| ALLIGATOR
RECORDS SIGNS BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO |
 NEW
CD SET FOR SPRING 2009 RELEASE
Alligator Records is proud to announce the signing of musical legend
Buckwheat Zydeco. The Louisiana accordion master and vocalist will
begin recording his debut for the label on January 10 at the famed
Dockside Studios in Maurice, Louisiana with Steve Berlin (Los Lobos)
producing. The multi-Grammy nominee will celebrate his 30th anniversary
as a solo artist with the new CD and a lengthy tour.
Over the course of his celebrated career, Buckwheat Zydeco has played
for President Clinton, performed at the closing ceremonies of the
1996 Summer Olympics (to a worldwide audience of 3 billion people),
and gigged with everyone from Eric Clapton (with whom he also recorded)
and U2 to The Boston Pops. He has appeared in a number of theatrical
films and on too many television programs to mention, including The
Late Show With David Letterman, The Today Show, MTV, NBC News and
many others.
According to Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer, the addition
of Buckwheat ! Zydeco t o the label is huge. “Buckwheat Zydeco
is the iconic figure of Louisiana zydeco music worldwide. It’s
a thrill to bring an artist of this stature to Alligator. More important,
he still tears it up at every show. His energy level and accordion
chops are just amazing, and he’s a terrific, soulful singer.
And he’s no slouch on Hammond organ, either. I’m also
excited to reunite Buckwheat with Steve Berlin of Los Lobos as producer.
Berlin produced Five Card Stud, one of Buckwheat’s finest albums,
so we’re expecting Buckwheat’s Alligator debut to be just
as good, if not better. Also, Buckwheat has been booked for years
by Concerted Efforts, a great agency for American roots music.”
Stanley Dural was born in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1947. He acquired
his nickname because, with his braided hair, he looked like Buckwheat
from The Little Rascals. His father was an accomplished, non-professional
traditional Creole accordion player, but growing up Buckwheat preferred
listening to and playing R&B. He became proficient at the keyboard,
and by the late-1950s was backing Joe Tex and Clarence “Gatemouth”
Brown. By 1971 he formed a 16-piece funk band, Buckwheat And The Hitchhikers.
Never a traditional zydeco fan growing up, Buckwheat reluctantly accepted
an invitation in 1976 to join Clifton Chenier’s Red Hot Louisiana
Band as organist. He quickly discovered the joy and power of zydeco
music, and marveled at the effect the music had on the audience.
Buckwheat’s relationship with the legendary Chenier led him
to take up the accordion in 1978. After woodshedding for a year, he
felt ready to start his own band under the name Buckwheat Zydeco and
began his recording career with the small Blues Unlimited label. By
the mid-1980s there were more offers to perform than he could possibly
accept. Recordings for Black Top and Rounder followed before Buckwheat
hooke! d up wit h New York-based journalist Ted Fox (who would later
become his manager). Fox championed Buckwheat to Chris Blackwell at
Island Records, and Buckwheat soon received a five-record deal.
As more doors opened, Buckwheat found himself sharing stages and/or
recording with Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Mavis Staples, David Hidalgo,
Dwight Yoakam, Paul Simon, and many others, including indie music
darlings Yo La Tengo on the soundtrack to the Bob Dylan bio-pic, I’m
Not There.
During the 1990s Buckwheat continued recording for his own Tomorrow
Records label and never slowed down his touring schedule. With his
new relationship with Alligator, an upcoming CD, his massive instrumental
and vocal talents and boundless energy, Buckwheat Zydeco remains and
will continue to be the most popular zydeco artist in the world for
a long time to come.
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