Veterans of the Cajun music scene, the
Savoy Family has been through the rise and fall, and new rise of Cajun music, standing at the center throughout. Here, the whole
Family comes in to play together, including a couple of members that aren't normally feature musicians in their own right on previous albums. Here, the old pair of
Marc and
Ann form the basis for the music, with sons
Joe on second fiddle, Wilson on piano and second accordion, and daughter Sarah on second guitar. On the album, they work through a number of old waltzes and two-steps just like one would expect, but with a little bit of the younger flavor embedded gently into the sound. Some of the pieces are old public domain items, some are originals, and a few hearken back to the old original composers:
Lawrence Walker and the great
Amédé Ardoin. There isn't necessarily a highlight on the album, per se, as the whole is a series of the usual repertoire of the
Savoys, and showcases their enormous ability on the various instruments at the same time. This is the
Savoys at their best (though arguably they could be said to be at their best when there's a
Doucet present, but...). Give it a listen as a fan of Cajun, old and new. ~ Adam Greenberg