Corey Arceneaux & The Zydeco Hot Peppers
Scott, Louisiana, United States
Music
Press
Corey,
Thank you for preserving the style of zydeco music of your late great uncle “Fernest Arceneaux”. This CD reflects your strong belief in the Creole & Zydeco style of music with a strong adherence to the past and keeping alive old family traditions. Good Luck in your future.
--John Broussard
Co-host of “KRVS Zydeco Est Pas Sale” program
- John Broussard
Corey Arceneaux and the Zydeco Hot Peppers
20/20
Good zydeco releases are hard to come by these days. This self-produced CD has sparse liner notes and low budget packaging. But — guess what, there are 20-cuts with 75 minutes of music, with eleven rated excellent. Another plus is that some lyrics are done in Creole French, an uncommon happening these days. This, their third release, is their best yet.
The only waltz “Help Me Please” is done trad style with both French and English lyrics. Good high-energy cuts with a classic zydeco groove include “Sauver Mon Ame” and “Hey Jerome” (for the band’s scrubboard player). Special cuts with an older Creole-style feel include “Take Me Back” (about musicians of the past) and “‘Tit Garcon,” with a nice accordion solo. My favorite cut of all is “337” which tells of the dance culture in the “337 Area Code” — which is the core of the Cajun and Creole culture in SW Louisiana, centered in and around Lafayette. HPepper Records myspace.com/pepperzydeco
Dale Johnston KVMR Nevada City, CA - Dale Johnston KVMR Nevada City, CA
Corey Arceneaux, a native of Lafayette, is one of the few young Zydeco musicians who has mastered both the diatonic and the piano accordion. He has played the accordion since he was 10. His musical interest was influenced by his uncle, Fernest Arceneaux, accordionist and leader of Fernest and the Thunders, a group Corey performed with for about a year.
However, the major influences on Corey Arceneaux's musical development seem to have been Nathan Williams and Buckwheat Zydeco and, of course, Clifton Chenier. Soon after learning the accordion, he was brought on stage by Buckwheat, and he also sat in with the Zydeco Cha Chas when they were rehearsing at El Sid O's in Lafayette.
According to Pat Nyhan, Brian Rollins, and David Babb in Let the Let the Good Times Roll!, Arceneaux formed his band, the Hot Peppers, in 1992. In 1994, he was chosen "Best Up and Coming Performer" in the Zydeco's People's Choice Awards. The group released their first recording, Hit and Run, in 1995.
In 1998, Arceneaux, released another album, Tell Me Why, under his HPepper Records label, primarily featuring original songs. In the album, Arceneaux offers a variety of moods and tempos, from the laid back groove of "Pepper Shuffle" and "Down and Out" to fast-stepping tunes like "Zydeco Boogaloo." His smooth accordion sound and an upbeat rhythm section blend together nicely in "Hey Little Girl," while Arceneaux sings, "Ma tit femme, allons danser."
- David Simpson
Discography
1. Hot Pepper ( Zydeco Hound Records 1991)
2. Hit and Run ( Jewel Records 1995)
3. Tell Me Why ( HPepper Records 1999)
4. 20/20 (HPepper Records 2008)
5. Nu Band Nu Sound (HPepper 2009)
Photos
Bio
Corey Arceneaux is what many people call a new breed of zydeco musician. His music is a creative blend of R&B enhanced with a traditional zydeco style. Arceneaux finds fortitude in roots music, lending his talents to the compositions that reflect his roots, with a strong adherence to the past. Clifton Chenier and Buckwheat Zydeco are two of the most influential musicians he calls his mentors. He attempts and very strongly patterns himself after Chenier, long considered the King of zydeco music. Arceneaux states that he enjoys the way Buckwheat Zydeco plays the accordion and enjoys styling his playing with the same blend. Arceneaux would like to advise other young musicians to stick to the roots of zydeco and always to stay focused on their dream. He has modeled his career on Clifton Chenier's motto: "If you're going be something, be something. If you're going to be nothing, be nothing." On Corey & the Hot Peppers' 1996 release Hit and Run, Arceneaux thanks God, family, friends, and fans for their love and support in the liner notes. After one has experienced the music from the CD, they will feel that it is the fans who should thank Arceneaux and the Hot Peppers for bringing sunshine into a world that needs more of their winning formula. The third release from the Hot Peppers Tell Me Why released in 2000 enhances the urban feel will still sticking to the traditional style. Corey Arceneaux took a break for a few years to raise his kids before returning to the studio in 2008. In the year 2008 he released 20/20 with the original members of the Hot peppers and new comer Hogie on guitar and featuring Rodney Bernard (a legendary musician whose performed with Marcell Dugas, Lynn August, Thomas Fields, Dopsie, and many more) on vocals on three tracks. The latest Cd defines the new sound Nu Band Nu Sound. Corey’s 15 year old son Desmond Joseph adds to this new sound on the bass guitar. Nu Band Nu Sound released April 2009 mixes the traditional with the urban R&B flavor. The Cd was dedicated to Corey’s late uncle Fernest Arceneaux with songs in tribute to his memory. This is a great band for any venue.
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