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C.J. Chenier, son of the 'King of Zydeco' Clifton Chenier, joined his father's Red-Hot Louisiana Band playing saxophone at the age of 21. After Clifton's death in 1987, C.J. picked up the accordion and took charge of his father's ministry - to spread the word of Zydeco music to the world. Since then, Chenier has pushed the genre to new heights with his virtuosity. The Boston Globe has called him "the crown prince of zydeco," and Living Blues magazine hails him as "the best living zydeco singer and accordionist." His musical style ranges from the traditional zydeco of Clifton Chenier right on up to modern funk with healthy doses of blues, R&B, swamp pop and even country. C.J.'s total mastery of the accordion combined with his rich, satisfying voice are the driving forces behind this power-house zydeco band.

"C.J. Chenier gives the bayou dance music a modern makover... C.J. expands and carves out his own distinctive brand of zydeco."
- The Houston Chronicle

"Aspirants to the zydeco throne vacated by Clifton Chenier's death in 1987 are many but Clifton's son C.J. may well be the true royal successor. He lets the blues and funk rip like a strong wind off the Gulf."
- Downbeat

The Desperate Kingdom of Love
In the autumn of 2005, just prior to recording this album, the delta region of the United States was leveled by two vicious hurricanes. These killer storms decimated much of Louisiana and large sections of C.J. Chenier's hometown of Port Arthur, Texas. As much of the new material for The Desperate Kingdom of Love was composed during the aftermath, it is understandable that the overall tone is darker than is typical of his previous work. Using Bob Dylan’s collaboration with The Band as a model, C.J. called in The Tarbox Ramblers and session pianist Joe Deleault. Inspired by Rudy Van Gelder’s 1950s-era jazz recordings for Blue Note and the legacy of Clifton Chenier, the musicians quickly rehearsed the set list and recorded it studio-live with minimal overdubs. C.J. reached back into his father's songbook for a few choice tunes and also included songs by Hank Williams and P.J. Harvey. The Fender Rhodes organ-driven "Learnin’ To Live" highlights C.J.'s early Motown influences while "Bogalusa Boogie" is a tribute to the Clarence Gatemouth Brown, a revered blues legend who died only days after Hurricane Katrina destroyed his home in southwest Louisiana. The album concludes with Van Morrison's "Comfort You," an elegiac yet uplifting waltz-poem of healing and renewed hope.