Valcour Records have announced the release of A Tribute To The King Of Zydeco, An All-Star Salute To Clifton Chenier In Celebration Of His 100th Birthday. The album, to be released on June 27 Features The Rolling Stones, Lucinda Williams, Taj Majal, Steve Earle, and more
Proceeds benefit the all-new Clifton Chenier Memorial Scholarship at the University of Louisiana Lafayette; New Orleans Jazz Fest Clifton Chenier Centennial set on May 2.
“When I was living in Houston I spent a lot of my time in this dance hall listening to Clifton Chenier play for hours. From those impressionable times I still feel a deep connection to his music. Clifton Chenier is the the king of zydeco and that’s the god’s honest truth. No one else comes close!” said Lucinda Williams.
According to Valcour Records, there is exactly one accordion player in the world whose legacy could inspire a group of fans like The Rolling Stones, Lucinda Williams, Taj Majal, Steve Earle, and more for a 100th birthday all-star tribute: The King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier.
Bursting onto the scene in 1955 with his first hit, “Eh, ‘tite Fille,” Chenier blended blues and R&B, and Afro-Cuban rhythms with Louisiana Creole music setting dancefloors and AM receivers alight from the deep South, across the pond, and beyond until his passing in 1987.
This June the genre-pioneering Louisiana musician’s centennial is celebrated with the release of A Tribute to the King of Zydeco, a 14-track romp through Chenier’s legendary catalog with performances from the aforementioned icons and many more. Produced by GRAMMY Award-winning producer and member of Los Lobos, Steve Berlin, and Joel Savoy, Valcour Records Founder and member of the “First Family of Cajun Music,” A Tribute to the King is due out on June 27.
The first single from the album, “Release Me,” has been released and it features Americana legend Lucinda Williams, Hall of Fame Swamp Pop musician Tommy McClain, and the “Zydeco Boss” himself, Keith Frank, on accordion. Showcasing Chenier’s love for soulful rhythm and blues, “Release Me” was initially recorded in his zydeco style in 1969, slowing the tempo down just enough for dance partners to get in close with each other. This version is a sultry duet between Williams and McClain, sticking closely to Chenier’s original feel—which was adapted from Eddie Miller and His Oklahomans’ 1950 version, “Release Me (And Let Me Love Again).”
WATCH THE VIDEO OF ‘RELEASE ME’ HERE: RELEASE ME
In order to keep this track leaning more into Chenier territory and less like the country original, “Release Me” single producer C.C. Adcock kept things as Louisiana as it gets. “We started by using a crack Lafayette all-star band and a slinky Swamp Pop ‘triplet-feel’ sound that placed it undoubtedly sounding like it was coming from deep inside a vintage South Louisiana dancehall,” says Adcock. “The dovetailing of Keith Frank’s Clifton inspired accordion, Steve Riley’s bluesy fiddle and Dickie Landry’s fragile but soulful saxophone solo set the bayou scene. I swear I could see Lu and Tommy couple-skating hand in hand at an Opelousas, LA roller rink, circa 1966… Maybe Clifton’s even there in the corner, working the snack bar!” The resulting recording sets an unmistakable tone for the rest of A Tribute to the King of Zydeco: This is a real-deal tribute for a real-deal legend.
In addition to the announcement of A Tribute to the King of Zydeco, Valcour Records recently joined the Chenier family estate and the University of Louisiana Lafayette to form the Clifton Chenier Memorial Scholarship. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the King of Zydeco in 2025, the Clifton Chenier Memorial Scholarship honors Clifton Chenier’s legacy at the College of the Arts at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The scholarship fund will offer annual financial assistance to students studying Traditional Music, specifically Zydeco accordion, at UL Lafayette. All proceeds from A Tribute to the King of Zydeco will go directly toward funding this new scholarship. To learn more about the scholarship or to donate, please visit this link.
On Friday, May 2, a very special Clifton Chenier Centennial show was held at the Fais Do-Do stage at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Featuring the “Dockside Allstars,” the house band from A Tribute to the King—including Roddie Romero, Eric Adcock, Derek Huston, Lee Allen Zeno, Jermaine Prejean, and Sherelle Chenier Mouton—as well as special guests C.J. Chenier, Sonny Landreth, Marcia Ball, and Curley Taylor.
Tribute to the King Tracklist:
“Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” – The Rolling Stones and Steve Riley
“Easy Easy Baby” – Charley Crockett and Nathan Williams, Sr.
“Hey ‘Tite Fille” – Taj Mahal and Keith Frank
“Release Me” – Lucinda Williams, Tommy McClain, and Keith Frank
“Just Like A Woman” – Steve Earle and Anthony Dopsie
“I’m On The Wonder” – Jon Cleary and Curley Taylor
“My Soul” – Jimmie Vaughan, Johnny Nicholas, and Steve Riley
“Hot Rod” – David Hidalgo and CJ Chenier
“Tout Le Temps En Temps” – Shannon McNally, Keith Frank, and Molly Tuttle
“Ay Ai Ai” – Ruben Ramos with Los Texmaniacs and Augie Meyers
“I May Be Wrong” – Marcia Ball and Geno Delafose
“I’m Coming Home” – CJ Chenier and Sonny Landreth
“You Used To Call Me” – John Hiatt and Roddie Romero
“Why Did You Go Last Night” – Kam Franklin, A. J. Haynes, and Roddie Romero
Album produced by Steve Berlin and Joel Savoy with Executive Producer John Leopold. “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” and “Release Me” produced by C.C. Adcock.