CAJUN FOLKTALES

Harmonica music opens and appears throughout this audio gem. J.J. Reneaux is an expert storyteller as author and narrator. In one story, three Irishmen encounter the bloodthirsty monsters of the South. The harmonica becomes the mosquitoes as Reneaux hilariously presents the men and their painful encounter. Reneaux's melodious voice inhabits words such as "dazzling," "shimmering," and "melting" in the story about a man who searches for his ideal wife. Best perhaps is Reneaux's portrayal of Poorboy, formerly a hobo, now a rich man, who returns to repay a crooked barkeep who once gave him a piece of bread and a boiled egg. The harmonica laughs as the barkeep and hobo end their differences over a pot of red beans. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2014]