Vintage Bruce - Great Cajun Songwriting
mhall@ceresios.com | A Cajun in North Carolina | 07/22/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Bruce has given Cajun music fans another album that we'll be singing to ourselves for years. He never misses on that score. Every song on every album is memorable and Paradis is no exception. Once again, Bruce shines brightest with original songs that touch on matters a little beyond the usual 'I love going to the dance' or 'My girl left for Texas.'I was happy to hear some numbers by black Creole artists. The turn-of-the-century 'Madame Etienne' by Amedee Ardoin was a real gift to those that know that Cajun music and Zydeco were born together out on the Cajun prairie.I've always thought that Petit Cadeau was the best display of Cajun songwrting ever recorded. So far, I don't love Paradis quite so much but I had five years to fall in love with Petit Cadeau. (We fans should try to talk Bruce into recording a little more often; it's been almost six years since Petit Cadeau).If you want to learn Cajun French, do yourself a favor and memorize the lyrics to a Bruce CD so that you can sing along. You couldn't have a better teacher or a better time."
Paradis, Indeed!
Windy City Zydeco Woman | Chicago | 02/11/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Many people seem to take Bruce Daigrepont for granted -- after all, he's "the house band" for the fais-do-dos every weekend at Tipitina's. But don't sell him short -- his versatile voice and danceable music are most pleasing to the ear, especially when he's trading riffs with talented fiddler Gina Forsyth (who adds just a dash of modernism to offset all the rich tradition in Bruce's style). Looking for a soulful ballad with a plaintive vocal? A beautiful waltz with haunting, soul-stirring lyrics? A little swamp pop (with homage to John Fogherty)? A rousing two-step with playful, almost giddy fiddle? Bruce and Gina cover all the bases like the virtuosos they are. If you like Cajun music and dance, this album won't fail to please."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1