After building a resume in zydeco circles playing with
Terrance Simien & the Mallot Playboys, singer/accordion player
Chubby Carrier struck out on his own in 1990 and soon signed with the Chicago-based Flying Fish label as a solo artist.
Boogie Woogie Zydeco may have been recorded in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, but sweaty, exuberant originals like "Allons Dancez," "Hey Barbariba" and "Bernadette" are pure Louisiana. Carrier slows down the tempo for the 1960s-type soul numbers "Be Fair to the People" and "Sherrie," both of which are so appealing that they make one wish he embraced slower tempos more often. On the whole, however, the Louisiana native favors zydeco that is unrelenting in its energy. Zydeco fans should make a point of hunting for this CD. ~ Alex Henderson