Joe Bonsall and His Orange Playboys, Cajun Jamboree (Swallow)

Comprised of tracks from the mid-1960s to early 1970s, this is definitely loud bon ton stuff. An accordionist from Lake Arthur, this CD proves Bonsall deserves to be placed on the same pedestal as other Cajun greats like Iry Lejune, Nathan Abshire, Belton Richard and Harry Choates. What made Bonsall’s sound unique was the inclusion of a steel guitar in his band which gave his music a slight flavoring of western swing. The 27-track set is a blend of two-steps and waltzes with a couple swamp pop offerings thrown in for good measure. Two-steps worth mentioning are “Hi Et Taiaut,” “Step It Fast,” and Bonsall even turns “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” into a two-step. Belly rubbers of note include, “Evangeline Waltz,” “Over the Waves” the previously unreleased “Still Waiting For You.” Interestingly, Bonsall only sings in English on swamp pop numbers including “Your Picture” and the magnificent “Same Old Places,” a song I can never tire of listening to. First class packaging complements the first class music here. Definitely worth investigating.