The Wild Tchoupitoulas -- a group of Mardi Gras Indians headed by George "Big Chief Jolly" Landry -- only released one album, but that one record caused a sensation upon its initial 1976 release...
...It was one of the first records of the album-oriented rock generation that captured the heady gumbo of New Orleans R&B and funk. Landry may have fronted the Wild Tchoupitoulas, but the key to the record's success was his nephews, Charles and Cyril Neville, who headed the rhythm section. They drafted in their brothers, Artand Aaron, to harmonize, and thereby unwittingly gave birth to the band that became the Neville Brothers. Still, the fact that The Wild Tchoupitoulas ranks among the great New Orleans albums isn't because of the Nevillles themselves, but the way the Wild Tchoupitoulas lock into an extraordinary hybrid that marries several indigenous New Orleans musics, with swampy, dirty funk taking its place in the forefront. There are only eight songs, and they are all strung together as if they're variations on the same themes and rhythms. That's a compliment, by the way, since the organic, flowing groove is the key to the album's success.
(Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)
I love that New Orleans sound and since Dr John and my studying and discovering the music of the area from RnB and early piano players (Archibald, Tuts Washington, the master or "Bach of Rock" Professor Longhair to Irma Thomas and all. This album blew me away mind and always reminds me of the way of Fess who was filmed during the making of Piano Players really play together by Allen Toussaint when Fess passed away and Crawfish Fiesta was released posthumously but this album is the authentic street sounds of the Mardi Gras Indian vibe and no mistake! etc etc My flag boy to your flag boy gonna set your tail on fire! Jambalaya!
Gumbo yah yah!
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