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This website is created and maintained by Andrea Rubinstein.
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Rockin'
it with Roy Carrier and the Zydeco Nightrockers
(9/22/01) Roy Carrier brought his chug- chuggin', freight train coming down the track, get out of my way cuz I ain't gonna let up til you drop, old time zydeco to Eagle's Hall on September 21st to the delight and exhaustion of those in attendance. It was a great show of hard-drivin' relentless two-steppin' zydeco music plus some blues, shuffles and waltzes and a fine introduction to Roy's style of music for the many in attendance who had not previously heard Roy play (his last trip to the Bay Area was 4 or 5 years ago). The mix included fine renditions of 'Allons Danser' and "Found My Woman, two of Roy's signature tunes.
Roy Carrier is
a
bridge from all that zydeco was to what it is today. With his own family
including Broussards, Ardoins, and Cheniers, Roy Carrier learned from zydeco's creators and remains close to his roots. Born in 1947, Roy was
playing rubboard by age six. With his father, Warren and other relatives
and friends that would come by, Roy played "La-La" at night in the
living room. A farm machinery accident cost Roy half of the index
finger on his right (chord) hand, and he developed a unique technique of
"crossing" chords. Other than his cousin Clifton Chenier, Roy's Uncle
Bebe Carrier had the most influence on Roy's music.
Special thanks to Dana Desimone and Louisiana Sue for continuing to take the financial risk involved in introducing some fine Louisiana zydeco bands to the Bay Area.
Note: Two of Roy's most popular CDs are Twist and Shout and Whiskey Drinkin' Man, both on the Right On Rhythm label.
Joy Among the Tears: Beausoleil at Ashkenaz
(9/14/01) How do you dare to write about music events after the week we've been through? Just going to an event which makes you feel good now also makes you feel guilty. Is it okay to let the joyousness of sounds flow through you knowing what you know about the current situation in New York City, Washington DC and Pennsylvania? And how to write anything at all and not sound trite or clichéd or disrespectful or just plain dumb?
I've received some interesting feedback after I sent out an email that Festivals Acadiens would be held, and also had some soul searching moments with friends wondering if we should still try to attend that event or not (the airlines ultimately made that decision for most of us in the Bay Area, by canceling our flights and rescheduled flights). Some of you may know I grew up in NYC. You may not know that my brother-in-law is a captain in the New York City Fire Department. He has been spending his days at 'ground zero' and so when I call back East to check in I have been getting eye witness reports from him. Equally difficult is talking to my sister who is trying to put on a strong face for him and her kids. My brother-in-law goes on duty for 24 hours on/24 hour off shifts. He's lost friends and colleagues in the close-knit family that is the FDNY (his father was a captain and brother is also currently in the department). He's a thoughtful, quiet man with whom I've spend hours over the years discussing philosophy and what's important in life among other things (we were both big fans of Joseph Campbell's "Power of Myth", Covey's "7 Habits", and as recently as last June he turned me on to Andrew Mather's "Follow Your Heart, Finding Purpose in Your Life and Work".) Sometimes it takes a shock to truly see and recognize the heroes you have in your own life. "New Yawkers" have had a reputation for thinking of their city as the center of the universe as well as for, to put it politely, having a certain reputation for brusqueness or arrogance. While the former may have been proven woefully too true last week, I think the image of New Yorkers has been forever changed by recent events in the collective consciousness. Underneath the loudness and brashness lies the universal heart that unites us all.
When the organizers of Festivals
Acadiens made the decision to hold the festival as scheduled they wrote, "Evil does not
have the last word". A counselor on the news remarked that it is human nature
to need a mental break from the overbearing sadness, horror and
solemnity of the current
tragedy in order for us as human beings to be able to function.
And so, first, I must offer my apologies to any of you who think that focusing on
music at a time like this is uncalled for. And then, I offer this, from Michael
Doucet, who said as Beausoleil began their Thursday night set
at Ashkenaz, "Maybe what we all need more music in the world". I certainly found
the evening's performance profoundly therapeutic, as it allowed me to absorb
some joy to replace that which had been sapped from me, and as well as to spend
some time with the many friends I have in the dance community.
I feel fortunate that Cajun music just makes me happy. There is a joyousness
and soulfulness present that has always had the capacity
to lift me up and make
me smile. Every time I hear Beausoleil, the band served my first introduction to
SW Louisiana French music in the late 1980's, I feel this way, and
Thursday
night was no exception. This is the band's 25th year together and they have
honed their musical skills so as to fill up a room with wonderfully complex
tones and textures. This evening Cindy Cashdollar joined them on steel guitar
(she has also played with Asleep At the Wheel and Lyle Lovett).
To set the tone of the evening, the band started with lively song, introduced
by Michael Doucet as "Happy Two Step". In contrast, the 2nd number began with
Doucet playing one of the most haunting, sad and soulful waltzes on his fiddle
you'd ever heard. All you could do was close your eyes, hold your partner, think
of the week's events and be grateful for the friends, family and brief moments
you all share (at least that was what was going through my head). From there the
mood picked up and the band skimmed through their vast repertoire of waltzes,
two-steps, swamp pop and those unclassifiable songs they always do (one sounded
like Gypsy music, another made me think I was sitting at a Paris Bistro on a
cool
autumn evening). I've also always admired what I've come to call the
"Beausoleil wave". This is when Michael Doucet sets up a musical theme on his
fiddle and then a few measures later it is seamlessly picked up by Jimmy Breaux
on accordion, and then finally passed over to David Doucet to complete on the
guitar before passing the melody back to Michael. This evening the wave included
Cindy on the steel guitar and it was glorious to have it wash over you and
cleanse your spirits.
It was a wonderfully therapeutic evening, in the midst of all this tragedy and I
am so grateful I had the opportunity to attend.
Zydeco Force and Charivari Play the SF Bay Area
(9/10/01)
What a fine weekend it was for lovers of Louisiana music as two very different
bands made their Bay Area debuts here. The recently reunited Zydeco Force
played their first gigs at Eagle's Hall on Friday and Sunday putting down their
hard, fast, insistent zydeco beat. Charivari, a traditional Cajun dance band,
put on a wonderful show at Ashkenaz on Saturday night. I found myself
fascinated by the creative accordion playing of Jeffrey Broussard of Zydeco
Force on one hand and by the virtuoso fiddling of Mitchell Reed with Charivari
on the other.
I
caught the 2nd set of Zydeco Force on Friday and the entire show on
Sunday at Eagle's Hall. The band came out both nights dressed in matching
shirts, and often moved in Motown-like unison on stage. They staged on a high
volume, funky show, singing in three part harmonies and playing long, fast
songs which featured creative accordion improvisations on the two steps, plus
waltzes and line dances. I particularly enjoyed the band's versions of
"Farmer's Waltz", and "Morning Train", the latter with their added vocal
stylings riffing rhythmically and repetitively off the word "hop". Zydeco Force
also played a wondrous instrumental called "Japanese Zydeco" which strange as it
sounds, sounds exactly as is stated, with the melody's chordal arrangement
sounding very Japanese indeed. Jeffrey Broussard really soared with his
intricate accordion playing on this number.
Charivari
was in the Bay Area to perform at a private corporate gig, and we were fortunate
enough to have them scheduled to play an evening show at Ashkenaz before heading
back home to Louisiana. The band plays traditional, down home Cajun dance hall
music and includes in their repetoire waltzes, two-steps, twin fiddle
tunes and Creole songs from all of the old masters as well as their own
compositions. Most impressive were the fiddle playing of Mitchell Reed and the
vocal styling of Randy Vidrine. Mitchell Reed is an interesting musician to
watch. Very low key in his stage presence, he just stands center stage and
plays his fiddle in an unassuming way, rarely smiling or making large gestures.
But, as they say, sometimes you have to watch the quiet ones, for his
musicianship is spectacular and his old style fiddling sets off sparks. Randy
Vidrine has one of those Cajun singing styles that just makes you smile when you
hear him. He can hit those high yelping Cajun pitches like nobody's business.
Jonno Frishberg is the accordionist and also literally played second fiddle.
When he plays accordion he just closes his eyes and zones out. During the
second set, the band played a series of 3 or 4 twin fiddle tunes which was
capped by an amazing version of Bebe Carriere's "Bluerunner". The band started
by playing the song with Reed setting up the melody on his fiddle. A few
minutes later, the other instruments stopped and Reed continued on with his
fiddle pyrotechnics. Then with a subtle nod of his head, he stopped and
Frishberg picked up the tune a half an octave or so lower and much slower.
Several minutes later, the whole band kicked in again and cranked up the energy
level. It was an amazing rendition of this classic Creole tune.
