An installment of Rounder's 30th anniversary celebration, this album showcases the best of Cajun music available on the label since the beginning. This album, like its zydeco counterpart, attempts to cover all of the major aspects of Cajun music over the course of the track listings. Here, the time line stretches from the very beginnings of Cajun with a cover of Amédé Ardoin's old work by Geno Delafose & French Rockin Boogie, up to the present day in the Bluerunners' rock-informed sound, with all points in between touched upon. The fusion of Coteau provides a nice halfway point, with a deep influence of country thrown in, and the next group featuring Michael Doucet, Beausoleil, is also featured with an even higher step of fusion, with electric guitars working their way in. Where necessary, the accordions play a stunning bit of work, and the fiddles stay in the rhythmic accompaniment section. Where necessary again, the vocals take a strong stance in front of the instrument lines. All of the greats of contemporary Cajun music are represented with a song or two, and all of the styles that have come and gone over the history of Cajun are represented by an artist or two. As far as introductions to the genre are concerned, this album is certainly a worthwhile pick. For someone already acquainted with Cajun music, the album may perhaps be better passed up in favor of single-artist albums by the artists on the compilation for further breadth. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
Cajun Music: The Essential Collection
11/19/2002 | Rounder / Umgd
All Music Guide Review
Cajun Music: The Essential Collection Track Listing
Credits of Cajun Music: The Essential Collection
- Gregg Lunsford
- Mixing
- Bruce MacDonald
- Guitar, Vocals
- Hubert Maitre
- Guitar
- Joe McMahan
- Guitar (Acoustic)
- Mark Meaux
- Guitar (Acoustic), Mandolin
- D.L. Menard
- Guitar, Vocals
- Jimmy C. Newman
- Vocals, Producer
- Tim O'Brien
- Mandolin, Producer, Mixing
- Rick Olivier
- Photography
- Dirk Powell
- Fiddle, Vocals, Mixing, Producer, Guitar
- David Rachou
- Assistant Engineer
- Dave Ransom
- Bass
- Mitchell Reed
- Fiddle
- Greg Robert
- Engineer
- Jim Robeson
- Mixing
- Ann Savoy
- Guitar, Mixing, Vocals, Producer
- Joel Savoy
- Engineer, Mixing
- Peter Schwarz
- Bass, Vocals, Producer, Guitar (Bass)
- Mark Tanzer
- Assistant
- Bil VornDick
- Engineer, Mixing
- Errol Verret
- Button Accordion
- Jane Vidrine
- Vocals, Mixing
- Randy Vidrine
- Guitar, Vocals
- Mark Wessel
- Mixing
- Kevin Wimmer
- Fiddle
- Jonathan Wyner
- Mastering
- Mark Miller
- Engineer
- Adrian Huval
- Button Accordion
- Brian Brignac
- Drums
- Eddie Bodin
- Engineer
- Rob Jaczko
- Mixing
- Nancy Given
- Art Direction, Design
- Fabian Champagne
- Guitar
- Mike Lejeune
- Drums
- Jim Markway
- Bass
- Junior Martin
- Guitar (Steel)
- Danny Zeringue
- Drums
- Lois Sprague
- Bass, ?
- Victor Palmer
- Vocals (Background), Assistant
- Pete Bergeron
- Editing
- Steve Lafleur
- Guitar, Vocals
- Steve Nails
- Engineer
- Alex U. Case
- Assistant
- Bennie Hasha
- Bass
- Frank Kincel
- Drums
- Courtney Granger
- Fiddle, Vocals
- Christian Clayton
- Illustrations
- Kenneth Blevins
- Percussion, Drums
- Gabrielle Newman
- Bass, Vocals
- Joe Rogers
- Dobro, Harmony Vocals
- Michael Palmer
- Vocals (Background)
- Sonny Landreth
- Producer, Slide Guitar
- Tommy Alesi
- Drums
- Christine Balfa
- Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, ?, Vocals
- Tony Balfa
- Bass
- Al Berard
- Fiddle, Vocals, Producer, Engineer
- Randy Best
- Mixing
- Scott Billington
- Producer, Mixing, Design, Liner Notes, Art Direction
- Keith Blanchard
- Drums
- Dwayne Brasseaux
- Bass
- David Scott Cash
- Piano
- Danny Collet
- Vocals, Producer, Button Accordion
- Tommy Comeaux
- Guitar (Rhythm)
- Steve Conn
- Piano, Producer
- Steve Crossan
- Bass
- Tony Daigle
- Engineer, Mixing, Editing
- Geno Delafose
- Vocals, Button Accordion
- David Doucet
- Guitar
- Dan Drilling
- Guitar
- Bessyl Duhon
- Button Accordion
- Kevin Dugas
- Drums
- Ron Eoff
- Guitar (Bass)
- David Farrell
- Engineer, Mixing, Editing
- Gina Forsyth
- Fiddle
- Jonno Frishberg
- Fiddle, Button Accordion, Vocals (Background)
- Cruz Fruge
- Drums, Vocals (Background)
- Bill Goodwin
- Drums
- Benny Graeff
- Engineer, Assistant
- David Greely
- Fiddle, Vocals
- Bill Halverson
- Producer, Editing, Mixing
- Rex Hebert
- Engineer, Mixing
- Jesse Henderson
- Engineer, Mixing
- Rex Herbert
- Engineer
- Ken Irwin
- Producer
- Ken Isham
- Engineer
- Rick Lagneaux
- Engineer
- Charles Landry
- Drums
- Steve LeBlanc
- Fiddle, Vocals
- Lionel LeLeux
- Violin
- Jo-El Sonnier
- Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals, Producer, Button Accordion, Mixing
- Bluerunners
- Producer
- Dewey Balfa
- Arranger
- Bruce Daigrepont
- Vocals, Producer, Button Accordion
- Michael Doucet
- Fiddle, Arranger, Vocals, Producer
- Eddie LeJeune
- Vocals, Button Accordion
- Zachary Richard
- Arranger, Vocals, Producer, Button Accordion
- Rufus Thibodeaux
- Fiddle











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