Search - Dewey Balfa, Marc Savoy, D.L. Menard :: En Bas D'Un Chene Vert

Cajun Classic From Three Masters

Ron Frankl | Hendersonville, NC | 02/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"En Bas Du Chene Vert (Under A Green Oak Tree) is one of the finest recordings ever made of traditional Cajun music. The artists represent the best of three generations of Cajun musicmaking.



Fiddle player Dewey Balfa and his two brothers were known as the Balfa Brothers, one the greatest bands of the genre. Their tremendous, decades-long career ended only with the tragic deaths of Will and Rodney Balfa in a 1979 car accident. Guitarist Menard is often called the Cajun Hank Williams and the comparison is justified, as his vocals share the lonesome and blue sound of country's greatest artist. Menard is also a tremendous songwriter and his tunes are the highlights of this release. Marc Savoy is the youngest of the three and wisely defers to the two legends, but his accordian and fiddle playing provides the energy and beauty that pervades this entire album.



Menard and Balfa trade off on lead vocals, and their contrasting styles adds to the appeal. This is not the diluted, pop-influenced type of Cajun music that many current artists are producing. Supported only by a bass player, the three men offer the traditional dance music that would have sounded just dandy a century ago, and sounds even better now. This 1976 recording is a classic, and if you purchase it you will not be disappointed.

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