a haunting voice that reveals

Zachary Richard

Gombo

RZ Records

This voice, that haunts and remains strongly implanted in the memory, has not diminished in the least in these years that keep adding up, in fact when you hear it again here, it strokes up the flames that keep the memories etched indelibly in the mind.  Whether he is singing in English or French you can get the meaning of the song because this voice clearly conveys the meaning of the songs.  In addition he has assembled a band here that is excellent; from Roddie Romero on guitar, accordion; to Shane Theirot on guitar, omnichorde; David Torkanowsky, piano, Hammond B-3, Wurlitzer; and Graham Robinson, bass; to pick out a few of the better known musicians from the area.  Ask of the musicians play the songs with the emotion that is inherent in the songs lyrics.  These are some of the best musicians around no matter the music.

One thing you know when you hear the name Zachary Richard is that you are going to hear some heart-felt music and much of the music will have some kind of message to it; be it educating you on what Zydeco is, to telling you about the lands his Cajun People live in, to how to catch a Gator with your bare hands, to falling in love and what it entails.  And this music is always going to move you and stir your emotions in some direction in a way that might be completely unexpected, and at the same time with the utmost sincerity.  You know there is going to be emotion and it is going to be right there in plain sight.  These are songs that have meaning to him in them as he wrote or co-wrote all of them, and the last song save for the bonus song, has him doing singing with Angelique Kidjo.

by bob gottlieb