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| Zydeco Master C.J. Chenier to Perform in Sellersville, PA Master accordionist and vocalist C.J. Chenier will bring his Red Hot Louisiana Band to Sellersville for a live performance. Called “the heir to the zydeco throne” by Billboard, Chenier is a guaranteed crowd pleaser and an authentic, zydeco master. Chenier won the 1997 Living Blues Critic's Poll Award and he received a 2002 W.C. Handy Blues Award nomination. Chenier's music has always embraced the traditions of his famous father, zydeco legend Clifton Chenier, but he continues to push the music to new levels. “I won't limit myself,” says C.J., and it's clear why. Born and raised away from the Louisiana bayou in the housing projects of Port Arthur, Texas, C.J. was aware of his father's music but also had other tastes. He liked James Brown and Funkadelic, John Coltrane and Miles Davis. He learned saxophone early on and as a teenager played in black Top 40 bands in Port Arthur. He studied music in college and dreamed of making it as a jazz or funk player. After Clifton's death in 1987, C.J. inherited his dad's accordion as well as The Red Hot Louisiana Band. But he took his father's music and built upon it, adding elements of the music he grew up with and infusing traditional zydeco with a contemporary punch. When asked about his accordion playing, C.J. is quick to defer to his father, whom “nobody could ever touch,” as C.J. says. But others have formed their own opinions. According to Blues Revue, “Whether he and his band of red hots burn on rocking contemporary songs or simmer on traditional country waltzes, C.J. Chenier is poised to be zydeco's new torch bearer.” After taking over The Red Hot Louisiana Band, C.J. forged ahead, releasing three solo albums (one on Arhoolie and two on Slash) and playing hundreds of gigs. The band attracted the attention of fans, critics and fellow musicians by playing major festivals like the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, San Diego's Street Scene, and Milwaukee's Summerfest. Singer / songwriter Paul Simon heard C.J. and handpicked him to play on his Rhythm Of The Saints album, then asked him to join his “Born At The Right Time” tour. A few years later C.J. showed up as a guest on the Gin Blossom's New Miserable Experience album. Alligator Records (the label where C.J.'s father won a Grammy Award for his album I'm Here in 1982) signed C.J. in October, 1994. C.J.'s Alligator debut, Too Much Fun, became a favorite with fans and critics alike. Chenier followed up with The Big Squeeze, an album filled with thick dance grooves and rich, melodic singing. His third Alligator outing, Step It Up!, continued the party. Rooted in traditional zydeco, the album added many other elements, including funk, Southern soul, R&B, rock and jazz. C.J.'s soul-packed vocals and masterful accordion playing write your comments about the article :: © 2004 Jazz News :: home page |