Buckwheat Zydeco's first studio album since 1997's
Trouble doesn't break away from the proven upbeat party groove that the band has perfected since the late '70s, but in a way it does break some new ground with the album's "encore," three tracks during which Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr. sets aside his accordion and returns to his first professional instrument, the Hammond B-3 organ. Dural got his start on the zydeco circuit playing the B-3 in
Clifton Chenier's Red Hot Louisiana Band in the mid-'70s, and he's no slouch at the instrument, showing some smooth soul-jazz moves and even paying homage to the great
Jimmy Smith on the extended "Buck's Going Uptown" encore track. He also tackles some light reggae on the album's closer, "Buck's Going to Trenchtown," so while
Jackpot! is pretty much what you'd expect from
Buckwheat Zydeco at this point -- upbeat zydeco dance numbers -- it also has some new and interesting wrinkles. The rocking opener, "I'm Gonna Love You Anyway," sets the party vibe, while the ragged, angular title tune shows how easily Dural walks the line between soulful R&B and zydeco, but it is the jazzy B-3 "encore" tracks that steal the show here. ~ Steve Leggett