Dedans le Sud de la Louisiane

Oh what a gem this package is, containing a 47-minute DVD of a documentary shot in rural Louisiana in the early 1970s (and rarely seen since) by French-Canadian filmmaker Jean-Pierre Bruneau and a 69-minute CD that serves both as the soundtrack to the documentary and a compilation of field recordings from that era of the musicians Bruneau was filming. The documentary is fascinating, a snapshot of a time when rural Louisiana remained little changed over the century (beyond the arrival of electricity and motor vehicles) and music-making was largely acoustic, performed at local fetes and gatherings. The CD incorporates several performances from the documentary – but not all of them – alongside lots of others recorded across the 70s. The sound quality is excellent, as are all the performances. A large booklet contains plenty of information in English and French. Among the many artists here are Nathan Abshire, Dewey Balfa and his brothers, Bee Fontenot, Canray Fontenot, Dennis McGee and zydeco pioneer Clifton Chenier (although he's only on the DVD). For anyone interested in the vernacular French music of southern Louisiana, this is an album to be treasured.