Pub crawl pours a draw of Cajun flavor with Cha Chas

October 05, 2006

By MARY T. NGUYEN
of the Tribune’s staff
Published Thursday, October 5, 2006

Wrong uses of the word "zydeco" 1. "How does that thin jacket keep you so warm? It must be made of that zydeco the astronauts use in space."

2. "Dude, did you check out the latest episode of ‘Zydeco’ on the Sci-Fi Channel last night?"

3. "I was feeling kind of depressed, so the doctor put me on zydeco."

Only a Philistine would not recognize zydeco as a musical genre from central and southwestern Lousiana with influences ranging from Cajun music, to ragtime and blues.

Duh.

The sound of zydeco has evolved as much as the word, which originates from the French phrase "les haricots," meaning "the beans," a common reference in songs to the impoverished state of slaves in the late 1800s, when the music was born. Zydeco came to be from various derivations, including "zarico," "zodico" and "zordico."

The music began as woeful, with a heavy blues influence and the lyrics a meld of French and English, reflective of the Creole culture found in Louisiana. But as the nation progressed, so did zydeco.

Many songs are now sung more in English than in French, but most performers try to maintain the liveliness, if not the language, of Louisiana Creole. Zydeco is now known for its danceable ragtime tempo and defined by whirling melodies of accordion played alongside guitar, bass, drums and washboard. More than jazz, zydeco has picked up modern musical influences such as soul, R&B and reggae.

"It’s like gumbo," said Nathan Williams Sr. in a throaty, accented voice, as if it were worn from being rubbed against a washboard and soaked in a thick Creole lather. "You put a little bit of everything into it."

Williams, who leads Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, has several musical influences, including pianist and accordionist Clifton Chenier and Buckwheat Zydeco. But Williams’ zydeco is just as much a family stew as it is a musical gumbo, with family members playing a prominent role in his 20-year musical career.

Williams received his first accordion from his brother Sid, who also owns the club El Sid-O’s in Lafayette, La., where Williams and his band first began playing public shows.

In addition to bassist Robert LeBlanc and drummer Herman Brown, Williams' brother Dennis Paul plays guitar as a Cha Cha, and Williams' first cousin Mark plays the washboard. Williams' oldest son, Nathan Jr., plays accordion in his own zydeco band, Little Nathan and the Big-Timers, which recently played a few shows with the Cha Chas in California.

A performance by Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas will serve as the closing party to the "We Always Swing" Jazz Series' Jazz, Wine & Beer Pub Crawl tonight at The Blue Note. It also serves as the opening performance of the season of performers Jazz Series organizers have scheduled for the upcoming months. With their festive sound and lively personas, there could be no better simultaneous end and start to a celebration than with some Cha Chas and their zydeco.

"People who come out for us, come out for a good time," Williams said. Sounds like a guar-an-tee.

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Reach Mary T. Nguyen at (573) 815-1704 or mtnguyen@tribmail.com.

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NATHAN AND THE ZYDECO CHA CHAS

When: 8:30 p.m. tonight

Where: The Blue Note, 17 N. Ninth St.

How much: Free for pub crawl ticket holders, $10 for non-ticket holders

Contact: 874-1944