ROCKIN' DOPSIE & THE ZYDECO TWISTERS Louisiana Music (Atlantic) BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO On Track (Charisma) Like skinhead punk or bluegrass, zydeco-the jubilant R&B branch of Cajun music-is an intrinsically narrow art form; there's only so much you can do with it. That hasn't stopped major labels from scooping up some of zydeco's leading lights now that it's in vogue. On Louisiana Music, accordionist-bandleader Rockin' Dopsie (a.k.a. Alton Rubin Sr.) offers a virtual primer on roadhouse zydeco, from the cover of a song by founding father Clifton Chenier to the tugboat-like squeeze-box, scraping washboard, and hard-as-floorboard grooves. The album doesn't offer any surprises, which is not the case with Buckwheat Zydeco's wildly eclectic On Track. Led by accordionist-singer Stanley Dural Jr., Buckwheat has always longed for crossover. Here, the big pop moves are ''You Lied to Me,'' a soul romp with sleek female harmonies that could be described as Soul II Creole; the bayou twist given to Solomon Burke's 1962 R&B hit ''Cry to Me''; and, most astonishing, a rave-up cover of ''Hey Joe,'' with Dural playing quasi-Jimi Hendrix licks on the accordion. ''Cooking With Pierre,'' written for Pierre Franey's Cooking in America TV series, shows how this music can be reduced to innocuous dinner-party accompaniment. Overall, though, On Track succeeds in its modest goal-gently dragging zydeco into the 21st century. Louisiana: B- On Track: B -David Browne
