Ronstadt explores new Cajun theme

SAN FRANCISCO, July 28 (UPI) -- Linda Ronstadt, who topped the U.S. pop charts in the 1970s, then reinvented herself singing standards, is charting new territory with Louisiana Cajun music.

Ronstadt is excited about her new record, "Adieu False Heart," in which she sings authentic Cajun music with Ann Savoy, a member of the Savoy-Doucet Band from Eunice, La., the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Ronstadt calls it the "Ann record" because Savoy supplied the material and sings duets with the star. Recorded in Nashville and produced by Savoy's friend, Steve Buckingham, the album also features Savoy's son Joel Savoy on lead guitar.

Savoy sang once before with Ronstadt on "Evangeline Made," and collaborated with T Bone Burnett to create the music for the film, "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood."

"A lot of people said, 'They sing like sisters,'" Savoy told the Chronicle in a phone interview from Louisiana.

Savoy helped Ronstadt sing in French and Ronstadt got Savoy to sing in English.

"I think of it as well-recorded roots music," Savoy says, "maybe with a little more commercial value, not as obscure as all the other stuff I've done."