Hit The “Jackpot” Of Fun With Buckwheat Zydeco In Concert At The Morton Arboretum

Group Has Scored Adult, Children’s Music Hits

LISLE, IL (July 24, 2006) – A longtime favorite among Chicagoans and four-time Grammy nominee is bringing his spicy, Louisiana music to The Morton Arboretum August 19. It’s a chance for music fans to hear exciting tunes amid beautiful trees and feel uplifted by it all.

Buckwheat Zydeco has been called the “world’s greatest party band,” and fans from all over have enjoyed the group’s musical “gumbo” for years. Buckwheat Zydeco played gigs at both of President Clinton’s inaugurals, and Buck was featured on the Closing Ceremonies of the Atlanta Summer Olympics before a worldwide television audience of three billion.  The group has shared the bill with luminaries such as Wynton Marsalis, Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill, Little Richard and Gloria Estefan.

The group’s latest album, “Jackpot,” combines soulful original tunes, inspired playing and singing, and the trademark exuberance that’s made Buck the world’s best-loved zydeco artist. There’s plenty of Buckwheat’s signature accordion, and for the first time ever he specifically features his soulful mastery of the horizontal keyboard on a three-song Hammond B3 “Encore: featuring Organic Buckwheat.”

Buckwheat Zydeco earned awards and rave reviews for the lively children’s album, "Choo Choo Boogaloo." The disc features zydeco originals as well as classics such as "Iko Iko," "Cotton Fields," "Little Red Caboose" and "Skip To My Lou."

“Everyone likes this act. They’ve taken zydeco to a mainstream audience that keeps coming back for more,” said Marilyn Baysek, Arboretum Special Events Manager.

Buck is the first zydeco artist signed to a major record label, the first zydeco artist to perform on a national television show, and the first zydeco artist to launch his own record label. Based in the Creole culture of Louisiana, zydeco blends Afro-Caribbean rhythms and blues, with soul, rock, country and the French-rooted Cajun music of the Creoles’ white neighbors.  Buckwheat Zydeco also added a bit of funk to his style of zydeco, and this vibrant music took the nation and the world by storm in his 1989 release “On A Night Like This.”

Among many honors, Buckwheat Zydeco won a 2002 Emmy award for Outstanding Music Composition, Direction, and Lyrics, in a Sports Program, for "Pistol Pete: The Life and Times of Pete Maravich."  Buckwheat Zydeco has also been nominated for four Grammys.

Buckwheat Zydeco frequently plays the House of Blues in Chicago, thrilling the crowd with what a reviewer called, “a propulsive mix of rock, rhythm and blues, and zydeco flavors.”

For tickets, you may visit www.mortonarb.org, www.ticketweb.com, or the Arboretum Visitor Center. Also, you may call the Arboretum at 630-725-2066. Prices for members and non-members: $14 in advance or $17 day of show. Lawn opens at 4:30 p.m.; opening act Ross Hubbell Trio starts at 6:00 p.m. The main event begins 7:30 p.m.

The Morton Arboretum’s summer concert series is sponsored by Bonterra Vineyards, Edy’s Ice Cream, the Hilton of Lisle/Naperville, Nine FM and Samuel Adams Beer Company.

The Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized 1,700-acre outdoor museum with collections of more than 3,700 kinds of trees, shrubs, and other plants from around the world. The Arboretum's beautiful natural landscapes, gardens, research and education programs, and year-round family activities support its mission – the planting and conservation of trees and other plants for a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world. Conveniently located at I-88 and Rte. 53 in Lisle, Illinois, the Arboretum is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CDT) and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CST). The Children's Garden is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CDT) and 9:30 to 4 p.m. (CST). Visit www.mortonarb.org or call 630/968-0074 to learn more.

Media Contact:    Gina Tedesco, 630-725-2103, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Marty Cusack, 630-719-5768, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it