Alive & Pickin'/Louisiana Man

Doug "Ragin' Cajun" Kershaw's original Warner Bros. albums had never been on CD before Collectables' reissues of "The Cajun Way," "Spanish Moss," "Flip, Flop and Fly," and "The Ragin' Cajun" and this CD on Wounded Bird, a twofer of "Alive and Pickin'," which was recorded live in Atlanta in 1975 and full of the Kershaw style of singing and musicianship and is a great extravaganza, and 1978's "The Louisiana Man," which is a studio album with some traditional cajun songs and lots of mainstream country styled songs and not quite the extravaganza as the live album on this disc, but it is very good nonetheless. As he is much better as a live performer than as a recording artist in the studio although his studio work is great, this disc IS the disc to start with as it contains the bulk of his signature songs live and/or in the studio and flows better than the "Best of" CD that Warner issued in 1989. One track on the live album worthwhile is a medley of "Orange Blossom Special" and "You...Read more

If you are at all a fan of Cajun country or just a some good fiddlin, then this disc is a real treat. It compiles some of Doug Kershaw's finest work on one disc. Before this, these two records were nearly impossible to find, even on vinyl. When I was growing up, my father had both of these and played them constantly. I was a bit afraid that perhaps my memories were better than the music. But I've listened to this nearly every day since I bought it and can say they hold up remarkably well.

Alive & Pickin' is a recording from a raucous live show in Atlanta in 1974. Kershaw's energy seems unending and his fiddling is the real star here. His Orange Blossom Special medley is a highlight, featuring a blistering fiddle. Favorites Diggy Diggy Lo and Louisiana Man are also featured. The concert recording has no annoying track breaks, so listening to it straight through makes it almost seem like you're there (even though I would've be less than a year old!)

The...Read more

"Alive and Picking" was recorded almost 20 years after Doug Kershaw first came on the music scene - his first single was released in 1955. Like most live albums, A&P includes the greatest hits Kershaw accumulated over this extended period. Kershaw was no one-hit-wonder, so there is considerable depth to the songs presented on this album. Moreover, live performance is Kershaw's forte and this album is an extraordinary tour de force. A&P is Kershaw at his best and, based on my own experience, is representative of his live shows in the early- to mid-1970s. I own many Kershaw albums, which I purchased contemporaneously with their release, and this is the one that I have played the most over the years. A&P is a must buy and a great first Kershaw album.

The "Louisiana Man" album is a less potent effort, but it does have a few good numbers - I have always liked Louisiana Sun.

Please do your best to ignore the factually-challenged prattling in the nearby...Read more