Years ago I was at a blues festival that illustrated the true meaning of the word "diverse." There were roots performers, gospel groups, and acts doing Chicago, Texas, New Orleans and contemporary-style blues. I picked up a compilation CD that day, touted as a "blues introduction," that included a number of these styles and more. It was as much a blast to listen to as it was a lesson in musical styles, and I still slip it into my personal play list today. The Rough Guide to the Music of Louisiana is a bit like that CD I bought so long ago. Chock full of musical goodness, it's like a gumbo; there's so many tasty flavors it's hard not to want more.

At the same time, there are an awful lot of gumbos out there, and some of them are better than others. I've had better. But we'll get to that later. The liner notes make a good appetizer, giving a brief bio of each artist and a short lesson on the region's multicultural makeup. The accompanying pictures, though, are sorely lacking -- the artwork is tiny, and it's often the same photo repeated from a different angle or crop. Since many of the artists don't have accompanying artwork, it seems that space could have been better utilized by including pictures of all the performers.

But the music, now that's what really matters the most. And for the most part, it doesn't disappoint.

The kickoff -- "Loisian-i-a" -- is a stellar introduction to the state. Dr. Michael White, a clarinetist who harkens back to the heyday of the instrument's popularity, alternately wails and trills his way up and down the song. It's a sweet treat for the ears, and a sample of what is probably the best-known of all Big Easy music: jazz. The next track, though, is taste of something a bit different: blues-flavored salsa. "Marie Laveaux" is the tale of a deadly voodoo queen. The decidedly Latin rhythms are surprising at first, especially following White's number. But the inclusion of this newer piece isn't really all that strange, when you look at the Cuban influence on the state's music. That's what John Boutte & The Yockamo All-Stars set out to prove when they teamed up with Cubanismo! on this song.

Legendary Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys offer up a traditional Cajun piece, "La Danse De Mardi Gras," jammed full of accordion and fiddle. The combination of French lyrics competing with the wailing fiddles is both beautiful and unsettling. Beau Jocque & The Zydeco Hi-Rollers took zydeco in a new direction by blending it with R&B, rock, funk and even rap. The late Jocque, who learned to play accordion while recovering from an accident, was known for being at the forefront of the "new zydeco" movement. "Mardis Gras Blues," while an eerie, intense and danceable song, may not have been the best example of this. While it's progressive, it sounds a lot like something Screamin' Jay Hawkins would have done. And it suffers from a rhythm problem -- the drummer and the rest of the group just can't seem to agree on the beat.

Trumpeter extraordinaire Kermit Ruffins takes a more traditional approach, rendering an old-time tune, "Bye and Bye," with old time style. His pealing trumpet teams up with a high-flying clarinet for a duet that could shake the rafters. Ruffins, who's been in the spotlight for about 10 years, was inspired by Louis Armstrong, and that's apparent in his vocals and his playing.

Champion Jack Dupree's bluesy contender, "Give Me The Flowers While I'm Living," is a great, feisty song that seems to embody his colorful history and straight-forward style:

"Bring my flowers while I'm living
Bring my flowers so I can smell
Aaw if I don't go to heaven
You know I can't use no flowers down in hell."

It's also a fine example of Bourbon Street Blues. The pugilist turned pianist, who was still recording before his death at 82, was a legendary performer who took his music all over the world before, according to the liner notes, returning to his home state in 1990.

"Waiting for a Train" may not be one of Dr. John's better-known songs, but it stands up well on this collection. One of the many great artists that New Orleans can call its own, Dr. John has a trademark gravel voice and saucy style that have taken him on a career ride spanning 40-some years. The honky-tonk roll of his piano sets a good cadence for the bluesy tone of this hobo song.

The next selection, also by a legendary name, doesn't sound legendary at all. Buckwheat Zydeco's "Walkin' to New Orleans" is repetitive, a tad dull and just a poor selection from a group that has a pretty large volume of much better work. The next four bands &emdash; John Delafose & the Eunice Playboys; Beausoleil; Mack Manuel/Jesse Lege & The Lake Charles Ramblers; Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas &emdash; all play either zydeco or Cajun music.

While each selection is good, I realized at this point that the CD is lacking. Now, before someone bites my head off, let me say this: it's unquestionable that zydeco and Cajun influences are a very large part of -- if not the heart of -- Louisiana's music. But, as the liner notes point out in the first paragraph, a number of cultures and styles shaped the state's musical structure. This disc does not reflect that well. Salsa is represented by only one artist, and there's not a single example of a "Jazz Funeral." And there are some artists missing who should be represented. Where's Fats Domino? The Neville Brothers? Sonny Landreth? The Preservation Hall Jazz Band? Clifton Chenier? C.J. Chenier? Louis Armstrong?

While I realize this is called a "rough guide," it seems a bit rougher in places than it could be -- kind of like trying to find your way around city streets using a topographical map.

The last three selections on the disc aren't bad, though Zachary Richard's "Iko Iko" seems a rather tame version of this song; there are much livelier renditions. According to the liner notes, Richards was the first to record the tune on accordion, but, with all due respect to Richards, I find that hard to believe. The song is practically a staple when it comes to music from the Big Easy. As well, this version of the song contains very little accordion -- the instrument plays such a small part it almost goes unnoticed. If the producers wanted to include Richard, then "Crawfish," from his Snake Bite Love CD seems like it would be a better-sounding choice from his body of work. If they wanted "Iko Iko," there are a number of versions out there with more spunk (including one by Buckwheat Zydeco). Irma Thomas' "Hold to God's Unchanging Hand" and the Magnificent Seventh's Band's take on "You are My Sunshine" are good examples of the state's gospel traditions and are fine versions of the songs. Yet I feel there could have been more from this genre as well. "Sunshine," by the way, was written by country/gospel singer Jimmie Davis, a former Louisiana governor.

Perhaps trying to do a rough guide on one disc, especially when there's so much ground to cover, isn't a good idea. Or maybe the producers could have worked on providing a better mix and a more inclusive set of liner notes to cover areas the musical selection didn't reach.

Louisiana's diversity is truly amazing, and though this disc just touches the tip of the iceberg, it's a decent place to start. As I said earlier, though, there's a lot of gumbos out there. You will probably find more diverse flavors if you look around.

[Patrick O'Donnell]