Creole Bred

It is not surprising that scholar-musician-producer Ann Savoy's follow-up to her Grammy-nominated Evangeline Made also features a star-studded roster, some of whom appear incongruous in such a setting. Admittedly, Savoy¹s visceral understanding of Louisiana's proud and hardy Cajun tradition is sufficient to keep the majority of the participants toeing the line and even sounding reasonably authentic. The question is: why repeat this formula? Yes, the album will probably attract new listeners to the style. Yes, Brooklyn-born 1980s pop icon Cyndi Lauper bows gracefully to the idiom and sings convincingly in French. Yes, fans of the genre will likely purchase the album out of curiosity, thus sparking endless dinner table discussions pro or con. But if the Tom Tom Club is the sole complete crayfish-out-of-water, that the home team consistently makes the most indelible impression must surely mean something. And finally, yes, 45 minutes is too short for a full-priced CD. --Christina Roden