Kool Sean Ardoin rides new wave of Zydeco

SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN PRESS

For nearly a decade, Lake Charles-based zydeco musician Sean Ardoin took a backseat in the family band that he named for his then 10-year-old baby brother, accordionist-savant Chris, when the pair inherited the Ardoin Brothers family zydeco empire from their dad, Lawrence Ardoin, in the early 1990s.

In those days, Sean, who "did all the talking and singing," provided the band's rock-steady backbeat and the eclectic musical inspiration for its best material, but got little of the credit. "It was really our band, but he was Chris and I was Double Clutchin'," Sean explained last week as he punched his TV remote control to play tracks from last year's independently released, Texas-flavored zydeco dance record "Sean Ardoin & ZydeKool."

Sean now claims he didn't mind his relative anonymity in Double Clutchin' or the promoters and fans calling him Chris in error. "Well, it was my own fault, after all, that his name was what the fans and the promoters knew," he admitted, flashing a gigantic self-deprecating grin before bursting into infectious laughter. "That's kool," he said, and then, more seriously, the bedrock article of his own faith: "Everything for a reason."

That philosophy also defines the personal and musical journey that's taken Sean light years from the smooth traditional creole music of his illustrious grandfather, accordionist Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin, and the mid-'70s "la la" or French music played in a "chopped up" style by family friend John Delafose, with a rhythm section composed of Sean's uncles Charles and Slim Prudhomme. "My dad played the old creole music over a drum beat. John Delafose incorporated the zydeco into the creole. He merged it. So he ended up doing something a lot more soulful."

Delafose's sound fused traditional and modern styles and pointed the way for zydeco to reach younger audiences. From there it was only a hop, skip and a jump to Zydeco Force, the late-1980s funky bass-driven superband that inspired Sean: "They had a lot of singing, were real pumped up and had breaks in their songs."

Sean's influences also include the Immaculate Heart gospel choir ("we were the only Catholic church invited to Baptist musicals"), the LSU marching band, and every popular music he's ever heard, including soul, R&B, funk and country, just to name an obvious few. Less obvious, but equally formative influences are his Kappa Alpha Psi membership, his tenure as vice president of the 25,000-strong LSU student body and his substitute teaching for Barbe.

You can hear the former in his musical quotes and the latter in his literate lyrics and easy-going conversational style.

ZydeKool's debut CD features a hot-kool zydeco party song, "2Fingers (In the Air)," that Hootie & the Blowfish could have played at frat parties, and a soft ballad "You Complete Me," that would be equally at home in 'N Sync's repertoire as in George Strait's. Both songs showcase Sean's warm and melodious vocals (think pop gospel group Take 6), and his energized, silken accordion work. But neither can prepare you for the musical alchemy of his new songs flavored with Cameo, P-Funk and even the Modern Jazz Quartet, recorded for his as-yet unnamed new CD to be released on Buckwheat Zydeco's Tomorrow Records label late this summer. What a difference a year makes.

Once "Record X" is released, no one will confuse Sean with any other musical Ardoin again.

Sean Ardoin & ZydeKool appear today on the Fais Do Do stage at the 2001 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at 4:15 p.m. Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin also plays Jazzfest today, at 2:00 p.m. on the Music Heritage Stage.

Visit Sean Ardoin & ZydeKool on the web at www.zydekool.com.

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