live attraction, despite purists' charges of commercialism, and celebrated two decades of music in 1999 with The Buckwheat Zydeco Story: A 20 Year Party. Dural continued to be active into the 21st century, releasing Jackpot! in 2005, followed by Lay Your Burden Down in 2009 and Buckwheat Zydeco's Bayou Boogie in 2010. He died of lung cancer in September 2016 at the age of 68.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/buckwheat-zydeco-mn0000636106/biography

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Biografía del artista por Jason Ankeny

El intérprete más popular del zydeco contemporáneo, el acordeonista Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, fue el sucesor natural del trono desocupado por la muerte de su mentor Clifton Chenier; infundiendo a su propulsora música de fiesta con acordes de rock y R&B, su sonido urbanizado -con toques de sintetizador y trompeta- se casó con el zydeco tradicional y contemporáneo con un estilo inusual, en el proceso de llegar a un público más amplio de la corriente dominante que cualquier otro artista que lo hiciera antes que él. Dural nació en Lafayette, Louisiana, el 14 de noviembre de 1947; con su cabello trenzado, pronto adquirió el apodo de "Buckwheat" (un homenaje al personaje de Nuestra Pandilla), y a la edad de cuatro años ya era promocionado como un prodigio del piano. A pesar de estar expuesto con frecuencia al zydeco tradicional de niño, prefirió el R&B, y a mediados de los años 50 tocaba profesionalmente con Lynn August; la aclamación de Dural como teclista se extendió rápidamente, y también apoyó a notables como Joe Tex y Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.

En 1971, Dural fundó Buckwheat & the Hitchhikers, una banda de funk de 16 músicos que dirigió durante la siguiente media década; sin embargo, en 1976 finalmente cayó bajo el dominio de zydeco cuando fue reclutado para apoyar a Chenier, un amigo de su padre, en una gira. Originalmente traído como organista, Dural recogió el acordeón en dos años y comenzó a aprender del maestro mismo; rebautizándose Buckwheat Zydeco, formó su propio combo en 1979, la Ils Sont Partis Band (traducida como "They're off", así llamada en honor al grito que se escuchaba al principio de cada carrera de caballos en el hipódromo de Lafayette). Al firmar con el sello Blues Unlimited, el grupo debutó en 1979 con One for the Road, seguido en 1980 por Take It Easy, Baby. Después del Zydeco 100% fortificado de 1983, el grupo se trasladó al sello Rounder, donde emitió el premio Grammy Turning Point; la continuación de 1985, Waitin' for My Ya Ya, fue igualmente honrada.

En 1986, el crítico musical neoyorquino Ted Fox ayudó a Buckwheat Zydeco a conseguir un contrato con Island Records, convirtiéndose así en el primer acto de zydeco jamás firmado por un sello importante; posteriormente, Fox también actuó como su productor. El grupo hizo su debut en la isla en 1987 con el aclamado On a Night Like This, otro nominado al Grammy; ese mismo año la banda también apareció en la exitosa película The Big Easy, aumentando aún más su visibilidad pública. Taking It Home le siguió en 1988, pero después de la década de los 90's Where There's Smoke There's Fire, Buckwheat Zydeco fue abandonado por Island, firmando con Charisma para 1992's On Track. En los años siguientes, la banda pasó de un sello a otro, firmando con Warner para el Choo Choo Boogaloo de 1994, y luego saltando al Atlántico para el Trouble de 1997; aunque su fortuna comercial pudo haber disminuido, siguieron siendo enormemente populares como atracción en vivo, a pesar de las acusaciones de los puristas de comercialismo, y celebraron dos décadas de música en 1999 con The Buckwheat Zydeco Story: Una fiesta de 20 años. Dural siguió activo en el siglo XXI, lanzando Jackpot! en 2005, seguido por Lay Your Burden Down en 2009 y Bayou Boogie de Buckwheat Zydeco en 2010. Murió de cáncer de pulmón en septiembre de 2016 a la edad de 68 años.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/buckwheat-zydeco-mn0000636106/biography

www.buckwheatzydeco.com ...

Tracks:
1 - When The Levee Breaks 5:15
2 - The Wrong Side 4:28
3 - Let Your Yeah Be Yeah 3:37
4 - Don't Leave Me 4:45
5 - Back In Your Arms 4:29
6 - Throw Me Something, Mister 3:56
7 - Lay Your Burden Down 5:22
8 - Time Goes By 4:06
9 - Ninth Place 3:23
10 - Too Much Time 2:58
11 - Finding My Way Back Home 4:40

Credits:
    Accordion, Keyboards [Synth Keyboard], Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals [Background Vocals], Electric Organ [Hammond B3 Organ] – Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural , Jr.*
    Bass, Backing Vocals [Background Vocals] – Lee Allen Zeno
    Design [Packaging Design] – Kevin Niemiec
    Drums – Kevin Menard
    Engineer [Second Engineer] – Korey Richey
    Engineer, Mixed By – David Farrell
    Executive-Producer – Stanley Dural, Jr.*, Ted Fox
    Guest [With], Baritone Saxophone [Baritone Sax] – Steve Berlin
    Guest [With], Trombone – Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews*
    Guitar – Michael Melchione*, Olivier Scoazec
    Liner Notes – Ben Sandmel
    Logo [Alligator Logo By] – Michael Trossman
    Mastered By – Dave McNair
    Photography By [Photos By] – Rick Olivier
    Producer – Steve Berlin
    Trumpet – Curtis Watson
    Washboard [Rubboard], Backing Vocals [Background Vocals] – Sir Reginald Master Dural*

Label:    Alligator Records – ALCD 4929
Format:
CD, Album, Stereo
Country:    US
Released:    5 may 2009
Genre:    Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style:    Zydeco
https://www.discogs.com/release/7078101-Buckwheat-Zydeco-Lay-Your-Burden-Down