Git It, Beau Jocque! is the first major live release from the new era zydeco legend, released at the peak of his career in 1995. The joint is thoroughly jumpin' as the Zydeco Hi-Rollers plunge from dance to dance. The songs are largely originals, with a few exceptions sprinkled here and there. The band opens with
Boozoo Chavis' "Motor Dude Special," then goes into the title track and the lengthy "Beau Jocque Boogie." "Sack O' Woe" is a little more blues-based, and the "Beau Jocque Run" picks up the tempo quite a bit. Reminding the listener that it's a live album, the band turns the recitation of the night's winning raffle ticket number into a short-lived zydeco tour-de-force in "0394413," and, after the only piece sung fully in French, moves into an old
Lightnin' Hopkins number. A two-step later,
Beau's singing "Happy Birthday" in his own way, followed by another reminder of the live status as he harangues someone whose car is blocking the club driveway. A
Neville Brothers piece brings in a bit of the exotic soul, and the album closes with "Give Him Cornbread," which soon became a decent-sized hit for
Jocque. Every
Beau Jocque album has some fire in it, and this one's no exception.
Pick Up on This might be the first recommendation to new listeners, but this one's excellent, too, and has a couple of interesting little rarities for hardcore fans and collectors. ~ Adam Greenberg