Mick Jagger's musical journey took a noteworthy turn when he discovered zydeco, particularly through Clifton Chenier's 1967 album Bon Ton Roulet! Jagger recalls his youthful record shopping experiences in New York, specifically highlighting Colony Records. Bon Ton Roulet! features distinctive Creole dance music from Southwest Louisiana, seamlessly merging elements of French music, Caribbean rhythms, and American R&B. Jagger's encounter with the accordion in Chenier's music offered him a new perspective on blues, showcasing the energetic and festive nature of zydeco that contrasts with traditional forms of blues.
Jagger was in his 20s, not far removed from a suburban-London boyhood spent steeping in the American blues. I pictured him eagerly leafing through Chess Records LPs and J&M 45s until he came across a chocolate-brown 12-inch record—Chenier's 1967 album Bon Ton Roulet!
Bon Ton Roulet! is a classic zydeco album showcasing the Creole dance music of Southwest Louisiana, which blends traditional French music, Caribbean rhythms, and American R&B.
Until he discovered zydeco, Jagger recalled, 'I'd never heard the accordion in the blues before.'
Clifton had commissioned an early prototype of the rubboard in the 1940s from a metalworker in Port Arthur, Texas, where he illustrated his vision by drawing the design in the dirt.
Collection
[
|
...
]