Dwayne Dopsie Forges His Own Fiery Zydeco Path on ‘Set Me Free’
Grant Britt
Posted On August 19, 2021
If your daddy’s first name is Rockin’, you don’t have much choice for a career path. Dwayne Dopsie’s dad was one of zydeco’s finest reps, with a worldwide following. Although Rockin’ Dopsie carved out a path for his youngest son to follow, Dwayne steps off to one side at times to gather up stuff he finds along the way, inserting shards of reggae and funk into the already commingled stew of Creole and Cajun influences as well as rock and blues. The younger Dopsie, aka Dwayne Rubin, lives up to his nickname, The Zydeco Hurricane, with a frenetic performance style on accordion that has sweat and feet flying.
Dopsie kicks off his latest album, Set Me Free, with the stirrer-upper “Take It Higher,” based on the melody to Bobby Blue Bland’s 1961 hit “Turn On Your Lovelight,” covered by the Dead in 1969.
Co-producer Brandon David gets extremely wiggly on a guitar run that’ll have listeners twitchin’ like electrified chickens.
The title cut is a swamp-stompin’ blues expedition fit for high stepping to throw off the mud clinging to your boots from having been slapped down in the muck by life. Looking for a leg up or a hand out, Dopsie’s got a better reach-out message than most side-of-the-road alms seekers: “I’ve been walking for two whole days trying to find me some work so I can try to find me a place / would you help or leave me in my misery?”
“Talk To Me” is not a redo of the 1958 Little Willie John blues standard, but an original instrumental meant for two-steppin’, lively enough for three steps if you’ve got an extra foot lying around.
The only cover is a redo of Guitar Slim’s 1954 hit “The Things I Used to Do,” which Dopsie dedicates to his father. It’s a family affair, with brother Anthony dropping in on keys for a B-3 burble fest and brother Alton “Tiger” Dopsie sitting in on drums. Even with the accordion taking the lead slot instead of guitar, it’s as bluesy as Slim’s original.
Its definitely a dance record, with Dwayne spewing out foot-shakin’ exhortations in two languages. Even if you don’t speak French you’ll have no trouble getting the message on “D.D.’s Zydeco Two Step,” a rattly romp that’ll enable your feet to carry on a conversation with Dopsie’s rockin’ accordion.
Twenty years of hard driving road dawggin’ have honed Dwayne Dopsie’s performance skills to a razor’s edge, keeping his father’s rocking legacy intact as he personifies the future of zydeco.
