Published on Feb 25, 2000
Brian Terry is not ready to lead the next generation of zydeco
music… yet.
Terry and his band, Lil’ Brian And The Zydeco Travelers, build
on the lessons that such leaders in the genre as Clifton Chenier
and Stanley Dural have been teaching. Their more modern spin on the
genre is evident on their debut album
Funky Nation, but it’s not the easiest transition to make
for either band or for listener.
Terry has a vocal style that is reminiscent of bluesman Donald
Kinsey – almost to the point that the music itself occasionally
tends to flirt with the blues. “Question” is equal parts Robert
Cray-style smooth blues and traditional accordion-based zydeco –
and the mixture is incredibly pleasing.
It doesn’t start out nearly as smooth. The title track tries to
inject a bit of hip-hop into the mix, but it tends to render the
final product to be meandering as if it doesn’t know which is the
correct spin to put on the music. Likewise, “Makin’ Green” is a
weak link in the chain, but this is due more in part to a weaker
song than a poor choice of musical mixtures.
Fortunately for Lil’ Brian And The Zydeco Travelers, they’re
able to turn their fortunes around quickly. “Get Up On That Zydeco”
is the perfect example that shows the potential this band has –
especially in the possibility of introducing zydeco to a whole new
generation. There’s almost a Roger Troutman vibe to the computer
enhanced vocals, while the rest of the band – guitarist Patrick
“Heavy I” Terry, bassist Emerson “Funky E” Jackson, rubboard player
Mandrell Rideau and drummer Albert “Tony” Stewart – lay down a
groove that is simply infectious.
The remainder of
Funky Nation has more strong moments than weak ones – but
there are times that the band stumbles. When they’re on their game,
as they are on tracks like “Back Stabbers” and “Black Butterfly”
(another song that reminds me of Cray’s smooth vocal delivery), the
band is smokin’. But other numbers, like “Jackin’ This Song” and
“807 Magnolia,” show the dangers of tampering with a proven musical
formula. (“Jackin’ This Song”? Gangsta
zydeco? Well, maybe not to
that extreme.)
If it sounds like I’m being harsh with
Funky Nation, maybe it’s because I expected a lot from a
group that has been taken under the wing of Stanley “Buckwheat”
Dural (of Buckwheat Zydeco fame). Besides, the stronger moments on
this album do outweigh the weaknesses, and it turns out to be an
enjoyable disc that might even win over new fans to a genre that
strangely has never caught on.
With more time together and a few more albums under their belt,
Lil’ Brian And The Zydeco Travelers could well be leading the
charge of new artists in zydeco.
Funky Nation is a first step, but by no means should you
assume the band’s reached their goals already. There is still some
work to do – but not a terrible amount.