Customer Reviews

1957 -- Solo Cajun Guitar

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

David Doucet's guitar playing is reason enough to buy this CD, but he gives you a double bonus with the songs he selected for this release -- just the right mix between lilting tunes and haunting ballads. You don't have to be a Cajun music lover to appreciate them -- although they are wonderfully representative of the richness of Cajun culture -- but simply anyone who appreciates the magic of a beautifully played guitar. Bravo, David! Please give us another solo guitar collection.

For more 20 years, David Doucet has been an excellent ensemble player with America's foremost Cajun band, BeauSoleil. As a solo performer, he blends his skill in both flatpicking and fingerstyle guitar to create a gumbo of traditional masterpieces. Doucet has an understanding of Cajun and Creole culture that contributes largely to his choice of technique. His vocal delivery on many of the cuts enhances the relaxed feel of this enjoyable, inviting CD. Liner notes include comments as to the history of many of the pieces, as well as special tunings.

I bought this CD at the 2001 National Folk Festival in East Lansing, Michigan, after hearing David Doucet play. The sound is fantastic as is his playing of these great melodies. He sings French on some cuts and I think his voice, though good, is not 5-star. However, he is a master of the guitar and I give this CD 5 stars for the amazing fingering and the superb recording clarity. I hope he comes back to the Great Lakes Folk Festival sometime soon.

Completely stumbled upon this while browsing for a decent Cajun album to take home -- what a surprise. Within a few tunes it's obvious that Doucet is a master of both his instrument as well as the musical language he's passing along for posterity. His vocals appear sporadically throughout, but the focus remains on the solo guitar. He sings the melodies and words completely without ego, with reverence that does not require technical perfection -- it speaks from the gut. His instrumental skills are expert, as he makes the melodies cut through on top of strong rhythm played flawlessly in tempo. This is an album that is alternately haunting and quietly evocative; a stark wonder that is as powerful as it is serene.