Yvette Landry’s Swamp Poppin’ Country

By day, she’s a schoolteacher in Cajun country. Comes the night, Yvette Landry puts on her honky-tonk persona to hang out where thick smoke, dim lights, and loud, loud, music is king, gettin’ down with some serious classic country.

But she’s no dabbler. Landry has been seriously entwined musically with all things Cajun/country for years, performing with Bonsoir Catin, The Lafayette Rhythm Devils, and Balfa Toujours, as well as country/bluegrass heavyweights including Vince Gill and the Time Jumpers and Rhonda Vincent.

She’s cut four solo albums since her 2010 debut, Should Have Known. 2013’s No Man’s Land, 2014’s Me and T-Coe’s Country, and now her latest, Louisiana Lovin‘, a collaboration with Roddie Romero.

This project came out of her work with Romero, a legendary Cajun accordionist who has fronted the Hub City Allstars for nearly 30 years. While recording Me and T-Coe’s Country, Landry approached Romero about dueting with her on Dale and Grace’s 1963 swamp pop classic, “I’m Leaving It All Up To You.”

The resulting collaboration gave the duo a hit almost as famous, in local circles, as the original.

Hub City Allstars piano-pounder Eric Adcock signed on for this project, as well as HCAS drummer Jermain Prejean and saxman Derek Huston, who often sits in with the Allstars. Richard Comeaux was brought in on pedal steel.

Landry worked up a set list of what she labels “belly rubbing slow drag” enablers as well as swamp pop by Bobby Charles and some down-and-dirty classic country.

Landry wails as heartbreakingly hard as Kitty Wells on the opener, “I Need Somebody Bad,” made popular by Warren Storm, Comeaux providing the requisite weeping steel and Huston blasting the tone back to the ’50s with his Lee Allen-style honkin’.

Romero and Landry’s duet on Bobby Charles’ “Homesick Blues” is from Charles 2004 album Last Train to Memphis, with Charles teaming up with Maria Muldaur. Landry and Romero’s version is lush and mellow, Romero channeling Leon Russell style vocals, Landry’s vocals curling demurely around him.

Ruth Brown cut “Daddy Daddy” in 1952, rattly samba-inflected jazz, Brown delivering the lyrics in a squeaky squeal interrupted by a bad-ass sax break. Landry’s is more syncopated, harder-hitting, with Landry substituting sexy growls for Brown’s unconvincing juvenile squeaks. It’s hard to outdo Brown, but Landry takes her out on this one.

Ernie K Doe cut “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” on his eponymous release in 1971. It’s classic swamp pop, a belly rubbing fiesta, sure to lead to heavy petting in dark corners, aided by Landry and Romero’s make-out special delivery.

Most R&B fans were familiar with composer and singer Ivory Joe Hunter’s regal 1950 version of “I Almost Lost My Mind.” But in Louisiana, Cookie and the Cupcakes, purveyors of the gigantic swamp pop hit “Mathilda,” had the biggest audience for their version. The Landry/Romero cut follows the sweeter Cupcake version, which provides a few more belly grinding opportunities.

Floyd Cramer’s 1960 instrumental hit “Last Date” was a slippery keyboard rendering of slow dance heaven for would-be dance floor cuddlers. Skeeter Davis re-imagined it that same year with the help of lyrics by Boudleaux Bryant (“Bye Bye Love,” “Love Hurts”). Landry’s version is smoother, less shrill, and with less vocal histrionics than Davis’, but it’s still as country-soaked as a cathead biscuit dunked in red-eye gravy.

Bobby Charles’ “Take It Easy Greasy” came out in 1956 and was a popular hip saying as well. Charles allegedly wrote it as a followup to his 1955 hit “See You Later Alligator,” made popular by Bill Haley and the Comets. Landry summons her best Wanda Jackson persona for this one, a honkin’ rocker surrounded by Adcock’s high-side tinkly keyboard tickling.

Whether you’re of the belly-rubbin’ persuasion or the kick-out-the-jams, foot flyin’, yee-haw school of Terpsichore, Landry and Romero have assembled a dance floor filler-upper here that’ll keep you entertained or in trouble depending on your marital status at partner-choosin’ time.