Twenty years after its original release, Adieu False Heart returns for a special anniversary reissue. Arriving November 20 via Craft Recordings and HighTone Records, the acclaimed collaboration between Linda Ronstadt and Ann Savoy makes its long-awaited return to CD while also receiving its first-ever vinyl release.
Originally released in 2006, Adieu False Heart paired the legendary Ronstadt with the celebrated Cajun singer, songwriter, and producer Savoy for a collection of songs drawn from folk, country, Cajun, pop, bluegrass, French chanson, and traditional music. The album earned GRAMMY® nominations for Best Traditional Folk Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while offering what would ultimately become the final studio recording of Ronstadt's career before her retirement.
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THE ZOZO SISTERS
Adieu False Heart grew out of a friendship. Ronstadt and Savoy first worked together on Savoy's 2002 project Evangeline Made, which brought together rock musicians to cover classic Cajun songs. Their musical connection quickly deepened through informal jam sessions, shared song discoveries, and countless hours spent singing together.
The pair eventually adopted the nickname "The Zozo Sisters," inspired by the Creole word for "little bird." Those informal sessions—singing, playing guitars and trading songs they loved—eventually caught the ear of producer Steve Buckingham, who had worked with Ronstadt on multiple projects. Before long, an album was in the works.
Joined by an exceptional cast of musicians from Louisiana and Nashville, including Joel Savoy, Buddy Miller, Sam Broussard, Sam Bush, Dirk Powell, Byron House, Stuart Duncan, Andrea Zonn, and Kristin Wilkinson, along with engineer Gary Paczosa, the sessions became Savoy's first English-language project.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF DUET ALBUM
Rather than focusing on a single genre, Adieu False Heart follows Ronstadt and Savoy's shared taste across songs and songwriters they loved. Focusing primarily on balladry, the record favors understated arrangements that give their voices plenty of room.
Among its highlights are haunting interpretations of the Left Banke's "Walk Away Renée," Julie Miller's "I Can't Get Over You," and “Till I’m Too Old to Die Young,” made famous by Moe Bandy. Elsewhere, they take on two Richard Thompson songs, Bill Monroe's “The One I Love Is Gone,” the French chanson “Parlez-moi d'amour,” and Arthur Smith's old-time country tune “Adieu False Heart.”
The result is an album built around songcraft, harmony, and atmosphere, revealing two artists united by curiosity and a shared love of great material, regardless of genre.
LISTENING NOTES
"Adieu False Heart" — Arthur Smith's old-time country tune gives the album its name and brings Ronstadt and Savoy together on one of the collection's earliest songs.
"I Can't Get Over You" — Julie Miller's heartbreaking ballad becomes one of the album's emotional centers, carried by two voices that complement each other beautifully.
"King Of Bohemia" — One of two Richard Thompson songs tackled on the album, alongside “Burns' Supper.”
"Plus tu tournes" —Penned by Michel Hindenoch, the album's Creole song brings Savoy's Louisiana musical roots directly into the collection.
"Walk Away Renée" — The Left Banke's ‘60s baroque-pop classic is transformed into one of the album's most memorable performances and remains a standout twenty years later.
A LASTING FAREWELL
Upon its release, Adieu False Heart earned widespread critical acclaim, entering the Billboard 200 alongside its two GRAMMY® nominations. PopMatters memorably described Savoy's voice as “smokey velvet” to Ronstadt's “silky satin,” while No Depression called Savoy “a remarkable soloist and duet partner.”
Twenty years later, the album endures as the final recording of one of America's most celebrated vocalists and a singular chapter in Savoy's career. She has continued to record and champion Cajun music in the years since, with 2024's Another Heart serving as a spiritual follow-up to Adieu False Heart.
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