Mission: To foster enjoyment, appreciation, and understanding of the history of Cajun and Creole music!
"As is always the case, the art of a vital people speaks eloquently for those who create and recreate it." --Ralph Rinzler
Established
May 26, 2002. Latest update December 28, 2008.
Neal Pomea (Pommier)
npomea@earthlink.net
610 Eldrid Drive
Silver Spring, Maryland
20904
Dewey Balfa fiddle demo:
Pretty Little Christine, Rosina, Perrodin Two Step, Liberty/Saute Crapaud New!
Nathan Abshire, Sady Courville, Preston Manuel, Revon Reed:
Le Cowboy Rider, Bayou Chêne, Tramp Dessus La Rue New!
New! Rare recordings from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s! Zeaux Records!
Description: Zeaux Records is now offering its 3rd cd burn of rare recordings from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s: Ferb's French Forty Fives, Volume Two! This truly is a one-of-a-kind, essential collection. Included: fiddler and vocalist Charlie Broussard, whom you have heard in the 1940s area of this Web site with his great post-World War II lament, Soldier's Waltz. (For my taste, that tune ranks up there with Lee Sonnier and Laura Broussard's War Widow Waltz among my favorite French Louisiana war-inspired songs.) Charlie Broussard does four more tunes in this Zeaux collection from the Cora B label, produced by Cora Broussard. If you like your Cajun music with a bit of country music mixed in, you will love these recordings! From the JAC label come another group of Broussards, Jake and Charles Broussard. I believe this family is unrelated. If you have any information about them or this label, JAC, please contact me. Why wasn't this group recorded more? They do a ragged but right Two Step du Grand Lac with a fantastic vocal, and a waltz on the B side. From the ROD label Zeaux has Nathan Menard and the Rayne Playboys doing Cajun Two Step and Valse de Miserables. The mysterious Buffalo label out of Opelousas, Louisiana, has two tunes credited to Johnny Richard on vocal and James Thibodeaux on rhythm. Arnaudville Two Step is a reworking of the Lake Arthur Stomp with great accordion and fiddle breaks. The flip side of the single, Valse de LeBoeuf, gives songwriting credits to one "Boy" Frugé. If you recall, there was a Columbus "Boy" Frugé who in the 1920s recorded Saute Crapaud and other tunes for the Brunswick label! We know that Frugé performed in dancehalls in Louisiana as late as the 1960s, so this may be the same historic musician on accordion on this single. Again, if you have any information about the musicians or label please contact me. There are lots of other great songs and surprises on this compilation, 28 songs altogether, so get it while you can! Voylen Esthay, Ernest Thibodeaux, Alden Crochet, Ed Juneau, Robert Bertrand, Nathan Abshire, and more!
For the cost of production and mailing, Lyle Ferbrache can send you these cd burns from his stash of great records. Contact him at lyleferb@yahoo.com.
Volume One from this source, Ferb's French 45s, is another great collection with 28 songs on it. Some of them are featured on this Web site in the section called 1950s-60s. Volume Two, featuring great Cajun Honky Tonk from the late 1940s/early 1950s, is called Hot Rod Cajun: Tanner-N-Texas: Cajun Honky Tonk: The First Recordings. Artists include Eddie Shuler & The All Star Reveliers, Lawrence Fruge & the Country Boys, Iry LeJeune & His French Accordion, Aldus Roger, Tan Benoit, Wilson Granger, Virgil Bozman & the Circle C Boys, Ernest Thibodeaux, Nathan Abshire & His Pinegrove Boys, and Cliff Lemaire & the Kaplan Swingmasters.
New! Live concert recordings from 1970 of The Balfa Brothers and Nathan Abshire!
Description:Field Recorders Collective has just released their 2008 series of live recordings, including this fine recording of the Balfa Brothers with Nathan Abshire performing in New York City in 1970. Not only are the performances some of the best you will ever hear from this combo, the remarks by Dewey Balfa between songs make it clear why he was such an effective ambassador for Cajun music for so many years!
In 2007 the FRC issued two other important recordings you will want to hear. First, in 1972 Denus McGee and Sady Courville performed in Washington D.C. for the National Folk Festival. On that occasion Morningstar producer Rich Nevins and engineer Charlie Faurot had the good fortune to record Denus and Sady in the basement of collector Joe Bussard's home in Frederick, Maryland. These are the first recordings McGee and Courville made since their sides for Vocalion in 1929! The Morningstar lp #16001 is long out of print, but Field Recorders Collective has now released the 12 songs from the original lp plus 16 songs never heard before. McGee and Courville are in fine form on this release! Special thanks to Jack Bond for his work bringing these recordings to the Collective!
Then there are recordings from the Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music festival of Dewey Balfa with family and friends! There are selections from a 1977 performance by brothers Rodney and Dewey Balfa, accompanied by fiddler Dick Richard and accordionist Allie Young. Tracy Schwarz joined in on fiddle for some workshop recordings. In 1983, after the death of his brothers Will and Rodney, Dewey returned to Brandywine with a group led by Rodney's son Tony on guitar and Robert Jardell on accordion. They were joined that day by steel guitarist Winnie Winston and bassist Jordan King. Great recordings!Various Artists: 1920s-30s , 1940s-50s New! , 1950s-60s
Featuring! Ambrose Thibodeaux, Lawrence Walker, Balfa Brothers , Octa Clark & Hector Duhon, Austin Pitre & Milton Molitor , Ray Abshire , Cory McCauley, Aldus Roger & the Lafayette Playboys, Denus McGee & Sady Courville , Mamou Hour Cajun Band New Selections! , Joe Falcon & Cleoma Breaux, Varise Conner Tribute with David Greely & the Conner Family, Amédé Breaux, Moise Robin, Revon Reed's Mamou Social Club, Chris Miller & Bayou Roots, Ganey Arsement, Clément Brothers, Robert Jardell
Ambrose Thibodeaux
Description: The Authentic Sounds of Cajun French Music and Folk Songs of Acadiana, out of print and hard to find lp Bee-136, produced by Elton "Bee" Cormier
accordion: Ambrose Thibodeaux; fiddle: Leon Doucet, Ken David; guitar: Reggie Matte, Gervais Quibodeaux, Robert Sonnier, Mark Latiolais; triangle: Elmer Thibodeaux, Joe Bradford
Respectfully known as "Uncle" Ambrose, this musician was a fixture on KLFY TV Channel 10 from Lafayette, Louisiana in the 1960s and 70s on the early morning show Passe Partout, right after the French rosary to start off the day. He certainly played the older songs in a tempo with dancers in mind. Simple and beautiful! In his live performances he would signal the approaching end of a tune with characteristic good humor, hitting the wrong chord and putting an abrupt stop to things. We owe a lot to Ambrose Thibodeaux for keeping some old, forgotten songs alive and for composing his own in the older style. He was a mainstay on Revon Reed and Sady Courville's Mamou Cajun Hour radio broadcasts Saturday mornings on KEUN 1490 AM direct from Fred's Lounge in Mamou, playing triangle and accordion and also participating as a fine dancer. Known for his easy, solid sense of time on his two steps, he had a fine sense of drama as well, building tension! No step skipped! What's the rush? Douçement!
These selections are dedicated to Pete Bergeron. Pic from 1977 Festivals Acadiens in Lafayette, Louisiana, with Bessyl Duhon on fiddle, Bee Cormier on guitar, and Leola Thibodeaux on triangle.
Recommended: La Louisianne Records in Lafayette, Louisiana may still have a few copies of the four lps that Uncle Ambrose recorded for their label. They are all landmark Cajun albums, so get them all if you can! Don't be confused by their remarkably similar titles: Authentic French Acadian Music, More Authentic Acadian French Music, Authentic Cajun French Music, and That Acadian French Sound. Mais monde!
| Le 'tit Nègre à Tante Dolie | Eunice Waltz |
| Church Point Two Step | Jolie Fille |
Lawrence Walker
Description: Live dancehall recordings from the 1960s that appeared on the long out of print and rare Flyright lp 3502, Jambalaya on the Bayou Volume 1. Special thanks to Dave Sax for making this available!
accordion and vocals: Lawrence Walker; fiddle: Lionel Leleux; with steel guitar, rhythm guitar, and drums
Lawrence Walker has been described by Barry Ancelet as too late to count as one of the original Cajun musicians recording in the 1920s and 30s, although he did indeed record that long ago, and yet too early to participate in the renaissance of Cajun music that occurred in the 1960s and beyond. He was certainly one of the most respected and influential Cajun music recording artists and dancehall performers immediately following World War II and into the 1960s. He set a high standard for musicianship and emotional vocals along with showmanship with his accordion. Some of the songs he recorded remain among the most beloved Cajun songs of all time, including Chère Alice, Reno Waltz, Mamou Two Step, Unlucky Waltz, Bosco Stomp, Both for the Same, and so on!
Recommended: Arhoolie cd 427, Cajun Honky Tonk, includes some of Walker's best sides recorded in the late 40s/early 50s for the Khoury label of Lake Charles. Additional Khoury sides and others appear on two hard to find lps: on La Louisianne LL-126, A Tribute to the Late Great Lawrence Walker (Master of the French Accordion), and Swallow lp 6051, Lawrence Walker: A Legend at Last. Good luck finding those!
| Another Nail in My Coffin | Let's Do The Cajun Twist |
| J'ai Passé devant ta Porte | Le Hackberry Hop |
| Valse de Platin | Port Arthur Waltz |
| Valse de Reno | Madeleine |
| J'aimerais te Pardonner | Jolie Blonde |
Octa Clark and Hector Duhon
accordion and vocals: Octa Clark; fiddle: Hector Duhon, Bessyl Duhon, David Greely, Rick Michot; guitar: Bessyl Duhon, Steve Riley
Octa Clark was one of the finest accordion players in Cajun music history. None finer, ever! He was a contemporary of Joe Falcon and Amédé Breaux and started off in the 1920s, but for personal reasons he turned down many offers to record over the years, so his name as a Cajun music pioneer is not as familiar as it should be. Still he was well known and influential locally in Louisiana. Together with fiddler Hector Duhon, his longtime musical partner and neighbor from Judice, Louisiana, he was re-enlisted to present the old-time music during the "Cajun Renaissance" period of the 1970s at many festivals in Louisiana and elsewhere, inspiring generations of young musicians!
Hector Duhon played his fiddle in unison with the accordion rather than taking leads, which is something of a forgotten fiddle style. His son Bessyl accompanied them on guitar when they were the first Cajun musicians to perform at the prestigious University of Chicago Folk Festival in 1972.
The Jamboree Waltz was an original composition by Clark as a theme song for a live radio program featuring him with Hector Duhon's Dixie Ramblers from Madame Webb's Neighborhood Club in Lafayette, Louisiana in the late 1950s. In 1993 Clark used the same arrangement of this song and updated the lyrics to coincide with the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival and released the selection as the Crawfish Waltz on CD.
Recommended: Old Time Cajun Music, Arhoolie CD 9018, the album length release by Clark and Duhon with Mike Doucet on rhythm guitar. Then there is the rare 1993 CD You Cant' Go Wrong if You Play it Right, c/o Glen Clark, Fieldspan, 606 Burlington Circle, Broussard, Louisiana, 70518, gclark@fieldspan.com. A majority of the songs posted here are original compositions and arrangements of Octa Clark and all publishing and copyrights are held by Fieldspan Music BMI, and are NOT in the public domain. Please contact Fieldspan for further uses, recording licenses and information on attributing them to Mr. Octa Clark. Special thanks to Fieldspan Music for permission to post them here!
Austin Pitre & Milton Molitor
Description: Cajun Folk Music, lp Prestige International 25015 (long out of print), recorded 1956-1959, with Pitre on accordion, vocals, fiddle; Molitor on accordion and vocals; and Lurlin LeJeune on guitar. Thanks to Jack Bond for making these rare recordings available.
Pitre sings and plays fiddle on La Danse de Mardi Gras, accordion on Wedding March. Molitor sings and plays accordion on Iota Two Step and Maxie Waltz, with Pitre buzzing on fiddle.
Maxie Waltz sounds like a variant of Grand Bois!
The lyrics here to Danse de Mardi Gras are interesting but should not be considered definitive. In fact, it is one of the strengths of this song that so many versions occur! I like this version a lot for its call to lend a hand to help the poor.
Va donc, donnez, mais, la main -z- avec les pauvres, les Mardi Gras.
Et eux-autres, ça passe une fois par an pour l'avoir, la charité.
Donnez-moi quand même, une 'tite poule jinga pour un gombo.
Va donc, mettez la main –z- avec les pauvres, les Mardi Gras.
Et eux-autres est gone dans tous les prés, 'près essayer gagner leur vie.
Ca vient –z- une fois par an, gaspillé, faut s'obligé.
Va donc, mettez la main avec les pauvres, les Mardi Gras.
Et eux-autres, ils ont la crève de faim, et ça passe une fois par an.
Crier, c'est obligé, de donner pour -z- eux manger.
Les Mardi Gras prendraient de ta main, mais, une 'tite poule jinga.
Mais eux-autres, une fois tu y eux as arrangé,
Parce qu'il sont si misérable.
Va donc, mettez la main –z- avec les Mardi Gras. (Transcription by Daniel Blanchard)
Recommended: Folksongs of the Louisiana Acadians, Arhoolie CD 359. Most, but not all, of the songs from Prestige lp 25015 appear on the Arhoolie CD.
| La Danse de Mardi Gras | Iota Two Step |
| Wedding March | Maxie Waltz |
1920s-30s
Description: 78s recorded from the collections of Joe Bussard, Ron
Brown, and others...; Early American Cajun Music, Yazoo cd 2042
The 1920s and 30s were a period of unequalled recording of the musical heritage of our country! The phonograph was finding its way into many homes, and people wanted to hear local music. With nothing more than the scant, vague promise that a furniture store, for example, could sell a few hundred copies of a local musician's songs, recording companies like Victor, Vocalion, Brunswick, Columbia, Bluebird, and Paramount sent engineers and recording equipment to outposts like New Orleans, San Antonio, Memphis, and Atlanta, or a bus ticket north to headquarters in Camden, New Jersey, Chicago, Richmond, Indiana, Grafton, Wisconsin, etc., and Cajun musicians were among the bunch to record alongside commercial artists like Jimmie Rodgers, jazz greats like Johnny Dodds, ragtime guitarists like Blind Blake, ladies of the blues like Bessie Smith, etc. And the Library of Congress had a mandate to go everywhere and record the story of the music people made when it looked to some like the world was going to end in the Great Depression, dust storms at home, and a world war brewing abroad! It was in that kind of setting that the recordings above were made, and they constitute a windfall. A fortunate, unique record of cultural history, with songs of joy and pride and common woes. A time of great music whose influence we cannot forget. Alright already, back to the roots!
Included: Wayne Perry's astonishing fiddle! Segura Brothers tearing it up on accordion and vocal, from a December 16, 1928 session in New Orleans! Haunting, uncommonly tender folk music from fiddler Delma Lachney, vocalist Blind Uncle Gaspard, and accordion player John Bertrand.
Douglas Bellard, a black fiddler, was the playing partner of the great Amédé Ardoin before Ardoin decided to go with fiddler Dennis McGee, a white man who could offer him more protection when playing before crowds in those racially segregated days. Rumors and myths abound...Here Douglas is accompanied by Kirby Riley, accordion. These songs by Bellard and Riley are extremely rare! They are the basis of songs done by people like Austin Pitre, Bois Sec and Canray, Iry Lejeune, and others.
Angelas LeJeune was one of the most influential of the early Cajun accordion players. His repertoire passed down to his younger cousin Iry LeJeune, who made big hits with his reworkings of tunes by Angelas and Amédé Ardoin in the late 1940s, early 1950s. One listen to the Vieille Valse de la Louisiane, especially the bridge or "turn," will show what a powerful player he was. Brilliant! His Valse de la Veuve (aka La Fille de la Veuve) is the same tune as Jolie Blonde but with a different story. It looks like in the 20s and 30s, the "standards" were still "under construction," with lots of songs having multiple titles and alternate lyrics.
See Recording Activity in New Orleans in the 'Twenties for an interesting rundown of the diversity captured at just one of the outposts recording music at that time. I would like to hear Harrington, Landry and Steward, T'auras du Regret, and the Creole Stomp, from the December 1929 Columbia/Okeh sessions recorded in New Orleans!
Lomax made a field trip to southwest Louisiana in 1934, where he recorded Wayne Perry. He also recorded Edier Segura's playful tune, Joe Feraille, sung with a fiddle accompaniment, c'est tout! It seems petit Joe Feraille is a hustler who trades his wife for a barrel of pecans, only to have her return to him soon after the bargain for a repeat con on another poor soul. He trades her again for corn, peanuts next time, and so on. C'est ca il a dit dans la chanson!
Oscar "Slim" Doucet, the accordion player, does two songs here with a man named Chester Hawkins on guitar: Waxia (Wauksha) Special (reprised in splendid fashion by Les Freres Michot on their new CD La Roue qui Pend!); and Chere Yeux Noirs, not to be confused with 'Tit Yeux Noirs by Lawrence Walker. Guidry Brothers do La Valse du Mariage (also reprised by Les Freres Michot!).
Leroy "Happy Fats" LeBlanc of the Rayne community led a little string band called the Rayne Bo Ramblers through Les Filles de St. Martin, an early version of the popular Choupique Two Step associated with Nathan Abshire.
Columbus "Boy" Fruge from Arnaudville was a contemporary and friend of Moise Robin. He recorded four songs: the famous Saute Crapaud (Jump Toad), not included here due to sound quality, and the three included here. The Point Claire Blues turns out to be an early version of a song I had previously associated with Nathan Abshire, The Lemonade Song.
One step, not two, by the great, great Amédé Ardoin, a black accordion player regarded as one of the fathers of the Creole music style, the roots of Zydeco! What intensity!
Cleoma Falcon with her brother Clifford Breaux are heard on a couple of "American" tunes, J'Suis Partis sur le Grand Chemin Tres Disatisfé (Going Down the Road Feeling Bad), and Continuez Sonner (Keep Knocking but You Can't Come In)! It just goes to show how Cajun music in the 20s and 30s was a real melting pot of styles and influences. For such an isolated group as the Cajuns, their musicians sure were tuned in to the popular music of the day. Clifford sings jazz-like scat on Continuez Sonner! But you could still hear really old sounds dating far back even while these modern influences were at work. And when Cajun musicians took from the popular culture of the day, you could be sure they'd put their own stamp on it and give it a unique twist, making it their own.
By the mid- to late 1930s a new wave made its way into Cajun music with a string band sound influenced by country and Western Swing music coming in from the influx of Texans, etc. coming to Louisiana for its first big oil boom! Early adopters represented here include Dudley and James Fawvor, J.B. Fuselier (Miller's Merrymakers), and Leo Soileau.
The lovely Creole Waltz done by the Fawvors has the lyrics associated later with Tout Les Deux Pour la Meme (Both for the Same) by Lawrence Walker. You can hear a great version of this tune on the Varise Conner cd mentioned up above. You are Little and You are Cute is of course the well-loved T'es Petite et T'es Mignonne.
J.B. Fuselier contributed some of the standards of the Cajun music repertoire. He was the first to record Chere Tout Toute under that title, though Angelas LeJeune also uses the tune in one of his recordings. He was the first to record the Lake Arthur Stomp under that title. Authorship of the Lake Arthur Stomp is ascribed to the remarkable fiddler Varise Conner, whose music is featured in a tribute earlier on this Web site. Parts of the tune also appear in the recordings of Dennis McGee. Fusilier moved to Lake Arthur so that he could play with Varise Conner, and they played dances during some of the leanest days of the Depression. J.B. played both fiddle and accordion. On a side note, it was J.B. Fuselier accompanying Iry LeJeune home from a dance when the two had a flat tire and pulled off the road to fix it. A passing car struck and killed Iry and put J.B. in the hospital! Varise Conner remembers his friendship with Fuselier in a touching interview on the Louisiana Folk Masters cd. Also, Miller' s Merrymakers were led by a guitarist named Beethoven Miller and another guitarist named Preston Manuel. Manuel is featured on this Web site with the KEUN Mamou Hour Cajun Band and also appears with Ambrose Thibodeaux. Small world!
The great fiddler Leo Soileau along with Maius (Mayeus?) Lafleur, later Moise Robin, on accordion is thought to be the second Cajun musician to record, just weeks following Joe Falcon and Cleoma Breaux. Those recordings are legendary! Here we feature some of his later recordings with his string bands the Rhythm Boys and the Four Aces. Frankie and Johnny, popularized by Jimmie Rodgers, gets an instrumental treatment with a lot of attitude! Hear the shouts of his band members telling him to "make it hot, Leo!" Louisiana Blues and La Bonne Valse epitomize Soileau's soulful, mournful sound. Then Bing Crosby's Little Dutch Mill and the sentimental Beautiful Mary show how pop tunes wove their way into the music. Soileau retired from music in the 1940s with the demise of the string band sound.
The Hackberry Ramblers were formed in the string band environment of the 1930s by Luderin Darbonne on fiddle and Edwin Duhon on guitar and various instruments, and an amazing vocalist named Lennis Sonnier. They were the first to record the song Jolie Blonde under that title, and they had an a remarkable run of popularity. They were the first Cajun band to play the bandstand standing up, first to use amplification in their dances. They ran their Model T Ford battery during the dance with cable into the hall to electrify the fais do-do!
Pic of Wayne Perry, Indian Bayou, LA, recorded by John Lomax for Library of Congress. Look how he holds his bow! Is he into it? (Source: LOC American Memory)
1940s-50s New Selections!
Description: Early local recordings after World War II, from regional
labels like Feature, Fais Do-Do, Folkstar, Opera, etc. Special thanks
to Lyle Ferbrache of Brentwood, California for his generous contributions to preserving and
documenting this little known era of Cajun music! More essay to come.
The great Harry Choates is surely in everyone's Cajun Music Hall of Fame. He made an important contribution to local pride with his wildly popular version of the crossover hit, Jolie Blon, to the point that some people still call it the Cajun national anthem! A short but brilliant life, some would say wasted, he was a casualty in his twenties of a raucous, honky tonk life style, but boy was he fun when he was on! His signature cry Eh Ha Ha! epitomized the music of the 1940s and early 50s at its most joyous. Hear Oh Mignonne, a swing reworking of Leo Soileau and Mayeuse Lafleur's Ton Papa M'a Jete Dehors from the 20s! You might think the fiddling on C'est Pas La Peine (What's the Use?) sounds suspiciously like Nashville, but no, it's the other way around! He and fiddlers like Chuck Guillory and Rufus Thibodeaux influenced the Nashville sound immensely. Brilliant!
Valse de Hadacol is one of our theme songs around here. The lyrics are in the form of a testimonial from a satisfied customer thanking Nonc Dudley, i.e. Dudley J. LeBlanc, the maker of this "miracle" tonic.
Mon petit garçon a plus des crises
Ma vieille a plus des rhumatismes
Sont plus malades at all at all
Depuis ils ont pris le Hadacol
Sois garanti, tu prends quelques doses
Tes yeux sont claires, tes joues sont roses
Prends quelques bouteilles et je te promets
Tu vas jongler pour courtiser
J’ai fait serment dessus la Bible
Me sentir mieux. C’est pas possible!
Moi qui te dis je peux remercier
Le Hadacol à Nonc Dudley
Si t’as des douleurs mais tout partout
Dans tes jambes et dans ton cou
Si t’as besoin des vitamins
Le Hadacol peut le mettre within
Si les docteurs t’ont décomptés
Y a une sauce pour t’as cassé
Y a une chance pour ta santé
Le Hadacol peut te le donner
Viens faire serment dessus la Bible
Te sentir mieux. C’est pas possible!
Moi qui dis qui a remercié
Le Hadacol à Nonc Dudley
"Pendant longtemps j’ai miséré
Sus juste du lait et du pain grillé
Asteur c'est bien, je me bourre des huitres,"
Say Nonc Ignace a L'Anse la Butte
"J’ai pris le tonique à Nonc Dudley
C'est ça ça pris pour m’engraisser
Asteur ma vieille me trouve si mieux
Elle me prend pareil qu’un amoureux."
J’ai fait serment dessus la Bible
Me sentir mieux. C’est pas possible!
Moi qui dis je peux remercier
Le Hadacol à Nonc Dudley!
transcription by Christian Landry, Daniel Blanchard, and Neal Pomea
Lee Sonnier of Crowley was the first Cajun to record with the accordion following World War II. He was recorded by J.D. Miller in 1946. The "post-War" accordion sound really took off with the Houston-based Opera label release of Iry LeJeune with the Oklahoma Tornadoes, Love Bridge Waltz. If anybody has information on the name of this tune please contact me by e-mail. From there on a slew of accordion players recorded, including Austin Pitre, Nathan Abshire, Lawrence Walker, Lionel Cormier, etc., and a boom was on for dancehall music. The rest, they say, is history!
Recommended: Arhoolie cd 427, Cajun Honky Tonk, includes great 78s recorded in the late 40s/early 50s for the Khoury label of Lake Charles and other regional record labels. Included: Nathan Abshire, Lawrence Walker, Harry Choates, Floyd LeBlanc, the Musical Four Plus One, Elise Deshotels and his Louisiana Rhythmaires (featuring vocals by Dewey Balfa and accordion by Maurice Barzas!), Shuk Richard with vocals by Marie Falcon, etc. Maurice Barzas and the Mamou Playboys was one of the earliest bands featuring the accordion after World War II. Their long lasting gig at Snooks' Lounge in Ville Platte (something like every Saturday night for 35 years!) featured Two Step de Ville Platte as theme song. You can get two CDs of the wonderful music of Maurice Barzas and the Mamou Playboys through Tina Pilione of the Savoy Music Center in Eunice, Louisiana. The live tape recordings that form the basis of these CDs were made in the 1970s and 1980s, but the music and atmosphere captured in the recordings certainly well represent the post-World War II milieu. For ordering information see http://www.tinapilione.com/. Also, Bear Family Records has a landmark collection of the music of Harry Choates entitled Devil in the Bayou: The Gold Star Recordings. Reissue producers Andrew Brown and Dave Sax have given us our fullest picture yet of the life and times of this unforgettable musician. We owe them our sincere thanks!!
1950s-60s
Description: Proud jukebox standards of the 1950s and 1960s with various artists. Love the way Sidney Brown ended his recordings with Bingo! Domino!
My daddy told me that long time ago. To him, there never was a time when things advanced parallel to the 50s and 60s. Pense, donc! Thank God electricity and appliances! Even country people like us could have them! The parish paved the roads. The milk came from the creamery in town. There was a school bus, a transfer instead of a horse and wagon, to take children from the country to school. Good prices for the rice crop. It wasn't an easy street or a gravy train, but it was way better than the Depression and the War years. Lots of country French people in Louisiana thought that way in the 50s and 60s. Their music reflected this. The music is proud, new and nostalgiac at the same time. Not at all in decline as you might have heard. Vibrant, confident. No need to wonder why we had a renaissance in the 70s and 80s, up to the present!
Ray Abshire
& Friends
Description: From the
2003 Festivals Acadiens, Lafayette, Louisiana; and from the Liberty Theater, Eunice, Louisiana in September, 2005.
accordion and vocal:
Ray Abshire; fiddle and vocal: Courtney Granger; fiddle: Kevin Wimmer;
guitar: André Michot; upright bass: Louie Michot; announcer: Barry Ancelet
(Festivals Acadien)
Ray with R.C. Vanicor, steel guitar; Errol Guilbeau, guitar; Vernon
Bergeron, drums; Courtney Granger, fiddle; Barry Ancelet, announcer
(Liberty Theater)
Special thanks to Ray Abshire for sharing his great music! These soundboard recordings are from his memorable performance at the 2003 Festivals Acadiens in Lafayette, Louisiana and from a September 2005 performance at the Liberty Theater.
French Two Step and Valse a Rodney were featured here for a long time. Now we turn to two more: Rabbit Stole the Pumpkin (that was the name on the old recording by John Bertrand, but you will recognize this as J'etais au Bal), and Fe Fe Ponchaux (original on this Web site above by Joe Falcon). Announcer Barry Ancelet gives a moving introduction, recalling Ray's times in the 1960s and 70s with the Balfa Brothers and the earliest days of the Cajun music renaissance when the Festivals Acadiens was only a one night Tribute to Cajun Music!
Creole Stomp, Lacassine Special, and the Cajuns' Waltz feature the modern dancehall lineup with steel guitar and drums. Great stuff!
Recommended: For
Old Times Sake and Arrete
Pas la Musique. They are surely two of the best traditional Cajun music recordings to come out in recent years. Don't miss them!
| Rabbit Stole the Pumpkin | Fe Fe Ponchaux |
| Band Intro at Liberty Theater New! | Lacassine Special |
| Creole Stomp | The Cajuns' Waltz |
Cory McCauley & His Evangeline Aces
Description: Play That Thing, Yeah Jack!, Fais Do Do 5061-2, 1999
accordion and vocal: Cory McCauley;
guitar and vocal: Lisa McCauley; drums: Vernon Bergeron; fiddle: Jason Frey,
Clint Ward, or Bernard Veillon
Madame Entelle was what Shuk Richard called Petite ou la Grosse, aka Donnez Moi La, Madame Edouard. Outstanding all around! "Quoi tu croit? C'est tout la meme prix." Yo Yo is an old one by Pee Wee Broussard! Pointe aux Tigres and Evangeline Aces Special are original.
Lulu's back in town! Hold that tiger...
Recommended: For my taste, this CD is one of the best Cajun releases of recent
years! Cory thought it was cool to put these songs here in the company
of this "Hall of Fame" collection, and he invites you to contact
him at evangelineaces@hotmail.com
for CD purchase. He charges $16.61 per CD and that includes shipping
by first class mail and there is no handling fee. P.S. This is a better
mode of purchase than through your local record store or Amazon.com
because more of the profit goes to the artist this way. Bien merci a
Cory et son gang! Bonne chance a tout eusse.
| Evangeline Aces Special | Yo Yo Two Step |
| Madame Entelle | Two Step de Pointe aux Tigres |
Aldus Roger
& the Lafayette Playboys
Description: Has there ever been
a 5 piece Cajun band this good? Maybe. Heard 'em when a baby, heard 'em when
a man. Still smiling! KLFY TV Channel 10. Phillip Alleman on steel and vocals.
Man Abshire, drums. Popeye Broussard, Doc Guidry, or Louis Foreman, fiddle.
Charly lp GCL-110, re-release of Goldband Records material, 1989
Recommended: CD La Louisianne 1007 (great selections!)
| Diga Ding Ding Dong | Duson Waltz |
Denus McGee
& Sady Courville
Description: Morning Star lp 16001 recording session, July 30, 1972 at the home of Joe Bussard,
Frederick, Maryland. Music and talk just as it happened! Comments by Denus
and Sady, Dick Spottswood, Joe Bussard, and the Morning Star folks, Rich Nevins
and Charlie Faurot. Contact Custom
Made Cassettes to order three 90 minute tapes of this historic session!
| Bouquis Manuel Breakdown | Crowley Two Step |
| Tolam Waltz | |
| Chère Mom | Let's Call It Happy Two Step |
| Lafayette | |
"Languages have dictionaries, Cajun music had Dennis McGee" -- Marc Savoy
Mamou Hour
Cajun Band New Selections!
Description: lp This is Mamou
Cajun Radio, Sonet Stereo SNTF 802, 1979
announcers: Revon Reed and Sady Courville; accordion and vocals: Roy Fusilier;
fiddle: Sady Courville; guitar: Preston Manuel; triangle: Joe Bradford. "... programme Français ici est amener à vous par les marchands qui fait la programme possible, icite à Grand Mamou, la place beaucoup connu comme 'Fred's Lounge,' Mamou Cajun Hour!" There
have been some good bands Saturday mornings chez Fred Tate, inside the roped
off area, but this is my favorite. Sady: "Ok Roy. Quoi on à pour eux autres?" Roy: "Everybody
on the floor! Tout l'monde sus l'plancher pour un bon temp!"
| Lafayette | Chère Tou Toute |
| Tous les Soirs | Love Bridge Waltz |
| Le Cajun Strip | Hathaway Two Step |
| La Valse à Famille | 'Tit Chemin Croche |
| Grand Mamou | La Pistauche à Tante Nana |
| Johnny Peut Pas Danser |
Joe Falcon
& Cleoma Breaux New Selections!
Description: Some rare
78s from the collections of Joe Bussard of Frederick, Maryland, and Lyle Ferbrache of Milpitas, California. Great
accordion, great singing from the husband and wife team of Joseph Falcon
and Cleoma Breaux of Rayne! These songs are from the late 20s, early
30s. They were some of the Cajun music sensations of those days, being
the first to record commercially. Waltz that Carried Me to My Grave
was side A, Lafayette (Allons a Lafayette) was side B. Joe was known
for how he could "turn" a song with the bridge or B part. And Cleoma
(sister of the fabled Breaux Brothers) may be Cajun music's best loved
female artist. Fee Fee Poncheaux? Non, mais ça scorch! Mon View d'Autrefois (My
Old Used to Be), too!
Cajun music historian Ron Brown of Athens, Tennessee points out that the recordings Cleoma and Joe made for Decca records in New York, New Orleans, and San Antonio in 1934, 1936, and 1937 (and their recordings for Bluebird) are among the most cherished! They recorded under Cleoma's name, under Joe's name, and as the Falcon Trio, with fiddlers Ulysse Falcon on some sessions or Mose Morgan on others. It's possible that Cleoma's brothers Clifford or Ophy of the Breaux Brothers appeared on some of them, as well.
I'm struck by how Cleoma seemed to like to sing "American" songs from the old time country and blues repertoires, sometimes in English. There are two versions of the same song here, one in English and one in French, with Raise Your Window High and Ouvrez Grand ma Fenetre. Lulu's Back in Town is her French version of a popular song of the day. Careless Love, It's a Sin to Tell a Lie, I Don't Want Your Greenback Dollar, and Just Because get "Cajunized" here. See the 1920s-30s section for her version of Going Down the Road Feeling Bad, and hear her accompany her brothers on Continuez de Sonner (Keep a Knockin but You Can't Come In)! Another thing that strikes me is how Joe's melodies appear again and again in the standard Cajun music repertoire under different names! Ma Valse Preferé, for example, sounds like Grand Mamou; La Valse Crowley like the Lafayette Playboys Waltz; Frisco like Vermilion Two Step; Pin Solitaire like the B.O. Sparkle; Mon Favori Waltz like Valse de Grand Bois; Au Revoir Cherie like Evangeline Special; Le Nuit Samedi like the Valse de Samedi au Soir; Ne Buvez Plus Jamais like J'etais au Bal; Valse de Baldwin like Chere Alice; etc. Joe's name doesn't always pop up in lists of all time top Cajun accordionists, but I will say this. He's not flashy but he sure keeps good time! I really like the tension he builds in a song's bridge.
Please excuse the sound quality of some of these rare 78s.
Tribute to Varise Conner with David Greely & the Conner Family at 2004 Festivals Acadiens
Description: KRVS radio broadcast, September 19, 2004, of a remarkable
tribute to the great Lake Arthur fiddler Varise Conner in honor of his
historic appearance 30 years ago at Festivals Acadiens, Lafayette
Louisiana, and in honor of the release of cd, Louisiana
Folk Masters Series: Varise Conner
Wow! Of all the special performances and tributes over the years featured at Festivals Acadiens, this must rank among the sweetest! BEAUTIFUL loving tribute by David Greely, the Conner Family, and Barry Ancelet celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first Tribute to Cajun Music held in Louisiana, and the music of fiddler Varise Conner. Announcer Barry Ancelet remarks how Greely, from the Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys band, is there facing down four guitarists from the Conner family accompanying him. Magnificent job by all! You will want the Varise Conner cd after hearing this!
fiddle: David Greely; guitars: Milton Conner, Edgar Benoit, Mitchell Conner, George Conner
Amédé Breaux
Description: Feature
78s 1023 and 1024, circa 1951. Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell were kingpin in '51, but this could have left them crying in the dust!
| Jolie Blonde | Acadian Two Step |
| Criminal Waltz |
Moise Robin
Description: DOM cd 1078 from France. Sound recording by Gerard Dole. Music and lyrics by Moise Robin. Circa 1980.
Back to the early days! Moise Robin was 17 years old in 1929 when he accompanied the fiddler Leo Soileau to Richmond, Indiana to record for Paramount Records. One of their masterpieces was a song called Easy Rider. Another, Penitentiary Waltz. A standard, J'Veux m'Marier (mais les poules pends pas). Dole tracked him down to his home in Arnaudville, Louisiana, and captured these songs with commentary. He tells that the songs are two steps, waltzes, and slow drags. Slow drag -- that's a dance that sounds like the blues. The songs tell some interesting stories! Lovely songs! I especially like Sois Honnete avec Moi, La Valse a Carmelite. Bayou Benoit! They are sequential, so listen to them in the left column, then the right. More to come...I understand that there are more field recordings of Robin as an older man. I would love to hear them!
Mamou Social Club
Description: Revon Reed recorded these in Mamou in the early to mid 1960s. Apologies
for the poor sound quality. You may need to crank up your volume a bit.
Impressive cast of characters. Fiddlers Aubrey Deville, Wallace "Cheese" Read, Chuck Guillory. Guitarist Preston Manuel.
LA VALSE D'LA MANCHE performed by Wallace Cheese Read
Quand
moi j'étais petit
J'braillais pour une patate
A c't'heure moi j'suis grand
Moi j'braille pour ma bouteille
Oh! vilaine manière
Moi j'm'en vas manche à manche
Un grand vaurien dans les ch'mins