WWLTV Great Day Louisiana Pontchartrain Shakers performing Time To Make A Change
LOVE, PEACE & CHICKEN GREASE Pontchartrain Shakers (Southland Records) *****+
The new album from Pontchartrain Shakers is one of the best things I’ve heard this year. Love, Peace & Chicken Grease is creole blues with soul as deep as the ocean. Raw, immediate and captured live in the studio, you will fall under its spell immediately, and do so willingly.
The first line of my review of their self-titled debut in 2024 applies here too; “(it’s) full to the nuts with irresistible charm. Lively with an old-timey vibe and yet not old fashioned, once you hear it, is unforgettable.” Love, Peace & Chicken Grease has a relaxed confidence as it weaves heartfelt blues, gritty swamp textures and Louisiana soul into a spellbinding concoction that just keeps the goosebumps coming. Guitar work from Amedee Frederick and Jojjo Wight is… well, perfection really. Frederick, who handles most of the lead vocals, is a wonderfully emotional singer that elevates the songs as they penetrate your heart. Drummer Earl Smith Jr. and bassist Red DeVecca sit in the pocket and resist the urge to overplay as they groove their asses off.
The production by Jojjo Wight is immaculate as she captures the soul and spirit of the band in a bright and well balanced mix. I don’t know what the band’s schedule is like, but if she has the time and inclination she should consider producing other artists as well. LP&CG is 6 originals alongside covers of tunes by people like R.L. Burnside and Eddie Cotton, plus a spirited take on the Nola standard St. James Infirmary. The album has been praised as “an album that channels the roots of the region- blues, soul, second line grooves and Creole fire- all shaken together and poured out through generations of Louisiana musicians”, and that’s the stone cold truth.
Love, Peace & Chicken Grease is about as good as it gets.
WWLTV Great Day Louisiana Pontchartrain Shakers performing Miss You Baby
The early morning drive to work brings the sunshine, energizing and warmly inviting, capturing the excitement of the day ahead. The cheerful and uplifting vibe inside of my car transforms into an even more enjoyable experience with good company. The Pontchartrain Shakers are here with me, transforming an otherwise mundane morning drive into something altogether different. Cascading out of my car stereo is the bright melody and cheerful groove of the first track, "Sunshine," from "Love, Peace and Chicken Grease," the latest release from this extraordinary group of seasoned musicians. "Sunshine" is a song that perfectly frames the freshness and excitement of the morning calm around me.
I had a tough time writing this review since I had trouble getting through the entire CD at one time. The first four songs were so clever, irresistible, and inescapable that I found myself playing them over and over and over again -
"Sunshine" - "Don't Ask Me How I'm Doing" (a heart-rending track where Amedee Frederick's emotive vocals are joined by Jojjo Wrights parents Jamie and Heidi Wight on cornet and trombone , alongside Jojjo's longtime friend and mentor Mike Loupe on alto sax) - St. James Infirmary(a bluesy, blistering instrumental that is seismically quaking) - and certainly one of my favorites, a track I have found myself playing over and over again: "Lucy Mae" (Amedee "The Creole Blues Man" Frederick IV is featured on vocals, this is a beautifully performed bit of acoustic blues, lounging-on-the-front-porch music that comes across as a conversation, a slice of life, timeless blues that really shakes your soul -
Amedee "A5" Frederick, father and son together, perform some truly fantastic front porch blues!)
Finally. Struggling, I found myself working on the rest of this amazing album, once again playing tracks over and over again.
* The wonderful rhythm and blues of the marriage proposal, "You Amaze Me," brings to mind Ray Charles and some of his most soulfully aching Atlantic sides, a track deeply mired in soulful richness.
* "Going to Kentucky" another interesting track filled with creative storytelling. A Louisiana family takes a trip to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky with some unexpected results: “Well, it's sure different from Louisiana and it's time to go home.”
* "Christmas in New Orleans," William Bell's ballad "You Don't Miss Your Water," and R. L. Burnside's energetic "Jumper on The Line" - Honoring the spirits of the giants William Bell and R.L. Burnside both songs are a tribute and testament to a timeless musical heritage.
* Special mention goes out to Jojjo Wright who surprises listeners with her irresistible take on Elizabeth Cotton's "Freight Train," served up just right with a cheerful melody and poignant lyrics. Jojjo's voice is a delight: distinctly off-kilter, with just the right amount of country blended in with plenty of soul, spiced just right. Absolutely amazing!
Many thanks to Jojjo Wight for her wonderful and most helpful personal insights into the making of this album. Everyone met in one studio room about 10 minutes from home,and played together live like a regular gig. The goal was to produce music that sounds like the band playing live. All vocals and guitar solos were done in one shot, with zero retakes. 4 hours were spent in the studio with the band recording maybe 15 tracks, with only 5 requiring a second take.One session for track 4 , "Lucy Mae" , with her husband and father-in-law, and one session for horns. The studio time totaled 12 hours, which could have been finished in the initial 4 hour session but the band wanted to add some special guests.
"Love,Peace and Chicken Grease" - The album is actually good enough to eat. It's a masterful blend of musical artistry, a well-balanced remoulade sauce that hits all the right notes: creamy, tangy, and with just enough Creole spice to wake up your taste buds. It's that mouth-watering dish of red beans and rice that irresistibly blends Creole, Cajun, Blues, and multicultural influences. "Love,Peace and Chicken Grease" is perfectly seasoned with plenty of extra special treats—the "Yumbo Mumbo" of releases—featuring unique twists on the traditional just waiting to be devoured and enjoyed.A truly live-in-the-studio triumph, this album features an eclectic mix, that leaves no doubt as to how good this band really is. Weaving together heartfelt blues, gritty swamp textures and Louisiana soul, alongside exceptional musicianship and special guest appearances, the Pontchartrain Shakers have thrown quite a bash for long-time fans and curious newcomers to enjoy. Music made to bring smiles to weary faces, add some boogie to your steps, and bring the happy to the turmoils of the day, "Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease" is pure enjoyment from start to finish.An album that all of us need right now!! -John Muller
Pontchartrain Shakers
Jazz Weekly Review
Made up of Amedee Frederick/v-g-b, Jojjo Wight/g-v, Luciano Leaes/p-org, Red DeVecca/b and Earl Smith Jr/Dr, Pontchartrain Shakers stomps through some swampy blues on this release. Wight’s got a bit of spice in her voice, snarling out the shuffling “Miss You Baby” and growling through “Dead Snake Blues”. Frederick rides the blues groove of “Time To Make A Change” and is fervent on a gospel feel on “Louisiana 1927”, while sounding cozy on “We Need Love”. The team cruises like a V8 on the “A5 Boogie” and two steps to Tulsa on “Going Fishing”. Belly up to the bar!
