La Vie de Riley

They say, ‘the family that plays together, stays together.’ At the home of Cajun accordionist, fiddler and songwriter Steve Riley and his wife Katie, in Scott, Louisiana, the ties were bound tighter by the restrictions of the pandemic. But the couple was prepared to share a slew of traditional and contemporary Cajun music, as well as numerous accordions, fiddles, guitars, and percussion, with daughter Elise, now 18 years old, and sons Burke, 12, and Dolsy, nine.

This album is a happy keepsake from that period of togetherness, featuring all the talented family and instruments and a few fine guests, including members of bands (Racines, The Mamou Playboys) with which Steve has secured his reputation as a guardian of the legacy of Cajun recording. Accordingly, La Vie de Riley showcases treasures such as ‘J’ai Passé Devant Ta Porte’, originally recorded by Cléoma and Joe Falcon in 1928, with Steve and Burke trading darling vocals and playing fiddle and accordion, respectively. There are also more recent Cajun creations by Steve’s mentors Walter Mouton and Dewey Balfa, and nods to blues and folk rock. A couple of Steve’s originals sing of memorable stories of the pandemic, in French and in English, with country-and-western touches. Sheltering has never sounded sweeter.