Red Beans and Rice

And Andouille sausage, and of course, the Red Stick Ramblers. I'm listening to some Cajun-inspired, Western Swing/Hot Club Jazz music right now, and it made me crave some Cajun for lunch. Yummy!

Red Stick is the literal translation of Baton Rouge, so there's been a lot of "Red Stick" blues and old-time bands out of Louisianna. I heard the RSRs last year at Merlefest 2003, and they blew me away. But then again, I was at Merlefest, and being blown away is a constant feeling there. I was in the CD tent with their CD in one hand and the Leahy CDs in the other. Which to choose? Which to choose? (Brain aneurysm!) Boy, did I make a mistake buying those Leahy CDs. Sheesh.

Don't get me wrong... I'd punch out someone's grey-haired granny for tickets to see Leahy live again (but not mine, and no one get any ideas), but Leahy on CD is well.... shitty. As in Celine Dion, glossy, over-produced, and soulless shitty. And that's pretty shitty. Such a disappointment after such a powerful live performance. (Think Riverdance on crack.)

The Red Stick Ramblers, however, were one of the big surprises of Merlefest 2003. They sound like the Hot Club of Cowtown, all Western Swing and Hot Club Django Reinhardt Gypsy Jazz. However, if you drop down the Hot Club of Cowtown's Austin cowboy sound a notch or so and added a whole slew of Cajun fiddling, then you get the Red Stick Ramblers.

They've got two fiddlers! Sweet! And they both sing. So one will be singing while the other one plays fills, and vice versa. And most of their fiddle breaks are intricate (and swingin'!) twin fiddle parts. Sweet! Plus they've got a great Django-sounding electric guitar player and a great mandolin player, plus the drummer and bass player. So imagine the Hot Club of Cowtown, but with a fuller sound, and Cajun. Kick ass.

Anyway, I tried to order their first CD off of my Amazon wishlist the other day, but it was gone. Sold out. Not sold there anymore. In my despair for being such a slacker, I visited their webpage, only to find they've got a new second CD out now too! So I ordered both, and quick as a flash, here I am listening to some Cajun Hot Jazz.

(BTW, I recommend their first CD, the self-named one, over the second one, but both are good.)

Update 03/03/04: Okay, after more listens, I highly recommend their first album over their second. The second is too slow, and just doesn't have as many catchy songs. The first one is so fiddle-licious, and the second one, not so.