La Récolte, Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes… (Independent)

La Recolte, Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes, album cover

The concept is an excellent one: an upstart Cajun band adopting the French word for harvest, which fits in sowing, cultivating and reaping tradition. Labeling its debut disc Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes… is also a good move since it salutes those who came before them. While the quintet, that includes young Turks Shane Bellard, accordion; Jourdan Thibodeaux, fiddle; and Chris LaFleur, drums; attack this set of mostly standards with reverence and gusto, a few things get in the way. The mix lacks crispness while the drums are overly prominent and distracting. The English-sung “Mean Woman” probably should have been re-cut or scrapped as Thibodeaux battles pitch problems on vocals. Yet, halfway through, the smart choice of Marc Savoy’s “Sam’s Big Rooster” represents a turning point and good performances of “Mamou Hot Step” and “Pine Grove Blues” follow. With a little more time and guidance, there’s potential for a better CD next time out.