Jackpot!   Buckwheat Zydeco   Tomorrow Recordings- 2005 A Review By Paule Pachter, July 22, 2005

Of course the first question I had to answer while listening to Buckwheat Zydeco’s first album of new studio material in eight years was: Is “Jackpot” worth the long wait? And, the answer is simply yes. Anytime this phenomenal talent goes into the recording studio with producer Ted Fox magic is going to happen. If Stanley Dural, Jr. waited eight years to compile the right material for his latest release I’m sure it was based upon a few important variables such as a non-stop international touring schedule and his determination to burn a dozen tracks onto an album that would result in the buying public clearly realizing that Buckwheat Zydeco not only hit the jackpot musically but he remains at the top of his game. He is as I’ve said many times before, the “Zydeco Ambassador to the World.” “Jackpot” is actually two CDs compacted into one. The first nine tracks are new songs filled with that explosive energy that only Buckwheat delivers. Listen to any one of the tracks and you can feel Buck sweat. He has poured tremendous energy into new material that defines his unique style and depth as a recording artist. Among the standout tracks on the upper nine are: “I’m Gonna Love You Anyway;” “It Must Be Magic;” “Come Back Home Baby;” “Changes;” and the title track. Now, the second part of the album is an incredible treat because it features about twenty minutes of Stanley Dural, Jr. on the Hammond B3 organ playing the Blues in the company of guitarist Paul “Lil’ Buck” Sinegal and bassist Lee Allen Zeno. If this ain’t Buckwheat heaven than I don’t know what is. When you see Buckwheat pump that piano style accordion, putting out all of that Zydeco energy, rocking his body back and forth and whipping his audiences into a frenzied state you know that his ability to press the vertical keyboard is spectacular. However, put him behind the horizontal keys of the Hammond and two things immediately come to mind. First, there’s a little smile coming out of the corner of his mouth sought of saying “and you thought I only could play the zydeco!” Second, he’s in his element playing Jazz and Blues and he is so remarkable as an artist and a person, which has sustained him at the top of the Zydeco market for more than twenty years. So, now you hit the “Jackpot” featuring: Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural, Jr. (accordion, Hammond B3 organ, electric keyboard, lead vocals) Lee Allen Zeno (bass, background vocals); Sir Reginald Master Dural (rubboard, background vocals); Paul “Lil Buck” Sinegal (guitar); Oliver Scoazee (guitar); Gerard St. Julien (drums); Curtis Watson (trumpet); and Catherine Russell (background vocals). So, does “Jackpot” garner our highest five-pepper rating? Well as Buck himself would say: Yes Sir! You can purchase “Jackpot” directly online from Buckwheat Zydeco’s official website at: www.buckwheatzydeco.com or Amazon.Com. your support and encouragement of The Zydeco Road. Working together, we can enhance the recognition that Zydeco music and its artists so greatly deserve on Long Island and within the Metro New York area.   [ Artist of the Month ] [Sounds of The Road ] [This Ain't No Rest Stop ] [ The Road Stops Here ] [Road Shows ] [Home ] [Email ] Click here to visitLIEYE.COM   copyright 2005 Paule Pachter/Richard Arfin. All rights reserved.