This is Corey Ledet Zydeco's fourteenth album, but the first one he has recorded solely in Kouri-Vini, the proper name for Louisiana Creole. It follows up his Grammy-nominated eponymous release from 2021, and further exemplifies how continuing a musical tradition can also preserve and enhance a culture.

Corey Ledet Zydeco Médikamen (self-released)

Louis Michot of the Lost Bayou Ramblers produced, and he kept a raw feel to the sound. That edge is a real boon to Ledet's accordion, which often comes across a more soulful guitar. Ledet has a terrific voice, and this set further solidifies his reputation as one of the most creative and original zydeco songwriters going.

Zydeco is often shuffled into the blues deck, and Ledet doesn't shy away from that connection. He adroitly merges Acadian folk ideas with Delta blues shuffles and 12-bar laments. His interpretation of the sound gives it an electric vibrancy. While keeping dialects like Kouri-Vini alive is an ongoing struggle, albums like this show that Zydeco itself is still very much an ongoing concern.

Ledet is upfront about preserving Creole culture, but this album is anything but a staid academic procedure. Rather, it's the sound of party that has just begun. Now I have someone else to look up the next time I'm down in the Delta. Totally infectious.

Jon Worley