Song Premiere: Johnette Downing And Scott Billington’s “Mudbug Boogie” From Upcoming Children’s Album “Swamp Romp”
Melissa Clark of American Highways wrote this wonderful review. If you go to the site, you can listen to “Mudbug Boogie” in advance of the album release: https://americanahighways.org/2019/01/29/song-premiere-johnette-downing-and-scott-billingtons-mudbug-boogie-from-upcoming-childrens-album-swamp-romp/?fbclid=IwAR0c61oXRRIljbd7s08WkJYW_VeSZJDTAfukSoosNpLy_HZcA3DnL28dTLU
Americana Highways is pleased to bring you this song premiere by acclaimed children’s author and musician Johnette Downing, and her Grammy winning producer and musician spouse Scott Billington. “Mudbug Boogie” is from their children’s album Swamp Romp which will be released on Feb 15. The album includes Irma Thomas, Roddie Romero, Joel Savoy, James Singleton, Doug Belote, Lee Allen Zeno, Matt Perrine, Wilson Savoy, Jake Eckert, C.R. Gruver, “Washboard Chaz” Leary, members of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band (Roger Lewis, Kevin Harris and Kirk Joseph), members of the Dukes of Dixieland (Kevin Clark, Craig Klein and Tim Laughlin), the McCrary Sisters and members of the ReBirth Brass Band (Keith Frazier and Derrick Tabb).
The album is a 2019 National Parenting Product Award (NAPPA) winner!
Anyone with children in their lives knows that good kids’ music is rare, and is welcomed with open arms whenever it appears. Kids love music, but it’s all too often mind-numbingly oversimplified and repetitive. That’s what makes this album so appealing to folks of all ages, from the tall to the very small. It covers the range of Louisiana music styles from zydeco, to blues, cajun and gospel, jazz, and brass band; all with the catchiest of grooves. Finally, here’s listenable children’s music with a depth of quality that’s infectious enough to have your kids smiling and dancing in a flash, and you along with them.
A “Mudbug,” for those who are not “in the know,” is a crawfish. This song will have you up on your feet like you’re doing a line dance in a Louisiana dance hall just like a silly crawfish might. Bassist Lee Allen Zeno (Buckwheat Zydeco) and drummer Doug Belote lay down a groove that will have everyone dancing, while Joel Savoy on fiddle and Roddie Romero on accordion sprinkle it with Southern Louisiana flavor.
The style of the song could be described as a “zydeco line dance.” This dance song was inspired by the movements of the beloved Louisiana crawfish, also known as a mudbug. Just don’t call it a crayfish! Whoooooweeeeee cher, dats just wrong. Mudbugs back up and lift up their claws when approached. The lyrics describe the movements for the dancers to follow, not unlike a square dance caller. For instance, the lyrics say, “Back it up crawfish. To the front crawfish. Back it up crawfish, snap, snap. Put your claws up high, put your claws down low. Put your claws up high, snap, snap.” Nearly every zydeco concert set list includes a line dance, and this one celebrates a little crusty fellow who likes to shake his crawfish tail at the fais do do (dance). Come on decapods! Let’s boogie!
You can pre-order the whole album here: https://www.johnetteandscott.com/store/swamp-romp while you’re listening to “Mudbug” right here: