Boozoo Chavis

Boozoo Chavis vaulted to fame in zydeco circles during the mid-'50s, when his gritty, anthemic "Paper In My Shoe" helped get the fledgling zydeco industry off the ground. The 14 tracks on this 1990 anthology showcase a younger, more vocally spry and dynamic Chavis, singing short, simple two-step tunes and zydeco/blues hybrids. There wasn't anything intricate or complicated about pieces like "Hamburgers and Popcorn," "Oh Ho She's Gone" and "Telephone Won't Ring." They were either anguished heartache songs, novelty tunes or wailing uptempo pieces, and Chavis didn't vary his approach, attack or treatment. But they were direct, honest and often memorable. It's good to have them available on one anthology. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide