Product Description The artist behind the best-reviewed cutting edge zydeco record in years ("Pullin'") is back with an album steeped in the genre's decades old tradition as a fun loving and moving dance music. "Home Brew" proves that Ardoin represents both the rural roots and progressive future of Louisiana's foot-stomping Creole zydeco sound like no other artist. Catch his New Orleans Jazz Fest kickoff performance on April 27th. Amazon.com Dynastic zydeco star Sean Ardoin comes from one of Louisiana's most storied musical families, but he's never been afraid to expand and embellish the traditional sound with modern musical sensibilities, including everything from hip-hop to reggae. Ardoin, however, always stays true to the tradition of zydeco as dance music, and Home Brew, bubbling over with tasty bayou rhythms, should easily energize and satisfy any pair of dancing feet. It's a little more traditional than Ardoin's uniformly excellent Pullin' (which was dubbed the best zydeco recording of 2001 by New Orleans's Offbeat magazine), but it still incorporates judicious amounts of swamp soul and Southern funk, as well as the down-home blues of the title track. Ardoin, who wrote, arranged, and produced every track, sings with conviction and handles the accordion, especially on "Back Porch," like he was born to play the instrument. His personalized take on zydeco and his conspicuous growth as a songwriter and swamp stylist elevate him to the top tier of contemporary zydeco creators. And, of course, what really matters most is how he continues to dish out dance-happy sounds with a timeless appeal. --Michael Point About the Artist Sean is zydeco royalty: His great-great-uncle Amédé was the first south Louisiana Creole accordionist to record in the 1920's; his grandfather Bois-Sec has been one of the best-known practitioners of the states rural Creole sound for six decades; his father Lawrence brought the familys sound to his generation; Sean co-led the acclaimed zydeco outfit Double Clutchin with his younger brother Chris, and Amazon.coms editors called Sean Ardoin & ZydeKools national debut, "Pullin'," one of the 100 Best CDs of 2001. After emerging as the creative force behind the acclaimed zydeco combo Chris Ardoin & Double Clutchin, Sean struck out on his own, moving from his role as songwriter, vocalist and drummer to bandleader, accordionist and frontman par excellence. "Home Brew" builds on the promise of "Pullin" and Sean Ardoin & ZydeKool will bring their sound from Louisiana dancehalls to festival stages the world over. The song "Around The World" on "Home Brew" is literally the saga of the bands 2002 four continent hop in less than a month, from the U.S. to Italy to Australia to Brazil. The band has performed on BETs top-rated show "Comic View" and their music has been featured on the MTV shows "Road Rules," "Fraternity Life" and "Sorority Life." The group won "Best New Zydeco Band" of 2002 from the Crescent Citys OffBeat magazine, and they tour internationally and play every weekend theyre home in dancehalls and clubs from New Orleans to Houston, regularly stopping off for high-profile gigs at venues such as The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and The Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival. Though hes just 33, Sean is a dancehall veteran with more than 25 years experience under his belt. He started his apprenticeship at the tender age of 5 with The Ardoin Brothers family band. His first love was the drums and sometimes the group would let him play waltzes and slower two-steps. One day, when Sean was 11 and his father was trying to teach his mother how to play the accordion, Sean told them he knew how to play that lick. Much to the amazement of his parents, he did. Sean then spent eight years playing rubboard and accordion with Lawrence Ardoin & His French Zydeco Band before heading to LSU, where he nailed down the parade beat in that schools famed marching band. He sang with a number of funk-oriented college bands, but the rootsy boogie hed grown up with kept calling, and he decided to form a zydeco band for the current generation with his little brother Chris (then 10 years old) on accordion. Double Clutchin quickly got noticed, releasing radio and dancehall hits, developing an international following and releasing several albums for Rounder and Maison de Soul. The band even gigged at Carnegie Hall. Then, in 1999, Sean and Chris decided to separate, citing the usual "creative differences." "Were better brothers than bandmates," notes Sean, referencing the many double bills their bands have shared since the breakup of the dynamic duo. Sean believes his association with Tomorrow Recordings will bring his music to an even larger audience hungry for his no-holds-barred zydeco sound. "Tomorrow Recordings is unique because its an artist-owned label," Sean notes. "And that artist, Buckwheat Zydeco, is not only the biggest-selling zydeco artist of all time, hes also one of the genres greatest songwriters and performers." The release of "Home Brew" will build on rave reactions to "Pullin" and the bands steady stream of national and regional touring to continue to pull in old and new fans and zydeco dancers and radio listeners worldwide. See more
