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Bon Ton Roulet!

Clifton Chenier
Album cover for Bon Ton Roulet! by Clifton Chenier. Features a monochromatic image of Chenier on the left side of the cover. He is in a suit holding an accordion and facing to the right. Bold orange text at the top reads “Clifton Chenier,” with white title below against a dark grey background. Bon Ton Roulet! (Let the Good Times Roll!), Clifton Chenier’s second full-length album, underscores his legacy as a party-starting musician for local Black French Creole communities up and down the Gulf Coast. Chenier leads festive shuffles, impassioned blues numbers, and spirited two-steps, which give a window into the breadth of styles that make up the zydeco music he originated and popularized. These selections put Chenier’s commanding accordion-playing on display, while also notably featuring his uncle, the skilled fiddle player Morris “Big” Chenier. “Big” Chenier can be heard prominently on “Black Gal,” a blues song that became a regional hit. The album was primarily recorded in Houston by Arhoolie’s Chris Strachwitz in 1966, but is punctuated by an iconic, barn-burning 1964 recording of Ay Ai Ai, originally released as Chenier’s first single on Arhoolie.

Track Listing

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1
Clifton Chenier
03:09
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2
Clifton Chenier
02:12
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3
Clifton Chenier
02:43
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4
Clifton Chenier
02:38
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5
Clifton Chenier
02:11
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6
Clifton Chenier
02:26
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7
Clifton Chenier
03:07
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8
Clifton Chenier
01:42
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9
Clifton Chenier
03:10
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10
Clifton Chenier
02:45
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11
Clifton Chenier
02:38
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12
Clifton Chenier
02:18