BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO’S ALLIGATOR RECORDS DEBUT, LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN, SET FOR MAY 5, 2009 RELEASE, CELEBRATES BAND’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY!
Produced by Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) with guests Sonny Landreth, Warren Haynes, Steve Berlin, JJ Grey, and Trombone Shorty.

Features five originals and songs by Memphis Minnie (as popularized by Led Zeppelin), Gov’t Mule, Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Cliff, Captain Beefheart, JJ Grey & Mofro.

Alligator Records has set a May 5, 2009 release date for LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN, the stunning label debut from American musical legend Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural Jr. and his band, Buckwheat Zydeco. The New York Times says, “Stanley ‘Buckwheat’ Dural leads one of the best bands in America. A down-home and high-powered celebration, meaty and muscular with a fine-tuned sense of dynamics…propulsive rhythms, incendiary performances.” The Louisiana vocalist, accordion and organ master recorded the new CD at Dockside Studios in Maurice, Louisiana with Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) producing (as well as leading the horn section). Buckwheat Zydeco celebrates its 30th anniversary with the new CD and a lengthy tour, beginning with a Main Stage appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 2, 2009.

LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN is a remarkably conceived album featuring five new Buckwheat originals and complete reinventions of songs by Memphis Minnie (When The Levee Breaks, made famous by Led Zeppelin), Bruce Springsteen (Back In Your Arms), Gov’t Mule (Lay Your Burden Down), Captain Beefheart (Too Much Time), Jimmy Cliff (Let Your Yeah Be Yeah) and JJ Grey & Mofro (The Wrong Side). Guests on the album include Sonny Landreth, Warren Haynes, Steve Berlin, JJ Grey and Trombone Shorty. With LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN, Buckwheat Zydeco’s large and loyal fan base will have to make room for a massive influx of new converts.

u 2009 marks the 30TH anniversary of BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO. In that time, Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural, Jr. has become the worldwide icon of zydeco music. A multi-Grammy nominee, he has released over 15 albums and, even though over half of them pre-date Soundscan, has racked up over 600,000 total scans. He has played for President Clinton, performed to a TV audience of 3 billion at the closing of the 1996 Summer Olympics and gigged with everyone from Eric Clapton and U2 to The Boston Pops. He’s been on many movie soundtracks, including The Big Easy, and appeared on Letterman, Today, MTV, NBC News, BBC and TV and radio all over the world. Buckwheat’s new release, LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN, produced by Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin, features guest performances by Berlin, Gov’t Mule/Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes, Sonny Landreth, JJ Grey and Trombone Shorty.

Buckwheat Zydeco - Lay Your Burden Down (CD)

Tracks:
1. When The Levee Breaks
2. The Wrong Side
3. Let Your Yeah Be Yeah
4. Don’t Leave Me
5. Back In Your Arms
6. Throw Me Something, Mister
7. Lay Your Burden Down
8. Time Goes By
9. Ninth Place
10. Too Much Time
11. Finding My Way Back Hom

Produced by Steve Berlin

Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural, Jr.: Accordion, Hammond B3 organ, synth keyboard, lead vocals and background vocals
Lee Allen Zeno: Bass and background vocals
Sir Reginald Master Dural: Rubboard and background vocals
Kevin Menard: Drums
Olivier Scoazec: Guitar
Michael Melchione: Guitar
Curtis Watson: Trumpet

with special guests:
Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews: Trombone
Steve Berlin: Baritone sax
JJ Grey: Background vocal and Wurlitzer piano on “The Wrong Side”
Warren Haynes: Guitar on “Lay Your Burden Down”
Sonny Landreth: Guitar on “When The Levee Breaks” and “The Wrong Side”


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