Album Review - Louisiana’s Le Roux

Artist:  Louisiana’s Le Roux

Album:  Louisiana’s Le Roux

Released:  1978

How do I know these folks:  The single “New Orleans Ladies”, which peaked at #59 (from this album).  I had this on 45 back when it was new.  I recently (8/2018) acquired the album (vinyl) from my brother.

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From the band’s web site:  “Louisiana's LeRoux (the first album) was a musical gumbo that blended various instruments and arrangements for some spicy, mouth-watering pop-rock. Using blues, R&B, funk, jazz, rock, and Cajun as their base, their Southern anthem "New Orleans Ladies" …, simmered with the laid-back feel of the "Big Easy," evoking images of Bourbon Street and the bayou.”

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So, what can I add?   I remember the song “New Orleans Ladies”, which was released in the summer of 1978, and got airplay on the AOR station I listened to at the time (WDVE).  I liked the song, and had the 45.  A quick check of the internet tells me it peaked at #59 in July 1978.  If I ever heard anything else from them, I don’t remember.  

Fast forward 40 years, last week visiting my brother.  As he occasionally does, he pulled out a stack of albums and offered them up to my son and I.  And this album was in the stack.  So I nabbed it, based on the one song.  

As I’ve been listening to it, I’m pleasantly surprised.  “New Orleans Ladies” is a wonderful piece of pop, a bit similar in tone to songs like Poco’s “Crazy Love”, Eagles’ “I Can’t Tell You Why” or MTB’s “Heard It In A Love Song”.   The rest of the album is rather different, and reminds me more of Chuck Leavall’s Sea Level.  Most of it has a solid funky jazz groove.  Only the last song (I Can't Do One More Two-Step) makes me think “New orleans”, though, with a good Dr. John groove.

The sound fronts keyboards than guitars, and has nice bass and percussion…    I’m enjoying listening to it.  I’d rate most of the songs 3+ to 4 (out of 5).  No high peaks, but no valleys, either.  Call it 3.5/5 overall.  It’ll be interesting to see how it grows on me with more listenings.

On Allmusic, they rate it a lofty 4.5/5, with 12 user ratings also averaging 4.5/5.  They comment the band creates “a fusion drawing from pop, rock, blues, R&B, funk, jazz, and of course their Crescent City roots.”  And “a welcome diversion from the pop music disco dregs [that] remained nowhere as angst-ridden as the ensuing punk movement”.  

It looks like the band is still around, with 2 of the original 6 members still involved (guitar and keyboard players).  But there’s no shows listed on the band’s website.  I’d probably go see them at a cool venue like the Wildey.

Obscurity Index:   I'll call this 'moderately obscure".  The album made Billboard's album chart, but peaked at #172, and only charted for 2 weeks.   They had a minor hit (New Orleans Ladies reached #59), which they performed on The Midnight Special back in the day.  On the other hand, the album is available on Spotify, and Amazon has it on CD, MP3-download and streaming. - - - - 

Here's the back cover, and inner sleeve, click through for larger versions...