CJ Chenier Livestream from Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club

C.J. Chenier brings Zydeco rooted in Louisiana’s Creole culture, learned at home and on the road beside his father, Clifton Chenier. An accordionist and multi-instrumentalist with a direct, unadorned style, he folds blues, rock and jam-band impulses into driving Zydeco rhythms, with warm vocals out front. At 21 he joined his father’s group and hit the stage at Austin’s Antone’s; after Clifton’s passing in 1987, he took over the Red Hot Louisiana Band and cut his debut for Arhoolie Records. Paul Simon later tapped him for The Rhythm of the Saints sessions and tour, and he has worked alongside John Mayall, Jimmie Vaughan, Sonny Landreth and Buckwheat Zydeco.

On stage, Chenier leans into rolling accordion lines, rubboard patterns and tight grooves that move from swampy shuffles to roadhouse blues and open-ended jams. Livestreamed from Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth on February 26, 2026, this set focuses on the pulse and phrasing that define his sound: tradition carried forward with a band that plays close and keeps the energy up.