Beausoleil: Al Tharp (banjo, fiddle, double bass, bass guitar); David Doucet, Jimmy Breaux, Michael Doucet, Billy Ware, Tommy Alesi.

Personnel: Michael Doucet (vocals, guitar, mandolin, fiddle); David Doucet (vocals, guitar); Cindy Cashdollar (slide guitar); Al Tharp (banjo, fiddle, acoustic bass, electric bass); Rushad Eggleston (cello); Jimmy Breaux (accordion); David Egan (piano); Tommy Alesi (drums); Billy Ware (percussion).

Additional personnel: Cindy Cashdollar, David Egan, Rushad Eggleston.

Audio Mixers: Bill Bennett; Curry Weber.

Recording information: Bungalow Studios, Lafayette, LA (03/23/2004-05/10/2004); Dockside Studios, Milton, LA (03/23/2004-05/10/2004).

Photographers: Phil Gould ; Rick Olivier.

Translators: Michael Doucet; Sharon Arms Doucet.

Arrangers: Michael Doucet; Beausoleil.

Michael Doucet and Beausoleil debut on the storied folk label Vanguard Records with 2004's GITANE CAJUN, and, continue to infuse their Cajun musical roots with a contemporary twist. Sung mostly in French, these songs fascinate, thanks to a whip-smart fusion of agile fiddle, robust accordion, and snappy rhythms. It's easy to see why this native Louisiana music is enticing enough to get toes tapping and couples moving around the dance floor.

Doucet's brand of Cajun music is entertaining and intriguing, largely due to the different stylistic twists he continually tosses into the mix. A dash of pedal steel has "Lena Mae" bouncing along with Western-swing nuance, Canray Fontenot's "Malinda" reverberates with a brisk, samba-like cadence, and "Les Fleurs Fleurissent" switches gears into slow, modal waltz time. A washboard is even trotted out for "Bye, Bye Boozoo," a vibrant tribute to the late Cajun great Boozoo Chavis. Rounding out the disc, "La Femme Qui Jouait Aux Cartes" chugs along with a slightly open-ended approach, reminiscent of a French-sung Grateful Dead tune.