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ROSIE LEDET
& THE ZYDECO PLAYBOYS
Monday, February 15, 2010 - 8:00pm
The Mint
 Rosie hails from the rural town of Church Point, Louisiana,
and learned to play the accordion by watching her husband and then practicing
on his accordion while he worked during the day With her self-penned tunes,
Ledet provides a unique female presence in the male-dominated zydeco world. She
sings in both Creole French and in English. Her songs are often sly and lusty
and combined with her natural good looks and distinctive, bluesy singing voice,
she wows audiences wherever she goes.
Since her interest in music began in the mid-1980's, Rosie
Ledet and her husband/producer, Morris, have truly traveled the Zydeco Road.
Rosie's performances have carried her throughout the United States, Canada and
Europe.
Review
Zyde-Zine
Rosie Ledet "Pick It Up" - Maison de Soul Records
Rosie Ledet, the Zydeco Sweetheart and the music's best
songwriter, is at it again. The queen of teasing lyrics and Zydeco artist most
likely to be a centerfold is renowned for songs with a double meaning, although
no degree in rocket science is needed to get the secret suggestions. On her
1996 CD Zesty Zydeco, Rosie advises a
female rival to keep her dog on a real short leash because she had a place
"where he can bury his bone." On the I'm A Woman CD of 1999, Rosie tells her wandering man that she's
had enough of his roaming ways - he can eat her poussiere. That word is French
for dust, in case you are confused. Now on this Pick It Up CD, Rosie musically asks her rubboard player and
father-in-law, Lanice "Poppy" Ledet, why he takes little blue pills.
He answers firmly, "To pick it up." "It's just another gag song
we came up with," explains Rosie. "We were practicing songs for the
CD in this big, old barn next to the house. "Bubba (drummer Lukey Ledet)
saw one of his favorite uncles passing by. They're always picking at him about
his 'prescription.' "We started playing around with some words and the
next thing we knew, we had a song. We just had to put it on the CD." Rosie's
Zydeco salute to Viagra is now the CD's title cut and has already become a fan
favorite at her live performances, from the Breaux Bridge (La.) Crawfish
Festival to the Living Traditions Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah.
"People were on the ground laughing when they were listening to it,"
said Rosie. "They wanted to buy it, but we had to tell them just wait a
while. It's not out just yet." Now, the wait is over. But as with her
previous seven CDs, Rosie proves she's not just a tease. While many of her
Zydeco contemporaries continue to churn out one-liners and animal rhymes set to
a dancing beat, Rosie sings original stories of smiles, kisses, heartache,
birthdays and having a Zydeco good time. I
Love Louisiana is a French and English tribute to her Creole and Cajun
homeland, including her hometown of lota. Don't
Leave Me, a bluesy instrumental that has long been part of the Zydeco
Playboys live shows, has finally found its way to CD. The classic Zydeco Boogaloo gets fine treatment with
Rosie on the triple-row accordion and musicians Chuck Bush on bass and Kent
August on a fiery lead guitar. Rosie confronts maturity and a new outlook on
life in Chasing After Rainbows. Rosie
is growing in confidence and maturity as she's achieved eight CDs in her 12
years as a professional musician. She's performed in all of the United States
(except Alaska and Hawaii) and has three European tours under her belt. Rosie
and the Playboys served as an opening act for Bob Dylan at the prestigious
Newport Folk Festival two years ago. She even had the Godfather of Soul get on
the good foot in Alabama. "Probably the coolest thing we had happen was
when we were at City Stages in Birmingham four years ago," said Rosie, 33.
"James Brown got up and he was dancing to us. "Now any time you can make
the Godfather of Soul dance, you must be doing something right." The Godfather
was just following Rosie's words in her new song, Work That Body. She's giving you the rhythm. Don't you waste it.
By Herman Fuselier
The
Mint
6010 W. Pico Blvd. LA
323-954-9630
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