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Zydeco Flames

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Hometown	Fairfax, CA
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About the Artist

The Zydeco Flames have gained a reputation as
the West Coast's premiere Zydeco band.
The Flames consistently pack the house in venues
ranging from contemporary clubs to major festivals and
traditional dancehalls. Their sizzling roots rhythms are
timeless and...

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Reviews from BLUES by
ZYDECO FLAMES FIRE IT UP When charismatic founder and accordionist Bruce Gordon left the band, we could understandably have expected the worst. Fans can rest assured – this sixth and latest Zydeco Flames opus will set your mind at ease. Since 2003 and recording the excellent Bank the Fire, we had only heard from the San Anselmo band at large festivals. Although it is always wise to be wary of a groundbreaking album, (BANK THE FIRE 2003) I must admit that after dissecting the latest album (FIRE IT UP 2006) and listening to it repeatedly and critically, I cannot find a single weak track on it. I feel that Gordon’s departure may have helped bring the other musicians closer together. Guitarist Frank Bohan seems to be handling the relational aspect (which is rare among zydeco bands), while bassist Timm Walker (formerly with Sonny Rhodes and Joe Louis Walker) leads the band; not only by handling the album production and construction, but also by playing keyboards, rhythm and the tub, as well as by singing and songwriting. He wrote most of the 18 songs on the album. The greatest find on the album is the contribution of two accordion players: the phenomenal André Thierry on the accordion piano (we also hear him on the organ) proves to be highly skilled technically and has become an integral part of the group, and Billy Wilson on the diatonic Cajun accordion. Billy plays on four tracks, adding a raw feel to the music that goes straight to the core and feels authentic. Z F therefore offers an album that is satisfying in length (about 73 minutes) and that includes 18 tracks, 15 of which are original, distinct and subtle. The remakes of classics include the catchy “Oh Madeline” (originally by Zydeco Force) as the first track, the excellent “Creole Song”, a Kid Ory original previously remade by Lynn August (the Z F version features an amazing bass solo), and “Co Fa”, a John Delafose two-step modernized by Keith Frank. The original tracks include soulful ballads entitled “Emergency”, “Have Mercy”, “The Right Time”, and “Rush Rush”; an incomparable Jump piece called “She Likes It”, a two-step called “Lil Bit O Love” (Curley Taylor would approve), a waltz called “Rosa” in honor of Rosa Parks, as well as instrumental pieces including the “Fire It Up” title track, a reggae gospel piece called “Turn Him Loose”, two dancy pieces entitled “Zydeco Girl” and “Shot Down”, and lastly blues tracks called “You Lied” and “Wide Load”. We should also mention the excellent performances of some musicians not listed above: group co-founder and rubboard player Lloyd Meadows (who has worked with Elvin Bishop), William Allums on drums and guitarist Frank Bohan (previously of Johnny Copeland). No weak tracks, very subtle tones and superior musical skills make this one of the best albums to come out in the already bountiful 2006. Kingbee would even go as far as to place this album at the top of his zydeco list, just above Donna Angelle, Leroy Thomas and Curley Taylor. “Le Kingbee” ZYDECO FLAMES FIRE IT UP Eternal Flames Prod This album explores a really unusual direction: although the 18 tracks include zydeco music written by the group, three traditional songs are included (“Oh, Madeline”, “Co Fa” and “Creole Song”). The album gives you 72 minutes of music, but you won’t have time to get bored. The Zydeco Flames lineup definitely has its roots in Creole music, adding their own style to the mix. The title track, “Fire It Up”, is striking right from the first notes. The harmonica is sometimes added to the accordion, particularly on “Wide Load”, with excellent results. This is noteworthy because it is quite rare in zydeco music. I loved the way the two instruments “speak” to each other. Every song is original in its own right, and the songs are long. Some are better structured than others and those are our favorites, namely “Emergency”, “Rush Rush”, “Shot Down”, “Creole Song” and “Co Fa”, these last two being traditional classics. All in all, this is an interesting zydeco album, and there are many of those nowadays. Lots of bands get their inspiration from this musical genre, which never goes out of style, and it’s nice to see that zydeco lives on not only with black musicians, but also with mixed groups, as is the case with Zydeco Flames. www.zydecoflames.com Jean-Paul Claveau The Zydeco Flames The West Coast’s premier zydeco band! California zydeco is much less known than that of Louisiana and Texas. It’s only natural. For a long time, it didn’t have access to solid structures and recognized clubs. Back then, and still today, bands played in Hispanic cantinas, Jewish ballrooms, blues clubs, university gymnasiums and Catholic church halls*. The California zydeco scene, although underground, should not be dismissed, however, as it has produced great artists: the late Joe Siemen and Danny Poullard, but also T Lou in Los Angeles, Theo & the Zydeco Patrol in San Diego, and in the San Francisco area, the legendary Mark “Bon Ton” Saint Mary, young prodigy André Thierry, and of course the whole Lewis-Guillory family headed by Queen Ida, as well as Al Rapone and his nephew Miryck. San Francisco is also where the Cajun-zydeco scene was born in the mid-90s, through the joint efforts of Louisiana Sue (via her website www.sfbayou.com) and Dana DeSimone, an excellent dancer and host of the Eagles Hall in Alameda, which became the yardstick for all zydeco clubs. That is the context in which the Zydeco Flames appeared about 10 years ago. At first, the band was a duo comprising Bruce Gordon, an excellent musician who was obviously very influenced by Clifton Chenier, whose reputation surpassed his original State (?) (he gave accordion piano lessons to Geno Delafosse when the latter was young) and Lloyd Meadows on vocals, rubboard and harmonica, but most importantly, an excellent showman. Then came guitarist and current band manager Frank Bohan bassist Timm Walker, who has played with Joe Louis Walker and Sonny Rhodes, and drummer William Allums Jr., the only band member originally from Louisiana. Together they became one of the most exciting bands around, gradually developing a collection of very varied but tight songs over the course of their five albums. The collection can be described partly as remakes of classics by Clifton Chenier (“I’m Comin’ Home”, “HotTamale Baby”, “I’m a Hog for You”...), Boozoo Chavis (“Oh Yeah”, “Uncle Bud”...) or Rockin’ Sidney (“My Toot Toot”); partly as personal adaptations, particularly of songs from New Orleans (“Iko Iko” by Sugarboy Crawford, “Mardi Gras in N.O.” by Professor Longhair, “Josephine” by Fats Domino...), R&B (“I’ll Take You There’ by Staple Singers, “Take Me to the River” by Al Green, “Bring It on Home to Me” by Sam Cooke), and reggae (a great version of “Stir It Up” by Bob Marley); and lastly as striking original pieces such as “I Took a Chance”, “Jolene”, “You Can Dance”, “Oaktown Boogie” or “Don’t Worry”, which was chosen as best song of 1997 by the West Coast Cajun & Zydeco Association. This eclectic and flexible approach has made it possible for the group to attend numerous festivals, have regular gigs at John Lee Hooker’s Boom Boom Boom Club, attend the Arhoolie label’s 40th anniversary celebration, and play for the Democratic Party at a fund-raising campaign attended by President Bill Clinton. Five of their songs were even chosen for the Sims Unleashed video game! In 2003, the Zydeco Flames put out a videotape that illustrates their albums perfectly: a positive attitude, a love of music, and their warmth and connection with the audience, which includes many hard-core fans. Here again the music reaches its peak with an ultra-cool and dancy remake of Beau Jocque’s “Cornbread”, a surprising take on Arthur Conley’s “Sweet Soul Music” (renamed “Sweet Zydeco Music” for the occasion), and final fireworks with “Rattlesnake”, an original song featuring Lloyd Meadows reproducing the sound of a rattlesnake with a rubboard. Irresistible. 2003 is also the year Bruce Gordon decided to leave the group to pursue other musical ventures, particularly jazz, where once again he gets to play the Hammond organ, his original instrument. We might have expected that the separation would be fatal for the group. Quite the contrary. The group has continued to play regularly, accompanied by local accordion players such the surprising and stunning André Thierry. So the adventure continues, to the great pleasure of all their fans. Philippe Sauret

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