The Best of Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers
Beau Jocqueis the stage name of Andrus Espre, a giant of a man who added funk bass,Peter Frampton-style  talk-box guitar, and the occasional drum loop to the down-home sound of zydeco  in the 1990s and became one of the genre's biggest stars.The Best of Beau  Jocqueselects 13 tracks from his seven Rounder releases, including  originals like "Give Him Cornbread," his biggest hit (which has since become a  zydeco standard); "Damballah," a percussive romp named for a voodoo deity; and  "Richard's Club," a hard-driving ode to a favorite hangout. Beau Jocque has a  deep, rumbling voice that recallsHowlin' Wolfand an  infectious danceable accordion style inspired byBoozoo Chavis, but his  canny blend of funk, soul, rock, reggae, and zydeco is all his own.  Unfortunately, Beau Jocque died of a heart attack in 1999, but his spirit lives  on in these recordings, and perhaps more importantly, in the countless zydeco  bands that continue to play his songs.--Michael Simmons