Jeffery Broussard & The Nighttime Syndicate
Bayou Moonlight
**** out *****
On the opening song, titled "Whatever", off the debut full length Bayou Moonlight from Jeffery Broussard & The Nighttime Syndicate, Broussard sings the phrase "Sit back relax and pour yourself a cup of coffee or whatever, and listen to the great great sounds of zydeco...or whatever". That final 'whatever' is doing a lot of heavy lifting as the outfit have combined to craft an intoxicating mix of blues, soul, Jamaican ska, jazz, swing, gospel, and zydeco, that simply cooks.
While this is the band's debut, Broussard himself has been around creole and zydeco music since he was eight, laying down drums with his father's band. Over time he evolved into the Acadiana accordion and fronting his own projects, yet Bayou Moonlight is something new, exhilarating and fresh. Working with veteran members of the TBC Brass Band (Edward "Ju9cey" Jackson, Paul Chéenne and David McKissick) and more, the songs that percolate up work as a well-seasoned gumbo, bringing out a variety of flavors and sounds.
The excellent table setter "Whatever" is followed by "It's Alright" (Featuring Jaime Lynn Fontenot & K.C. Jones), a hip swinging dance floor filler that just drips soulful zydeco. Broussard's raspy vocals fit some songs like a glove, such as the blues baked get down of "No Good Woman", but they can fall a bit flat on the odd cover choice of Sam Cooke's, "A Change Is Gonna Come" and the ballad duet "Richest Man" but thankfully Jelly Joseph is on hand for that one to steer things right. On the group's dynamite cover of Rosie Ledet's "Hello Baby" Ana Moss takes over lead vocals and knocks it out of the park.
Perhaps the oddest influx of sound is the ska laden "Aww Baby" but the organ work by Zachary Wiggins and popping horns fit naturally with Broussard's accordion and Gary Francois' omnipresent rubboard strumming. "Oh Ye Yaille" is the most traditional sounding song here, while closer "Falling In Love With Jesus" is straight gospel, but for most of the record the band pushes boundaries, winningly combining styles.
Top notch tracks like "Madeline", the blues based "I'm Coming Home", the fantastic instrumental "Swing" and the filthy "Roaches", all install a grooving beat laid down by Hannah Davis on drums and Spike Perkins on bass, to support organ work, soul drenched brass, Romain Beauxis guitar, Broussard's pleads and more, creating a swirling mix soulful southern sounds with zydeco accented goodness.
While in the past Broussard worked hard to preserve his zydeco music/culture, now his debut with The Nighttime Syndicate finds the outfit dynamically expanding horizons, melding styles, and exploring an exciting future through Bayou Moonlight.
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