"Smack dab in the middle of where Jimmy Reed, R.L. Burnside and the Meters would all crash and smash."
- Dan Wilging, Offbeat Magazine, New Orleans, LA, Feb 2013
- Dan Wilging, Offbeat Magazine, New Orleans, LA, Feb 2013
| epk_marty_christian_2014.pdf |
Rue Boogaloo Bio/Press Release:
Blues, Funk and Soul all live down on Boogaloo Street! Rue Boogaloo's members have spent their lives playing behind a who's who of Louisiana's Blues and Zydeco musicians.
Marty Christian (Henry Gray and the Cats, Thomas “Big Hat” Fields) , Lee Zeno (Buckwheat Zydeco, BlackTop Records, Snooks Eaglin, Irma Thomas, Bobby Parker, Guitar Shorty) and Frank Kincel (Modern Jazz Movement, Henry Gray and the Cats) finally came together to create a sound of their own. Living Blues calls their all original, self-titled debut CD (2012) “a delicious stew of blues and funk … that at album’ s end, leaves this listener hungry for more.” Starting out as a quartet, Rue Boogaloo grooves on as a trio after the sudden loss of their long time bandmate, the late harmonica player Andy Cornett in February, 2012. Now the South Louisiana sounds of Rue Boogaloo keep the toes tapping and the body’s swaying with original and classic songs that inhabit everything from blues shuffles, southern soul, Louisiana funk and dancehall swing. Come check out the band for yourself and get a copy of the CD that Louisiana KBON says “"if you’re a blues lover, this CD is a must have for your blues collection... They cover it all!"
Marty Christian (Henry Gray and the Cats, Thomas “Big Hat” Fields) , Lee Zeno (Buckwheat Zydeco, BlackTop Records, Snooks Eaglin, Irma Thomas, Bobby Parker, Guitar Shorty) and Frank Kincel (Modern Jazz Movement, Henry Gray and the Cats) finally came together to create a sound of their own. Living Blues calls their all original, self-titled debut CD (2012) “a delicious stew of blues and funk … that at album’ s end, leaves this listener hungry for more.” Starting out as a quartet, Rue Boogaloo grooves on as a trio after the sudden loss of their long time bandmate, the late harmonica player Andy Cornett in February, 2012. Now the South Louisiana sounds of Rue Boogaloo keep the toes tapping and the body’s swaying with original and classic songs that inhabit everything from blues shuffles, southern soul, Louisiana funk and dancehall swing. Come check out the band for yourself and get a copy of the CD that Louisiana KBON says “"if you’re a blues lover, this CD is a must have for your blues collection... They cover it all!"
Rue Boogaloo Press
"Rue Boogaloo mines the classic blues sounds of the Delta, Texas and
Chicago ... a funky South Louisiana feel" - Walter Pierce, The Independent, Lafayette, LA.
"If you’re a blues lover, this CD is a must have for your blues collection. “Rue Boogaloo” is ten tracks of some of the best blues I’ve heard in a while. They cover it all!" - KBON 101.1FM Louisiana Radio
Original blues flows freely for Rue Boogaloo - Herman Fuselier, The Daily Advertiser
Chicago ... a funky South Louisiana feel" - Walter Pierce, The Independent, Lafayette, LA.
"If you’re a blues lover, this CD is a must have for your blues collection. “Rue Boogaloo” is ten tracks of some of the best blues I’ve heard in a while. They cover it all!" - KBON 101.1FM Louisiana Radio
Original blues flows freely for Rue Boogaloo - Herman Fuselier, The Daily Advertiser
Click for hi-res promo photo
Offbeat - Feb, 2013
Rue Boogaloo morphed out of Henry Gray and the Cats when band manager/musician Andy Cornett—who sadly passed away shortly after this release—formed a side project with songwriter-guitarist Marty Christian and jazz drummer Frank Kincel. When Cornett left early on due to medical reasons, Buckwheat Zydeco’s monster bassist Lee Allen Zeno was brought in. Buy on AmazonBuy on iTunes
After Cornett returned, the band became a quartet with the versatile Cornet honking on harmonica when this eponymous debut was cut. Overall, it’s an alternative venture relative to the current state of mainstream blues with Rue Boogaloo standing smack dab in the middle of where Jimmy Reed, R.L. Burnside and the Meters would all crash and smash. While Boogaloo swings (“Rue Run”) and shuffles (“Know What to Do About You”) like crazy, its foundation revolves around the interlocking rhythm section of Zeno and Kincel, masters of moving the beat around while keeping it synchronized. The slow instrumental “Creeper” is the best example; Christian plays on top of a slippery, funky beat while Cornett has an uncanny sense of when to come in with scorching, buzz saw-slicing solos. Although Christian serves as chief songwriter and varies his styles among the various blues idioms, soul and Americana, at the same time Boogaloo’s groove is highly danceable, thereby fulfilling another Southwest Louisiana live music prerequisite. Still, the real challenge will be gaining higher ground as some momentum has been lost with Cornett’s passing. Worth checking out."
- Dan Wilging, Offbeat, Feb, 2013
After Cornett returned, the band became a quartet with the versatile Cornet honking on harmonica when this eponymous debut was cut. Overall, it’s an alternative venture relative to the current state of mainstream blues with Rue Boogaloo standing smack dab in the middle of where Jimmy Reed, R.L. Burnside and the Meters would all crash and smash. While Boogaloo swings (“Rue Run”) and shuffles (“Know What to Do About You”) like crazy, its foundation revolves around the interlocking rhythm section of Zeno and Kincel, masters of moving the beat around while keeping it synchronized. The slow instrumental “Creeper” is the best example; Christian plays on top of a slippery, funky beat while Cornett has an uncanny sense of when to come in with scorching, buzz saw-slicing solos. Although Christian serves as chief songwriter and varies his styles among the various blues idioms, soul and Americana, at the same time Boogaloo’s groove is highly danceable, thereby fulfilling another Southwest Louisiana live music prerequisite. Still, the real challenge will be gaining higher ground as some momentum has been lost with Cornett’s passing. Worth checking out."
- Dan Wilging, Offbeat, Feb, 2013
Living Blues - Aug, 2012
Rue Boogaloo is a new project that combines a quartet of seasoned south Louisiana musicians: guitarist and vocalist Marty Christian, currently a member of legendary pianist Henry Gray's band; veteran bassist Lee Allen Zeno (profiled in LB #215); drummer Frank Kincel, co-producer with Zeno of their debut; and late bassist and harpist Andy Cornett, who also served as Henry Gray's manager. Together they serve up a delicious stew of blues, funk, and zydeco that, at album's end, leaves this listener hungry for more.
Christian's sweet, country-tinged voice glides over the easy shuffle of Know What to Do About You, while Cornett's harmonica style brings to mind Jimmy Reed's. The funky jams Everything's Picking Up and They Tell Me swing with a Meters-style appeal; Talk About It and the instrumental Rue Run are fun dancehall romps. Creeper, My Baby's Sweet Like That, and In the Course of a Night are also, each in their own way, made for dancing - of the slow kind; the latter track features Christian singing in both English and Cajun French. The lovely, gently rolling Special Friend brings the party to an all-too-soon close.
Rue Boogaloo is not currently schedules to tour this year. "We got something so good, Lord, that it hurts this much to lose, " Christian pleads in the wistful Had a Good Run. Here's hoping Rue Boogaloo's run is far from over.
- Melanie Young, Living Blues , August, 2012
Christian's sweet, country-tinged voice glides over the easy shuffle of Know What to Do About You, while Cornett's harmonica style brings to mind Jimmy Reed's. The funky jams Everything's Picking Up and They Tell Me swing with a Meters-style appeal; Talk About It and the instrumental Rue Run are fun dancehall romps. Creeper, My Baby's Sweet Like That, and In the Course of a Night are also, each in their own way, made for dancing - of the slow kind; the latter track features Christian singing in both English and Cajun French. The lovely, gently rolling Special Friend brings the party to an all-too-soon close.
Rue Boogaloo is not currently schedules to tour this year. "We got something so good, Lord, that it hurts this much to lose, " Christian pleads in the wistful Had a Good Run. Here's hoping Rue Boogaloo's run is far from over.
- Melanie Young, Living Blues , August, 2012
The Daily Advertiser - Lafayette, LA, March 2012
When it comes to making music, blues guitarist and singer Marty Christian likes to let it flow. There's no playlist, no schedule. Just pick up the instruments and follow the inspiration.
"The whole idea for me, when I pick up the guitar, is that I have no preconceived idea of the song," said Christian. "I feel that is a really big element of a lot of blues-based musicians.
"Once you have that language of the blues down, you don't want to go in there and memorize the speech. You want to chit chat, scream, cry, jump around with the music. Who knows what songs are going to come out?"
The free-flowing blues shines through on the self-titled, debut CD of Rue Boogaloo. The disc contains 10 original songs, all written by Christian, along with music from some of Lafayette's most experienced and well-traveled musicians.
Drummer Frank Kincel, who has performed and recorded with The Bluerunners, has deep jazz roots. Besides playing with Fats Domino, Snooks Eaglin and other greats, Lee Allen Zeno is a longtime bassist with the Grammy- and Grammy-winning band, Buckwheat Zydeco...
Herman Fuselier, The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, LA, March 2nd, 2012
"The whole idea for me, when I pick up the guitar, is that I have no preconceived idea of the song," said Christian. "I feel that is a really big element of a lot of blues-based musicians.
"Once you have that language of the blues down, you don't want to go in there and memorize the speech. You want to chit chat, scream, cry, jump around with the music. Who knows what songs are going to come out?"
The free-flowing blues shines through on the self-titled, debut CD of Rue Boogaloo. The disc contains 10 original songs, all written by Christian, along with music from some of Lafayette's most experienced and well-traveled musicians.
Drummer Frank Kincel, who has performed and recorded with The Bluerunners, has deep jazz roots. Besides playing with Fats Domino, Snooks Eaglin and other greats, Lee Allen Zeno is a longtime bassist with the Grammy- and Grammy-winning band, Buckwheat Zydeco...
Herman Fuselier, The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, LA, March 2nd, 2012
Rue Boogaloo - Concert Poster
