As anyone who has ventured so far as to read my bio knows, I'm a big fan of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys and that's one thing that ties these albums together. Bon Reve is the group's most recent release, and the Boys figure prominently on the two compliation discs reviewed here. The other thing the discs have in common is some great music that is an absolute pleasure. Both the Rough Guide and Putamayo editors have done a great job compiling these albums, creating very listenable, enjoyable collections. American Roots is more diverse than the other two, but all three discs evoke warm sunny afternoons outside listening to several varieties of folk music that is indisputably one of the best things about the US. In these dour times of plodding elections and interminable wars, it's nice to remember that there are some really fine things about the people and culture in the States, and these three albums went a long way towards warming this ex-pat's heart.

In some ways the Rough Guide subtitle says it all: original roots legends of the USA. There are giants of the mid-20th century like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, as well as folks who are likely to have long careers ahead of them on this disc, like Steve Riley and Ricky Skaggs. The album covers a broad sweep of material reflective of the racial and regional divides that mark the country. Jazz, blues, gospel, Cajun and bluegrass are all here, along with country, zydeco, and a smattering of other traditions like Flaco Jiménez's Conjunto or Joanne Shenandoah's Native music. But don't expect lots of neat folkloric delineations, because the editors have chosen to feature artists that have crossed borders, like Steve Riley who brings some blues to his Cajun sound, or the Staples Singers who blended gospel, folk and blues.

The album has a strong subtext of folk music as aligned with protest against things that make life difficult for the common person. Several artists performed at 1960s civil rights rallies led by Dr. Martin Luther King, or were silenced during the McCarthy era of the 1950s. That Old Time religion is here too, paying homage to the faith that gave birth to so many musical traditions in the US. Did I mention accordions? From the incomparable Rose Ledet to Flaco Jiménez to Steve Riley, accordions figure prominently on this disc. Given my biases, this is all good, and led to my enjoying the album immensely. In many ways all these roots traditions, and indeed heritage recordings, are under siege from consumerist norms that homogenize and sanitize music, removing listeners from the experience of playing. In other ways all the artists on this disc are extraordinary players who would not be a part of our cultural consciousness today without the relentless promotion of people who make their living by selling these artists. Whatever, these folks are extraordinary players from traditions that have been played by regular folks, and the songs reflect the concerns, and the instrumentation and styling reflect regional traditions in the US.

The music flows fairly well across the tracks, with just enough emphasis on the similarities amongst these traditions and not creating jarring transitions. The last two tracks, representing the Hawaiian and Native traditions, suffer from being placed together at the end of the album. The tracks represent good selections from the repertoires of artists I listen to most regularly, although ironically none of my personal favorites ended up on the disc. The liner notes give a brief history of the artists, and point the way towards more material for those who develop wish to delve more deeply. The album seems designed to point neophyte listeners in new directions, perhaps by illustrating the similarities between the traditions, similarities that call the divisions of American society into question. But the kinship between the heritage recordings and the artists still traveling and recording today is also striking. At the end of the day, this is a great album for listening, and whatever I or another reviewer may write about the selection of artists and songs, that is probably main thing the Dan Rosenberg, who compiled this album wanted.

As the liner notes tell us, Putumayo Presents Cajun is good time music, with an occasional pause for reflection. There's really nothing not to like here. This is another really enjoyable collection, and I would be hard pressed to find faults. Having said that, I'm good at being picky, and it would have been nice to have an even longer disc that included a smattering of Cajun's cousin Zydeco, even knowing that Putumayo has already done one. Maybe that could be a future project, or perhaps this is a matter for the random play function on the CD player.

Perhaps one of the most enjoyable, and danceable, tracks on this disc is Al Berard and Errol Verret's "Let's Dance Two-Step," for its delightfully relaxed and easy going interpretation of this tune. The duo has had a long history together, and it really shows in the absolute ease of this music. Another standout, for its easy and dark tone, is Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys' "The Corner Post." Both feature brilliant integration of the accordion and fiddle, critical for this music to really soar. In neither of these tracks can you sense competition or vying for the limelight, just a really smooth balance obviously forged over years of playing together. Jambayalaya Cajun Band's "Les Flammes d'en Fer" is also brilliant, and a lively, driving ending to the album, in the same way that a dance should end with an all-out number to exhaust the dancers.

Given the rise of MP3s and downloading of idiosyncratic home compilations created with passion and verve, what is the future of compilations like the ones featured here? At first glance, it might seem a bit dismal, but as with so many things in the world of vast vistas of music of varying or undifferentiated quality, sometimes expertise is worth the price paid. As someone who listens to hundreds of CDs each month, I can vouch for the strength of both these collections and I'm willing to pay for Dan Rosenberg or Jacob Edgar to ferret out some great tracks and introductions to the new artists as well as old favourites.

And now on to the main course: Grammy-nominated Bon Reve. The thing that always impressed me about Riley and his Playboys was their relaxed, enthusiastic mastery of Cajun music, and this album continues to build upon previous strengths. It's both technically excellent and relaxed, and represents a real step forward in the way that the band brings in other influences, from rock to country to zydeco, seamlessly folding them into the Cajun form. Sung in both French and English, with translations in the liner notes for philistines such as myself, Bon Reve is pure pleasure, and eminently danceable as well. The stand out tracks include the opening track, "Maline," "McGee medley" and "Evangeline Waltz Two Step," and of course the country-influenced title track "Bon Reve." The boys pay homage to some of their heroes on this album, with two tracks originally recorded by Belton Richard and songwriting credits to 19th century slave poet Pierre.

Much of the press on this album has emphasized its return to a more pristine style of Cajun music than on recent albums, but I see it a bit differently. From where I sit, Riley and the boys have always sought to bring Cajun music forward, infuse it with the liveliness and heart that they seem to feel in the music. Rather than constrain themselves with a rigid traditional form, the band have brought their own influences to the music, adding bits and pieces here and there from various contemporary sources. But with Bon Reve they show a mastery that comes only with time, with endless tours, and serious time in the studio, and with 9 albums to their credit, one would expect as much! What make Bon Reve such a step forward is that the influences are there within the traditional form. There are not constraints here, just great Cajun music played with heart, soul and good humour. Makes me want to dance just thinking about it.