Artist Profile: Clifton Chenier

I've managed to escape the chilly North for the sunny climes of Southwest Louisiana for the week. It's satsuma season down here (if you've never had one, they're candy-sweet itty-bitty oranges that don't travel well so you can only really get them in the South) - in my opinion, satsumas alone are worth the plane ticket. Also, it's blue crab season. And, uh, oysters.

The very best part of a visit down here, though, is always the music. Every night of the week, the intrepid traveler can find strains of Cajun and Zydeco music coming from a half-dozen places within a few miles. Last night, somewhere in the middle of a domestic beer-driven two-step, I got to thinking about all of the great Cajun and Creole musicians I never got to see live, mostly because they passed away before I was old enough to travel on my own. Clifton Chenier, the undisputed King of Zydeco, falls into that category. I don't actually wish that I was ten years older, but it sure would've been nice to catch Clifton at least once before he died. As it is, I'll have to remain content with the excellent body of recorded work that he left behind.

If you happened to be, say, 25 years older than you are, which musicians would you make a point of seeing before they passed away? Leave a comment and let us know!

Image (c) Arhoolie Records, 1975