BLOODSTAINS & TEARDROPS, from Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, has been nominated for a GRAMMY Award by the Recording Academy for "Best Regional Roots Music Album". The record was released May 21, 2021 on Tab Benoit’s Whiskey Bayou Records and produced by Tab Benoit and Rueben Williams.
Boudreaux is the oldest living Mardi Gras Indian Chief, the elder of elders in a tradition dating back to the 1880s. He is a cultural hero, recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Award, and a well-loved American musical legend. His vast discography includes many records with the Golden Eagles, collaborations with Anders Osborne, Galactic, John Gros and 101 Runners.
From Jamaica to the Swamp! On Bloodstains & Teardrops - Big Chief Monk Boudreaux connects the early music of the slaves in New Orleans Congo Square to the Caribbean as he demonstrates its similarities in lyrical, musical, and cultural content. On his journey from the island to the swamp he is joined by a plethora of musical legends including Tab Benoit, Michael Doucet, and Johnny Sansone as well as Jamaican and Louisiana musicians. In the same way, it crossed the ocean in the late 1940s, it’s alive and happening all over again. This record is a dramatic example of how his method of singing as a Mardi Gras Big Chief can apply to other genres.
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| GRAMMY NOMINEE Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Award |
Uniting cultures – For this project Monk traveled to Jamaica and back, finding his Reggae groove with the local musicians before returning to Louisiana to finish the record. He had never been to Jamaica before. So, he and manager Rueben Williams went to Jamaica with guitarist Damon Fowler and spent a week looking around Kingston, driving up into the hills to see Bob Marley’s grave and recording with a reggae band and a toasting-style backup vocalist at Tad’s International Limited studio. The six songs Monk cut there reflected the inspiration he got from being in Jamaica and seeing the parallels to his New Orleans home. Back in Louisiana, co-producer Tab Benoit cut additional material at his studio to complete the album. But the lines between blues, swamp music and reggae become blurred as Monk develops his songs.
Hope, Love, and Understanding – On this recording, Big Chief wears the clothing and walks in the shoes of the people from his long and sometimes troubled life. He sings about hope, love and understanding. His voice, words and presence translate a language that speaks for itself - the music of the world.
The Album – Bloodstains & Teardrops
Joseph "Monk" Boudreaux - Vocals & Tambourine
Tab Benoit - Guitar, Drums, Keyboards Damon Fowler - Guitar
Eric Johanson - Guitar
Jason "Welsh Bass" Welsh - Bass
Corey Duplechin - Bass
Michael Doucet - Fiddle & Guitar
Johnny Sansone - Harmonica & Guitar
Ali Meek - Backup Vocals
Wayne "Unga Barunga" Thompson - Drums
- Recorded at: Whiskey Bayou Studios, Houma, LA & Tad’s International Limited, Kingston, Jamaica
- Executive Producer: Whiskey Bayou Records
- Produced by Tab Benoit and Rueben Williams
https://orcd.co/bloodstainsandteardrops
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