In 1999 Papa Mali recorded his first solo outing Thunder Chicken, for the prestigious boutique label, Fog City Records, home to Galactic, Mofro, Garage A Trois, Stanton Moore, Tim Bluhm and Ettienne deRocher.

Noted music critic, Thom Jurek had this to say about the record that started it all:

“Thunder Chicken is one of the few truly wild and unruly records to come from the rock & roll tradition in the 21st century.”

Maybe more telling (and certainly even more flattering) is what drum legend Zigaboo Modeliste said, not long after it’s release: “My wife and I listened to Thunder Chicken fifteen times in a row on Christmas day.”

Is there any greater compliment?

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‘‘ one of the best New Orleans funk & swamp-rock records in recent memory”  — Scott Jordan, New Orleans Gambit

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‘‘ Mali and company navigate the idiosyncrasies of the grooves like natives, but still conjure a spirit all their own, as evidenced by the seven originals that round out the program and slide in comfortably alongside the Louisiana classics”  — Keith Spera, New Orleans Times-Picayne

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‘‘ Who are these dudes? Havent heard swamp music this good since Tony Joe White. Papa definitely has Spanish moss on his antlers”  — Lee Froelich, Playboy Magazine

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‘‘ laced with the kind of New Orleans groove that would make Dr. John proud”  — Jay Mazza, The Louisiana Weekly

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‘‘ Fog City is an eminently cool record label with its penchant for expanded-media CDs and utterly cool taste in artists. Papa Mali’s offering should do the label proud. Thunder Chicken is a gem”  — Thomas Knapp, The Lafayette Daily Advertiser

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‘‘ Incredible album! I was in the record business for over ten years, and have done public radio over twelve years. This CD impressed me more than any in recent history. Thanks!”  — postcard from Chris, a fan in Texas