| Follow Me Chicken | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1993 | |||
| Genre | Zydeco | |||
| Label | Rounder [1] | |||
| Producer | Scott Billington | |||
| Nathan Williams chronology | ||||
| ||||
Follow Me Chicken is an album by the American musician Nathan Williams, released in 1993. [2] [3] He is credited with his band, the Zydeco Cha Chas. [4] [5]
The album was produced by Scott Billington. [6] Williams was influenced by the musical style of Clifton Chenier as well as music of the Caribbean. [7] [8] Kenyatta Simon played djembe. [9]
"I Need Someone to Love Me" is a cover of the Z.Z. Hill song. [10] "Elle Est Jolie (Isn't She Lovely)" is a cover of the Stevie Wonder song. [11]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [13] |
| MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide | [14] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [15] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [8] |
The Washington Post wrote: "Yet for all his myriad influences, Williams clearly appreciates the value of a fundamental zydeco groove, the churning, ceaselessly syncopated beat that makes 'Hey Manan', 'Zydeco Is Alright' and 'Zydeco Road' so rhythmically contagious." [16] The Orlando Sentinel determined that the Cha Chas "emphasize the R&B elements of zydeco with nifty horn charts, hints of New Orleans funk and Williams' versatile accordion playing." [15]
The Los Angeles Times noted that "the combination of Williams' skilled accordion and Allen Broussard's alto sax gives the music a broader melodic range than many zydeco groups have." [13] The Press-Enterprise concluded that Williams blends "boogie, soul, country and blues, all spiked with the rhythms of Acadia, into an astonishing dance music ... This is folk music—but it's advancing forward as folk music always must to remain powerful." [9] The Miami New Times stated that "like the best New Orleans music, the Zydeco Cha Chas combine multicultural ingredients to create a fresh stew." [17]
AllMusic wrote that a "high point of the risk-taking album is 'Mama's Tired', which combines zydeco with both ska and '60s-type soul." [12]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Follow Me Chicken" | |
| 2. | "Mama's Tired" | |
| 3. | "Hey Maman" | |
| 4. | "Elle Est Jolie (Isn't She Lovely)" | |
| 5. | "Zydeco Road" | |
| 6. | "I'm in Love" | |
| 7. | "One Track Mind" | |
| 8. | "Ma Pauvre Maman" | |
| 9. | "Tout Partout Mon Passe" | |
| 10. | "Zydeco Is Alright" | |
| 11. | "Don't Make a Fool Out of Me" | |
| 12. | "I Need Someone to Love Me" |
Zydeco is a music genre that evolved in southwest Louisiana by French Creole speakers. It blends blues, rhythm and blues, and music indigenous to the Louisiana Creoles and the Native American people of Louisiana. Although it is distinct in origin from the Cajun music of Louisiana, the two forms influenced each other, forming a complex of genres native to the region.
Clifton Chenier, was an American musician known as a pioneer of zydeco, a style of music which arose from Creole music, with R&B, blues, and Cajun influences. He sang and played the accordion and won a Grammy Award in 1983.
Maison de Soul is a Louisiana-based Zydeco and blues record label. It was founded in 1974 in Ville Platte, Louisiana by Floyd Soileau and remains under his ownership. It is one of four record labels under Soileau's Flat Town Music Company umbrella, and combined the Flat Town labels make up "the largest body of Cajun, zydeco, and swamp music in the world". Living Blues magazine has called Maison de Soul "the country's foremost zydeco label".
Wilson Anthony "Boozoo" Chavis was an American accordion player, singer, songwriter and bandleader. He was one of the pioneers of zydeco, the fusion of Louisiana Creole and blues music developed in southwest Louisiana.
Beau Jocque was a Louisiana French Creole zydeco musician and songwriter active in the 1990s.
Scott Billington is an American record producer, songwriter, record company executive and blues musician.
C. J. Chenier is the Creole son of the Grammy Award-winning "King of Zydeco", Louisiana musician, Clifton Chenier. In 1987, Chenier followed in his father's footsteps and led his father's band as an accordion performer and singer of zydeco, a blend of cajun and creole music. With five previous albums to his credit, by 1994, Chenier began to record for Chicago-based Alligator Records.
Nathan Williams Sr. is an American zydeco accordionist, singer and songwriter. He established his band Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas in 1985.
Bogalusa Boogie is a studio album by the American zydeco musician Clifton Chenier. It was released in 1975 via Arhoolie Records. The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2016, the album was inducted into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.
Louisiana Music is an album by the zydeco musician Rockin' Dopsie, released in 1991. His major label debut, it was also his final album.
Turn the Page is an album by the American zydeco musician Chris Ardoin, released in 1998. His band, Double Clutchin'—which included his brother, Sean—is also credited. Ardoin was still a teenager when the album was recorded.
Boogie Woogie Zydeco is an album by the American zydeco band Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, released in 1991. The album was part of the zydeco revival of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and was noted for its especially fast tempos and rock elements.
Primitive Streak is an album by the American band the Subdudes, released in 1996. It was a success on Americana album charts. The band supported the album with a North American tour, which included shows with Anders Osborne.
Hot Rod is an album by the American musician C.J. Chenier, released in 1990. He is credited with the Red Hot Louisiana Band. Although Chenier grew up listening primarily to R&B, he considered Hot Rod to be a traditional zydeco album.
There's Room for Us All is the second album by the American musician Terrance Simien, released in 1993. It was recorded with Simien's band, the Mallet Playboys. Simien supported the album with a North American tour.
La Chanson Perdue is an album by the American musician Geno Delafose, released in 1998. He is credited with his band, French Rockin' Boogie. Delafose considered the album to be a combination of Creole zydeco and Cajun music; however, the title of the album in part refers to the popularity of zydeco overtaking traditional Creole music. Delafose supported the album with a North American tour.
Gonna Take You Downtown is an album by the American musician Beau Jocque, released in 1996. He is credited with his band, the Zydeco Hi-Rollers. Issued as a vinyl dance track, "Make It Stank " was a regional radio hit. Jocque supported the album with a North American tour.
Boozoo Chavis is an album by the American musician Boozoo Chavis, released in 1991. It was part of the Elektra/Nonesuch American Explorer series. The album was the culmination of a comeback for Chavis that had begun in 1984. Chavis supported the album by playing the Newport Folk Festival.
Where There's Smoke There's Fire is an album by the American musician Buckwheat Zydeco, released in 1990. Zydeco and his band, Ils Sont Partis, supported the album with a North American tour. The album peaked at No. 140 on the Billboard 200.
I'm Here! is an album by the American musician Clifton Chenier. It was released in 1982 via Alligator Records. Alligator licensed the album in the hope that label head Bruce Iglauer could produce the follow-up. Chenier is credited with His Red Hot Louisiana Band. The album was reissued in 1993.