Zachary Richard

Music fans who enjoy Cajun music in general, and the work of Zachary Richard in particular, will find that this retrospective is a very musical, quite effective summary of his career to date. Richard is without question one of the most distinctive and significant artists Acadien music has ever produced. The CD features 19 songs, all either Richard originals or his arrangements of traditional material like "Travailler C'est Trop Dur" and "Bon Temps Rouler." Richard can get down on that two-step boogie as proficiently as anyone -- just listen to "Filé Gumbo," "Joe Pitre," "Crawfish," "Johnny Danser," and his definitive rendition of "Who Stole My Monkey" (a Richard original). His more pop-oriented persona -- no doubt the result of his extended sojourns in Quebec -- is well represented by "Cap Enragé" and "Dans la Nord Canadien," and his fancy for blues and R&B is typified by songs like "La Berçeuse Créole" and "Everytime." Richard is everything you'd expect from a Cajun artist, but he's also pursued music much further afield than any other Acadien musician of his generation. Silver Jubilee does an especially good job of showcasing the range of music Richard has performed in the past quarter century. ~ Philip Van Vleck, All Music Guide