When Rockin Dopsie, Sr., unexpectedly passed away in 1993, the Dopsie family vowed to keep his memory alive, mainly in the incarnation of this band, Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters. In doing so, it’s become its own phenomenon. No other zydeco band has ever been fronted by an actual washboard player, it’s usually the accordionist, and it’s also a safe bet that there’s never been such a flamboyant personality as Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr., who can turn a house upside down on a moment’s notice.

Dopsie’s latest Mardi Gras Records outing was originally intended to be a tribute to the senior Dopsie. That concept is obvious in the earlier tracks (“Jambalaya,” “Lucille,” “Aye Tete Fee”) as these were staples from the senior’s repertoire in his good groovin’ days. Though the Twisters cruise through these comfortably, it’s only when the record assumes its own personality is when things begin to catch fire. Starting with “Party Down,” the “Wheel of Fortune” special guest unleashes such a raw current of energy, it’s impossible not to get caught in its wake. Kim Phillips smokes on keys; Milton Lewis twists away on sax; “Big D” Perkins and legendary Li’l Buck Sinegal torch it up on guitars. Dopsie’s husky voice exudes rightness and that pretty together feeling burns straight through “Ooh Poo Pa Doo,” “Keep a Knockin’” and the bluesy slowdown of “Bad Luck and Trouble.” A track later, the fabulous “Show Me How to Zydeco” is when the whole Dopsie spacecraft nearly launches. “Tell Me Why,” sung by brother Alton “Dopsie” Rubin Jr., blossoms into its own party-down track with some harmonica rides from Patrick “Lips” Williams. The instrumental “Bring Back the Old Time Zydeco” recalls that great Creole old stuff with relentless washboard scrapping on the right channel, authoritative percussion on the left while Anthony “Dopsie” Rubin puts on a dazzling display on accordion that booms on both.

Then oddly enough on the last two tunes, the Twisters take a left turn with radio hits “How Sweet It Is” and the Doobie Brothers’ “Listen to the Music.” Not only does it break the energy they’ve established, they’re songs you could hear from any cover band in America. Still, the highs from the rest of this are such that

any subsequent blandness hardly matters. Good stuff.