CJ Chenier Stack Session

by CJ Chenier

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1.
00:48
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01:45
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01:15
4.
15:39
lyrics

about

Our interview with CJ Chenier is transcribed here: kwur.bandcamp.com/track/interview-20

credits

released 24 June 2009
Performed by CJ Chenier
Recorded and interviewed by Zak Marmalefsky and Nick Speiser
Recorded live at KWUR on 6-24-2009

tags

tags: cj chenier kwur rock stack sessions experimental garage indie local St Louis

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Track Name: Interview
6/24/09 - Interview with CJ Chenier by Zak Marmalefsky and Nick Speiser

Zak Marmalefsky: We're here with CJ Chenier. He's playing tonight at Pop's across the river in Sauget. We're gonna start this off with a song. What's this called?

CJ: It's called "Louisiana Two Step." [plays song]

Z: Howdy folks, if you just tuned in, we've got CJ Chenier here in the studio. He's playing
tonight at Pop's. We're gonna ask a few questions and hear some tunes. Hopefully you guys can
check him out tonight. It promises to be a good show. One of the few non-heavy metal shows
there across the river. It's always an exciting event though I guess, who knows, you might hear
some heavy metal zydeco, too. For those of you listening in on the radio and can't see what's
going on here, CJ is playing this accordion here. It's very fancy looking with some rhinestones
and sparkles and light up monograms. It's certainly the fanciest accordion I've ever seen.

Here's just sort of a general question. We get all sorts of musicians in here, all sorts of
genres. I know that a lot of the people I bring in here are country and folk musicians and so
I ask a lot if you are someone associated with being a famous performer in a traditional style,
how do you reconcile being a hip contemporary musician with being someone associated with
traditional style in a local area?

CJ: Well you know, I'm kind figuring out what you're asking me. You know being in a tradition
isn't bad. You know? I like to be traditional because I don't want real zydeco to
fade. Some zydeco players just give up and say I'm going to play funk . A lot of the new cats
decided they want to mix rap into zydeco and hip hop and all that. I learned from the man
Clifton Chenier and played the blues, he played the boogie, and all that stuff and he was cool
as can be. So, you know, keeping the tradition, it doesn't necessarily mean you got to lose your
cool. You bring your cool with you and your attitude to tradition.

Z: You're known for combining zydeco with other styles and playing, like
Clifton, some blues and boogie woogie and stuff too. You mentioned young guys
combining it with hip hop. How do you feel about cross-over hybrid zydeco.

CJ: You know it's a tree, man. Zydeco is a tree, and Clifton Chenier is the muse, the roots, and
the trunk. All right, now it's got to grow some branches. You know what I mean? Everybody, just
like me, grew up on Earth Wind and Fire in the funk era. So I tend to want to mix a little bit
of that in with what I do. So do the younger cats who grew up with the rap and the hip hop. So of
course they think, "If I put this in there, more people will listen." And they're probably right
for their age. But for myself, when I go to some zydeco, I expect to hear some blues. I want to
hear some boogie, I expect to hear two steps, I expect to hear waltzes, cuz that's where it all
came from. When you go to a La la thats the things you heard from a zydeco band.

Z: I know that you came out with a new album a couple years ago. Is there a new on in the works
at all?

CJ: Yeah, they're on me right now about doing one, man. I'm kinda slow, you know? I'm up to
every three years, something like that. [laughs.] It's been about 3 years now, so it's time to do
another one. I'm in the process of writing the songs, picking songs, things like that.

Z: Can you give us a preview of what they can expect? [CJ Laughs] I know I read a lot of the
reviews of your last album, and I don't know if you'd agree with this but a lot of folks
thought it was a change for you, more subdued, less party music.

CJ: It was a big change. It was meant to be that way because it was done in memory of a lot of
the things that happened in New Orleans with Katrina and that wasn't a happy time. So that's
why we picked songs like "Lost on the River" and "Desperate Kingdom of Love". New Orleans was
lost on the river, it was a desperate kingdom of love. So, we picked songs like that on
purpose, not to be up-key and party-down. It was just to say, "We feel bad for you over
there." All I can do is sing these songs.

Z: Do you think that was just a topic specific thing or do you think that changed your sound
permanently? I guess you play all sorts of different stuff...

CJ: That's the thing. I go through this thing every time I get ready to do a CD on what should I
do? I'm really a saxophone player, man. I still think like that, and I come from the funk era.
It's not like I'm locked down on one thing but I've always wanted to stay true to zydeco. But at
the same time I want to expand it because my daddy told me to do the best I can do with my own
style. He didn't tell me to imitate him. So what I'm trying to do is maintain the zydeco, but
at the same time make it progress - not change it into hip hop with accordion, not change it
into rap with accordion, but to take the accordion and make it more flavorful. Into other
areas, you know what I'm saying.

Z: Flavorful. Well, that sounds good to me. Nothing uncool about that. Can we get another song
in here by any chance?

CJ: We'll play the blues. It's a song by my daddy called "You Don't Need to Cry" (Plays song)

Z: That was great! For those of you who are just tuning in, we got CJ Chenier here in the
studio playing and answering some questions. He is playing tonight with his full band. You can
expect some rocking zydeco arrangements tonight across the river at Pop's. It promises to be a
good time. When does that show start?

CJ: I think it's at 9 o' clock. I'm the wrong one to ask.

Z: Well sometime tonight, if you're out there, you're bound to hear some good music. I liked
that one a lot, what was it called?

CJ: It was called (something in French), that means "No Need to Cry".

Z: And that's one that your father played?

CJ: Right, right.

Z: I guess this is probably a standard question that you get asked, but leading his band after
he passed away and carrying the torch as a famous zydeco performer, do you find yourself
compared to him[Clifton Chenier]? Do you have a distinctive style when people ask you about how
you play versus your father? I know that you said you grew up listening to funk which is
probably different.

CJ: Yeah, and on top of that, as I said, I was a saxophone player. You know, in the beginning
of my career, it's weird because you go through this thing, and I never thought I would where I
got compared to Julian Lennon and Hank Williams Jr. who carried the torch of their fathers.
There was a box full of write ups about this kind of stuff when I first started. And just like
them, after a while it starts to die away. I never, not one time, in my career found myself
trying to be compared to my daddy. I always tell people that I'm not trying to be him. I think
they can distinguish my style from his because I was born with funk. I played the saxophone, so
I still hear saxophone licks in my head. So when I play accordion, there's really saxophone
stuff coming out of it. [laughs] He was the master of the accordion, man. And I'm just trying
to get there. But our styles are different. When I play his songs I don't try to play them
exactly like him. I just try to play them recognizable and then put my own thing into it.

Z: it sounds like you're doing a pretty good job, and you've been at it for a while now.

CJ: Yeah, a lot of years. I'm a road dog!

Nick Speiser: I have a question. How did you make the change from saxophone to accordion?

CJ: By the hardest. [laughs]

Z: That sounds tough to me.

CJ: I kinda started off on the smallest old accordion. It wasn't the keys, because I took piano
lessons in the second grade for like 6 months. And then I gave that up, but I wish I wouldn't
of. So I was kinda familiar with the keys, but it was those buttons that got me! So I got a
small accordion that only had about 8 buttons on it, and I got used to those 8 buttons. Then,
when I got a on big one, I was able to adapt better because I had kinda started to figure out
what they did. Going from a smaller one to a bigger one helped me out. The saxophone thing,
man, it's just totally different. I'm just blessed, I guess. God gave me an extra special
blessing to deal with these keys.

N: A lot of people can't change between such different instruments. I know I can't.

CJ: Like I say, I think it was a blessing. I'm thankful for it.

Z: So, you didn't play accordion at all when you were growing up? You just picked it up?

CJ: Oh, no man. When I was in school I got teased all the time. "Your daddy play that old
chanky chanky music." One of my friends used to take a piece of paper, fold it up, and start
opening and closing it like it was an accordion [laughs]. I went through all kind of stuff. All
them now are dancing to the zydeco. Every last one of them. I'm not worried about it.

Z: They regret it now?

CJ: Well, now they all party, they all out in the club partying to the same music that they
laughed about. But my daddy went through that too, they laughed at him. "What are you doing up
there playing like that." But little did they know, that's the ultimate party music.

N: Yeah, in time everybody realizes the glory of the accordion.

CJ: Don't let the Lawrence Welk days fool you. Anything you put into an instrument, that's
what's going to come out. You put polka in there, polka's going to come out. You put the blues
in there, the blues are going to come out.

N: I agree entirely.

Z: Do you think that being a sax player gives you a style that recalls sax licks?

CJ: I'm pretty sure I do. I still try and play the flute every now and then. I'm still doing
the fingering thing on it. I still hear those licks. I don't know, man. I just play what I
play. Whatever comes out, comes out. [laughs]

Z: For those of you just tuning in, you are listening to KWUR Clayton 90.3 FM St. Louis
Underground Radio. We've got CJ Chenier in here playing the ultimate party music. You should
come out tonight to Pop's in Sauget, IL, just across the river for the ultimate party music. As
we were just discussing, everyone comes around ultimately to the sound of the accordion.

N: And if there's anything going on in Sauget, it's a party! [CJ Laughs] There's nothing but
trouble over there.

Z: Well if we could get one more song in ...

CJ: Alright, I'll see what I can do: "Got My Eyes on You" [plays song]

Z: I feel like we've got a pretty good selection here. That was more of an example of the
partying music that maybe we'll be hearing tonight. Some faster tunes...

CJ: That and more. That and more for sure. Everyone should know to stop in a Pop's before they
get into trouble in Sauget.

Z: Stay out of trouble. Go hear some zydeco music. Well, thanks for coming out.

N: We really appreciate you coming out to the station today.

CJ: My pleasure, my pleasure.

Z: I think we're just going to end this with some studio tunes. Unfortunately, our library is a
little outdated, so we have some of your older albums. We're going to play one off "I Ain't No
Playboy" from 1992.

CJ: That CD is no longer in print, so if you've got one you probably won't be able to get
another. I think that's the best one I ever did. My personal favorite.

Z: Which song would you like us to play off this one?

CJ: "I Ain't No Playboy, I'm a Real Man".

Z: Well, there you go. Thanks for tuning in. [song starts]