Black Snake Blues

By the time Clifton Chenier’s third album, Black Snake Blues, was released in 1967, the zydeco originator was already beginning to cultivate an audience that extended far beyond his home bases in Louisiana and the Texas Gulf Coast. It was his first album to be recorded in California, once again with producer and Arhoolie founder Chris Strachwitz. It was also the first full album to feature the core quartet of Chenier, his brother Cleveland on frottoir (rubboard), Robert St. Judy on drums, and Joe Morris on bass, with an appearance by frequent collaborator Felix James Benoit on guitar on “I Got A Little Girl.” Songs like “Black Snake Blues,” which draws on motifs popularized by Victoria Spivey and Blind Lemon Jefferson, and “Walking to Louisiana,” which riffs on a Fats Domino hit, showcase Chenier’s unique ability to update traditional blues and classic R&B for contemporary audiences while making them all his own.

Track Listing

1	Black Snake Blues Clifton Chenier	04:23
2	Let's Talk It Over Clifton Chenier	03:01
3	Walking to Louisiana Clifton Chenier	03:33
4	Things Ain't What They Used to Be Clifton Chenier	04:22
5	Wrap It Up Clifton Chenier	03:01
6	Monifique Clifton Chenier	04:29
7	Johnny Can't Dance Clifton Chenier	02:26
8	I Lost My Baby (In French) Clifton Chenier	03:25
9	Can't Go Home No More Clifton Chenier	03:11
10	I Got a Little Girl Clifton Chenier	03:10