Cosmic Cajuns From Saturn
Nouveau Electric, 2020
8/10
Listen to Cosmic Cajuns From Saturn
An outfit spearheaded by the fiddler and vocalist Louis Michot, who is also a member of the Lost Bayou Ramblers, as the frontman of Michot’s Melody Makers he’s joined by Bryan Webre, Kirkland Middleton, and Mark Bingham as they deliver a very unique take on Cajun music.
“Ma jolie petite fille” starts the listen with thumping percussion and fiddle acrobatics as the raw vocals guide a very unique, indeed cosmic experience, and “Jolie joues roses” follows with a busy display of experimental skill with no shortage of reverb, a reoccurring tactic used strategically here.
In the middle, “Balonne” moves softer with expressive singing but that is certainly no less unconventional, while “T’as vole montraineau” gets dance friendly, quite a bit hazy and with plenty of melody.
The set exits with the dreamy more bare approach of “Blood Moon”, and “Michot’s Melody Makers Melody” finishes the listen with 16 minutes of exploration that’s as likely to get spacey as it is sparse in its very atypical landscape.
Recorded live at The Saturn Bar on December 9, 2019, this is Michot’s Melody Maker’s sophomore album, and the band’s creative approach to Zydeco and jazz ideas makes these Creole and French tunes exciting, interesting and unforgettable.
Travels well with: Rebirth Brass Band- Move Your Body; Lost Bayou Ramblers- Mammoth Waltz