Clifton Chenier King of Louisiana Blues and Zydeco (6-LP Box-Set)

(Arhoolie Records) 67 tracks, including 160-page booklet

King of Louisiana Blues and Zydeco is a 6-LP retrospective box set compiled to mark the 100th anniversary of Chenier's birth. The set includes a chronology of Chenier's groundbreaking works on Arhoolie and other labels, as well as a whole host of previously unreleased gems. The 160-page book contains photos, posters, and other graphic artifacts from the Strachwitz collection, as well as thoroughly researched liner note essays by Grammy Award-winning author Adam Machado, public folklorist and radio host Nick Spitzer, and longtime Louisiana journalist Herman Fusilier, along with a moving personal memoir by Clifton's son, Zydeco musician C.J. Chenier. The set is the first release on Arhoolie since the label became part of Smithsonian Folkways. With music, stories, and rich visual material, this set showcases the life of Clifton Chenier as a transformative artist—from his beginnings practicing at home in the barn to his reign as the undisputed king of zydeco.