Actually, there are at least 5 five CD compilationss that have been released during the past several years. Four of them have a lot of duplication with each other. It's hard to say which one is the "best."
The ones that I know about are:
1. Cajun Country - More Hits from the Swamps; JSP 7749-100 Remastered Sides...
2. Cajun Early Recordings - Important Swamp Hits; JSP 7726- 102 Remastered Sides...
4. Cajun Collection; Disky HRCD 8096; 100 Original Cajun Classics from Louisiana...(This is mostly from recordings on La Louisianne)
5. A three-CD set from the Country Music Foundation with titles Gran Prairie (CMF 018-D); Raise Your Window (CMF 017-D); and Le Gran Mamou (CMF - 013 -D).
Of the five, I actually like the CMF releases the best; but obviously, I had to get all of them and listen to them to have that opinion. They are all good.
There are other smaller compilation recordings, including a set of 8 LPs on the Old-Timey (Arhoolie) label that are outstanding. I have to give credit to JSP and Proper, however, for doing something that American labels seem not to have been willing to do.
None of these compilations have two songs by Berthmost Montet and Joswell Dupuis that I have been looking for...High Water Waltz and Nina One-Step (Victor 225620). I have heard that Berthmost Montet plays some incredible accordion on these songs; but I may never know...these are apparently quite rare.
The April 2011 Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week
