Jesse Lege and Edward Poullard with the Cajun
All-Stars at Eagle's Hall
(6/16/02) What a great evening of traditional Cajun music!
A new CD release marked the occasion as Jesse Lege and
Edward Poullard, joined by the (Bay Area) Cajun All-Stars,
whooped it up and had a rollicking good time at Eagle's
Hall on Friday night. Great driving dance tunes...
two-steps, line dances, waltzes and some energetic high
spirited musicianship made this a wonderful night for Cajun
music lovers. Virtuoso fiddling by Edward Poullard, and hot
accordion playing and soulful French vocals by Jesse Lege
were joined by the fine steel guitar playing of our own
Billy Wilson, plus Marty Jara on guitar, Steven Strauss on
bass and David "Killer" Hymowitz on drums. Chris Strachwitz
was in the house all evening filming the performance, and
the band's new CD, on his Arhoolie record label, is
excellent.
7 Days in May
(June 1, 2002) In the past seven days, I have had the
opportunity to attend some great music in California. Last
Saturday and Sunday I drove to Simi Valley to attend the
13th annual Cajun/Creole Music Festival. On Memorial Day, I
saw Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie (plus
surprise appearances by Roy Carrier and the Night Rockers,
and Chasya Thierry) play at the annual John Delafose
Memorial Dance held at Eagles Hall in Alameda. Thursday
night Balfa Toujours performed at Ashkenaz. And instead of
resting on the seventh day, I returned to Eagle's Hall to
see Roy Carrier again. Reviews and photos follow:
The 2002 Cajun/Creole Music Festival in Simi Valley: The
13th Annual Cajun/Creole Music Festival was held last
weekend in Simi Valley, CA. A fund-raising event sponsored
by the Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise, this year's festival
was excellent in many respects.
The line-up was top-notch: Geno Delafose & French
Rockin' Boogie, Roy Carrier & the Night Rockers, Keith
Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band, Jo-El Sonnier, &
The Creole Connection represented Louisiana, and the San
Diego Cajun Playboys and Acadiana were local favorites. The
big dance floor was one of the best I've experienced at a
festival: it was made of slick wood parquet tiles which
were placed on top of grass. Lots of tables and chairs were
placed on either side of the dance floor, and all was
covered by a huge tent, with wide open sides to let the air
flow through. The sound system was good, if a little loud
at times, and the food and craft booths were varied and
reasonably priced.
Individually, the bands all put on great sets, but the
musical highlights of the weekend were the
cross-pollination of band leaders sitting in with the other
bands on the festival schedule. Two firsts were made: Keith
Frank sat in with Geno Delafose on Saturday. This was the
1st time these popular zydeco musicians had played
together, and you couldn't wipe the grins off their faces
while they were performing. It was an electric performance
and the musical highlight of the festival. It was also the
first time Cajun legend, Jo-El Sonnier, played with Geno
Delofose, and again the chemistry on stage was sizzling. On
Sunday, Roy Carrier joined Keith Frank's set and blew away
the crowd.
I've seen Geno Delafose almost a dozen times in the last 2
months and his performance at Simi topped them all. Perhaps
he was energized by all his California friends, and the
cool weather. I also noticed more integration of French
Rockin' Boogie's newest band member, lead guitarist Lee
Tedrow, into the act: he shared an a cappella vocal lead-in
to "Port Arthur Blues" with Geno that was just marvelous.
In addition, there
seemed to be more soaring 3 part vocal harmonies added to
some of their repertoire, with the 3rd voice contributed by
bass player, John "Popp" Espry. Completing the band was
Winfred Pierre (formerly with Beau Jocque) on rubboard and
Curly Taylor (Jude's son, formerly with CJ Chenier ) on
drums.
Keith Frank's set on Saturday was marred by a long delay
before the main man actually got on stage and got revved
up. First the band started the set with a waltz while Keith
played offstage. Then, he spent the next 2 songs fiddling
with the sound. Except when he looked at his charming 5
year old goddaughter, Julie, he barely cracked a smile. The
rest of the 1st half of his set consisted of 3 minute
versions of his 'greatest hits' strung together by drumbeat
transitions. When Keith finally got down to business
mid-set, the highlight of his performance for me was his
funky, bluesy rendition of "Don't Let Me Stop You", from
his latest mini-CD release. His performance on Sunday with
The Creole Connection was much better. Dressed in costume
and playing older Creole tunes, he took the time to
introduce many of these songs, speak about the older
generations of Creole musicians in his family, and
basically appeared to be having much more fun, and seemed
more connected with his music and the audience.
Jo-El Sonnier was once known as the "13 year old wonder"
due to his early prowess on the accordion and has been
playing both traditional and country influenced Cajun music
since then. You could see his virtuosity and his cross-over
appeal in fine display during his two Simi Valley
appearances.
Roy Carrier, an elder statesman of the zydeco genre, plays
a bluesy, hard-driving, altogether compelling style of
zydeco that leaves no prisoners. He played two excellent
sets during the festival.
My Month Traveling in Louisiana and Florida
Travels in Louisiana and Florida:
Week One- Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week
(I am extremely fortunate that my job gives me the
flexibility to work in any location I choose. This
year I decided to take advantage of the situation and
rent a townhouse in Lafayette for 3 weeks and then head
to Fort Lauderdale to attend the Crawfish festival
there. Here is my report for Week One)
Jam session led by Bois Sec Ardoin
(4/22/02) What an amazing three days I just spent at the
2nd annual Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week at
Lake Fausse Point State Park outside St. Martinville,
Louisiana. If you love Cajun and Creole music and have been
looking for a way to delve more deeply into its culture
& musical traditions, and/or if you are musician
seeking to learn from the masters of these genres, this was
the place to be. For those who don't play instruments, you
could attend sessions on language, cooking, crafts, native
plants, Cajun and zydeco dance, songwriting and
culture/storytelling. This event is sponsored by Louisiana
Folk Roots and named in honor of the great Cajun fiddler,
Dewey Balfa, who is also the father of this non-profit
organizations director, Christine Balfa.
I registered as a Local Lagniappe Program participant for 2
days and was able to attend a fascinating session on Cajun
& Creole storytelling by folklorist and historian Barry
Ancelet, who turned out to be quite a master storyteller
himself, as well as a session with Lil Buck Senegal talking
about his years on the road with Clifton Chenier. I also
participated in the various dances and late evening jam
sessions. Bois Sec Ardoin, Steve Riley, Edward Poullard,
David Greely, Ann Savoy, Al Berard, Preston Frank, Lawrence
Ardoin, Jesse Lege, Sam Broussard, Christine Balfa, Dirk
Powell, Courtney Granger & Peter Schwartz were just a
few of the musicians/staff members who were in the jams as
well as always accessible to camp participants during the
time I was in attendance. Pat Mould and Courtney Granger
were kind enough to give me pointers on playing the Cajun
triangle (t-fer). I also met Cajun filmmaker, Pat Mire, who
has produced several excellent films about his culture, one
of which was screened during the week. The two dances I
attended included Bois Sec Ardoin, with Lawrence Ardoin
playing traditional Creole music followed by Chris Ardoin
& Double Clutchin playing modern zydeco one evening,
and Jason Frey and Travis Matte playing Cajun music the
next.
Balfa week had considerable international attendance,
including quite a few folks who traveled from Europe to
participate in this event. Chef Paul Mould supervised the
kitchen and served up tasty Louisiana fare to staff and
participants while different musicians came together at
dinner time to provide mealtime entertainment. Sonny
Landreth played in an ensemble one evening. Leon Thomas
showed up another evening dressed to the nines and joined
the band that evening to sing a few numbers. Ann Savoy led
a swing band a third night. Those who spent the nights at
the park stayed in nicely appointed air conditioned cabins
right on the bayou.
Demonstration workshops, jam sessions and an all-day dance
were the activities available on Saturdays Heritage Day,
which was free to the public. Of all the festivals I've
attended in Louisiana over the years, this event ranks as
perhaps the most special. The early afternoon featured
Youth workshops, Accordion & Fiddle workshops and Jam
Sessions held in pavilions situated along the bayou. These
intimate sessions focused not just on music but on putting
the music in a cultural context, as presented by the folks
whose history it was. It was sweet to hear the sound of
Cajun twin fiddles in the warmth of a Louisiana afternoon
looking out at such lush, evocative surroundings.
Particularly memorable sessions I attended included David
Greely accompanied by Linda Handelsman tracing 400 years of
Acadian Music. What made this session special was how
Greely used his own research into his personal family
history (his ancestors were one of the original Acadian
families to come to Nova Scotia from France in the 1600s)
to demonstrate the roots of Cajun music as it related to
the Acadian experience in the Old and New Worlds. Another
great session showcased Al Berard and Karen England,
accompanied by Sam Broussard on guitar, playing twin
fiddles. One unexpected musical highlight of this session
included hearing Kevin Naquin's band in the distance
playing The Lovers Waltz on the main dance stage, when
Karen decided to step in and exquisitely play the melody on
her fiddle in the side pavilion we were sitting in. It was
a haunting few minutes, serendipity at its best. Other
interesting sessions I attended during the afternoon
included: Steve Riley and Preston Frank (Keiths father)
demonstrating Cajun and zydeco accordion styles,
accompanied by Kevin Wimmer on fiddle; a session on the
Creole Fiddle Style of Canray Fontenot, led by Edward
Poullard (Dannys brother) and assisted by Courtney Granger;
and a discussion on French and English songwriting
presented by David Greeley and Sam Broussard. One highlight
of this session was the acoustic performance by David and
Sam of a new Mamou Playboys song about Canray Fontenot
entitled "Bonnes Reves", after Sam spoke about how he wrote
it. Another was when David discussed how he took a fragment
of a old tune he heard and turned it into a new song.
The Heritage Day dance tent lineup was terrific, too:
Jeremy & the Zydeco Hot Boyz, Bois Sec Ardoin, Kevin
Naquin & the Osson Playboys, La Bande Feufollet, Steve
Riley & the Mamou Playboys and Geno Delafose &
French Rockin Boogie. The dance tent had a raised wooden
dance floor and great acoustics.
I was really sorry when my three days at Lake Fausse Point
came to a close. Too ease my suffering, I headed over to
Whiskey River Landing on Sunday to see Steve Riley &
the Mamou Playboys again. They put on a fine show in this
fabulous location, literally above the bayou, and were
joined for 3 songs by surprise guest Wayne Toups, much to
the delight of the crowd. From Whiskey River, I headed over
to see File play at Randols in Lafayette. This particular
evening I was struck by how often DJarma Garnier chose to
put down his fiddle and instead pick up the electric
guitar. Watching the Mamou Playboys, Wayne Toups and File
on this Sunday made me consider how strongly this modern
generation of Cajun bands is influenced by rock and roll.
Perhaps it is a baby boomer thing, but when you talk to, or
read comments by many contemporary Cajun musicians, quite a
few of them talk about growing up listening to the Beatles
and only later reconnecting with their Cajun roots. When
you hear Sam Broussard of the Mamou Playboys take off in
the ozone playing kick ass guitar licks or David Egan get
groovin on boogie woogie piano during a File set, you can
really hear rocks influence on Cajun music, which stands in
contrast to older arrangements of many of these same songs.
These musicians are respectful enough to keep the old tunes
alive and yet their contemporary sensibilities infuse what
they play, serving to make their roots music immediately
accessible to a much wider audience, who, as it turns out,
may one day find themselves traveling to Louisiana to sit
by the bayou and soak it all in.
This morning I woke up listening to KRVS, the local public
radio station, playing Cajun tunes with the announcer
speaking in French. The show was followed by NPRs Morning
Edition. Ain't life just grand?
To be continued..
Week Two: Festival International de Louisianne
(4/29/02) I just didn't know what I was missing all these
years, nor did I understand why many friends kept telling
me that their favorite festival in Louisiana was Festival
International de Louisiane in downtown Lafayette. Now,
after having spent the last 5 days attending FI, all I can
say is "wow". Three evenings and two full days of fabulous
music by Louisiana and international artists with a
predominately French connection. And the admission charge -
none! - except you could buy a souvenir pin (or 2, as they
had 2 different styles available) for $5 each to help
support the festival. Add to that easy street parking, lots
of great food and craft booths, Louisiana cooking
demonstrations, street performers, an Artwalk on the first
evening, and late night performances at Grant Street for a
ridiculously low price, and you have in total one terrific
event.
Final Festival Jam: L-R: David Greely, Sonny Landreth,
Michael Doucet, Steve Riley, Blaine Gaspard, Ann Savoy, Sam
Broussard & DL Menard.
The festival had 6 stages with music performances starting
on Friday night (Wednesday had 1 stage, and Thursday had 2
stages going). The starting time of the acts were
staggered, and I really appreciated that many of the
international artists played on more than one day, so if
you missed them on one day you could see them on another. I
also was glad that the festival was broadcast live on the
KRVS radio (krvs.org) and then repeated in the evenings.
Since I was unfamiliar with many of these artists, I was
able to get recommendations during the festival by talking
to friends or hearing the radio broadcast in my car or at
home. Then I made sure to sample their performances the
following day. I discovered some great music this way.
Among the many Cajun and zydeco bands that played during
the festival, I was able to see: Hadley J. Castille &
the Cajun Sharecroppers Band, Bruce Daigrepont, D. L.
Menard, Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic, Rodney Fontenot,
Chris Ardoin & Double Clutchin, Bois Sec Ardoin, Step
Rideau & the Zydeco Outlaws, Shelton Manuel, Eric &
Clay Chapman with John & Jane Vidrine, Nooney & the
Zydeco Floaters, and the festival closer - Steve Riley
& the Mamou Playboys with an All-Star Guest list that
included Sonny Landreth, Michael Doucet, D.L. Menard and
Ann Savoy. Other Louisiana bands I watched performing were
Irma Thomas, the Red Stick Ramblers , Bobby & the
Rockers, & Steve Conn with special guest Sonny
Landreth. From New York, I saw Donna the Buffalo. From
France I saw Tornaod; from Nova Scotia, Grand Derangement;
from South Africa, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and the
Mahotella Queens; from Zimbahwe, I saw Oliver Mtukudzi
(twice!); from the Congo, Tambours de Brazza. That is just
a partial list of performers. Friday night I went to
Wranglers in Carencro to see Geno Delafose, Saturday night
I managed to see both Keith Frank at Hamilton's for a few
hours before heading to Grant Street to see Sonny Landreth,
and on Sunday night I went to the international jam session
at Grant Street.
As I've been recovering from a knee injury recently, I
found dancing on the concrete payment difficult but
fortunately I had so many other great alternative music
choices during the festival and in the evenings that I
really didn't have anything to boo-hoo about.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Some of my personal festival highlights:
Cajun and zydeco bands:
Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic. Although Andre was listed
as being a Texas band, those of us from the SF Bay Area
know that Andre was born and raised, and learned to play
accordion, in Richmond, CA. He put on a killer show, and I
noticed a lot of musicians in the audience watching him
demonstrate his accordion chops. Go Andre!
Eric and Clay Chapman with John and Jane Vidrine. Grandsons
of fiddler Sady Courville, their beautiful twin fiddle
numbers and a distinctive singing style made this a
delightful set.
Separate sets by Shelton Manuel (fiddle), Rodney Fontenot
(fiddle), Bois Sec Ardoin (accordion), D.L. Menard (guitar)
showcased the legacy of these elder statesman of the Cajun
and Creole traditions.
DL Menard Shelton Manuel
Closing Festival Jam with Steve Riley and the Mamou
Playboys. This was one rockin' set. It started with a half
dozen songs by SRMP, including Sam Broussard's
crowd-pleasing "Bonnes Reves". The first guest of the
evening was guitarist Sonny Landreth. Later Michael Doucet
played several twin fiddle numbers with David Greely and
sang several tunes. D.L Menard followed, and sang 2
numbers, including, The Back Door. Finally Ann Savoy joined
the party to sing "Pa Janvier" from the recently released
"Evangeline Made" CD, which she produced. This was followed
by "Arrette Pas La Musique" sung by David Greely, and "Les
Flammes d'Enfer" with Ann, Steve Riley, DL Menard and
Michael Doucet taking turns on the vocals. The latter songs
were also included on "Evangeline Made".
Other Music:
Tornaod (France) French Celtic music, with fascinating
texture added by their persussion and sound effects
section.
Grand Derangement (Nova Scotia) Last week at the Balfa
camp, David Greely spoke about how early Acadian/Cajun
get-togethers used to include step dancing, and here was a
band from Nova Scotia that included step dancers as part of
its very entertaining performance.
Mahotella Queens (South Africa) When I grow up, I would
like to have half the energy and joie de vivre these
wonderful women from South Africa demonstrated in their
unforgettable performance.
Oliver Mtukudzi (Zimbahwe) "Tuku" plays music with gorgeous
melodies and an infectious rhythm. His lyrics concern
themselves with the serious social issues of the day,
including one song about HIV/AIDS, yet his stage show is
very upbeat.
Tambours de Brazza (Congo). Whew! The sounds of these congo
drummers physically resonate in your body as you hear them
and their stage performance is incredibly erotic. You just
can't believe your eyes as these hunks of musicians dance
across the stage with their drums wedged between their
legs.
Sonny Landreth (Louisiana) (at Grant Street) Ain't nothing
like watching Sonny playing fab guitar and perform his
original songs south of I-10 to a hometown crowd.
If you've never been to Festival International, I highly
recommend you add this great festival to your travel plans
Weeks Three & Four:
Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, the New Orleans Jazz and
Heritage Festival & the Ft. Lauderdale Cajun -Zydeco
Crawfish Festival
(May 15, 2002) “Just stick a fork in me because I’m done”,
an exhausted but happy festival-goer said to me after
Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Cha’s final encore at the 10th
Annual Fort Lauderdale Crawfish Festival. I know how she
felt. Sitting here in the airport waiting for my flight
home after a month on the road, I think I am actual
festivaled out! In the last four weeks I’ve attended the
Dewey Balfa Cajun-Creole Music Camp outside St.
Martinville, Festival International du Louisianne in
Lafayette (both written about previously), the Crawfish
Festival in Breaux Bridge, the New Orleans Jazz and
Heritage Festival and the aforementioned Ft. Lauderdale
Crawfish Festival. Someone asked me how many times I’ve
seen Geno Delafose during the month. Frankly, I have no
clue. A lot. Same with Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys,
Keith Frank, Balfa Toujours, and quite a few others. Also
Sonny Landreth. Mind you, I am NOT complaining.
Week Three’s musical adventures started at the Breaux
Bridge Crawfish Festival and ended at Jazz Fest in New
Orleans. The Breaux Bridge festival had three stages this
year, two with very nice wooden dance floors, plus two side
areas – one with crafts booths and another with carnival
rides. Both main stages were uncovered, and very hot during
the day (bring an umbrella for shade and a chair) but the
heritage stage was a delight with the best dance floor,
intimate size, and under a tent. Parking and traffic can be
a problem at Breaux Bridge, but we were able to avoid most
hassles by arriving early in the day, and parking in a lot
located about three blocks away, off the main drag.
Lots of dancers attended Breaux Bridge, from SW Louisiana,
New Orleans and around the country. The bands, which played
on staggered schedules, included Geno Delafose & French
Rockin' Boogie, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Balfa
Toujours (with Paul Daigle substituting for Dirk Powell on
accordion), Creole Connection, Keith Frank, Preston Frank,
Chris Ardoin with Bois Sec Ardoin joining Double Clutchin’
for a few numbers, Veillee, the Touchet Brothers Family
Band, the Huval Family Band, Zydeco Force, Hunter Hayes,
Andre Thierry , Zydeco Joe, Lil Band of Gold and Belton
Richard among others. Kevin Wimmer was everywhere this
weekend, sitting in with Creole Connection, joining in the
acoustic set featuring Preston Frank with his sons Keith
and Brad held in the heritage tent, and of course playing
fiddle with Balfa Toujours.
Many SW Louisiana bands don’t travel, so I tried to catch a
few of their sets. I particularly enjoyed seeing the
Touchet Family Band, whose “Best of “ CD last year was one
of my favorite Cajun releases. These folks play some
drivin’ original songs with some slick vocal trade-offs and
a distinctive slide guitar riffs. I was also impressed by
the intensity of Cajun accordionist Zach Huval of the Huval
Family Band. Finally, I loved listening to Veillee, an
acapella vocal group singing ancient Cajun and Creole
songs, some with almost renaissance harmonies, consisting
of David Greely, Marce Lacouture, and Kristi Guillory and
Jean-Jacques Aucoin. The singers introduced each song with
stories and traditions and translations which helped give
you insight into their culture. One song was set to music
from a book of poetry found in the possession of a Creole
slave, who apparently taught himself to read and write from
the school books of his young master. Loosely translated
the poem read: “why was I not born white…I can ride, shoot,
make love and will live longer than young master… why was I
not born white…” It was powerful stuff.
Of the headliner bands, I thought Jeffrey Broussard with
Zydeco Force did a masterful job, wailing away on his
accordion. He played amazing versions of Japanese Zydeco
and Mr. Jeffrey. Even though my leg was bothering me and
the dance floor was asphalt, I HAD to get up and dance to
these 2 numbers! However, you know it’s loud when you look
for your earplugs, and then realize they are in your ears.
Balfa Toujours was the heartbeat of Saturday. The band and
guest accordionist Paul Daigle apparently have a mutual
admiration society going on, and you could see they got a
kick out of playing together this evening. Their music just
makes you smile to your soul.
After two days attending Breaux Bridge, my time in
Lafayette had drawn to a close, and I needed to start the
drive back to Florida to attend the Ft. Lauderdale Crawfish
Festival. Of course, there was a festival stop on the way:
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. It was a brief but
intense two days in New Orleans. Sunday I was able to see
Rosie Ledet and Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, but
missed Chris Ardoin because I couldn’t tear myself away
from John Mooney who was putting on an incredible show in
the Blues Tent. I came away impressed with Rosie, who I
hadn't seen in a few years, and who seems to have totally
overcome her shyness on stage and now interacts with her
audience quite confidently. She put on a very entertaining
show. It was also interesting to see how SRMP subtlety
altered their presentation when outside of their home town,
to emphasize their roots as a Cajun band and pointedly make
references to their French language and culture. In the
evening my traveling companion for this phase of the trip
and I headed out to Rock n Bowl - which had 5 bands on the
bill - Rosie Ledet, Chris Ardoin, a brass band, Anders
Osborne and Sonny Landreth. We got there a little late and
to my surprise, very few dancers were there. Most of the
party-hardy crowd were upstairs goggling Rosie. It was
almost empty downstairs at Chris's set, which was too bad.
We hung around to see Sonny Landreth, and wound up watching
his show from right in front of the stage… about 5 feet
away from him. It was just amazing to watch his guitar
picking techniques from that close up. Later, we concluded
that our day had been spent in the Pantheon of Guitar Gods.
Seeing John Mooney, Sonny Landreth and Sam Broussard of the
Mamou Playboys in less than a 12 hour period made for an
absolutely exhilarating day.
John Mooney at Louisiana Music Factor: Watch That Shirt!
But the Guitar God experience was not completely over: on
Monday, Louisiana Music Factory had one of its in-store
music showcases, and John Mooney opened the show at 11AM.
This time I was close enough to watch the beads of sweat
fall off his chin and then watch the patterns in his shirt
change as they dampened. Oh yes, I could also watch his
guitar techniques and compare them to Sonny's from the
night before. Both great players, very different
approaches. Later in the day Kermit Ruffins & the
Barbeque Swingers played and in between sets, we had
oysters and beer at Felix's and power shopped. Then it was
on the road again….
Our drive from New Orleans to Fort Lauderdale took us along
the Florida's beautiful Gulf Coast. We spent two evenings
on a small island community near some beautiful wildlife
preserves where it was bird nesting season. We visited
off-shore island keys filled with nesting pelicans and
spend languid evenings drinking margaritas and enjoying
some great seafood in the restaurants located on the pier.
From there we drove through some amazing horse country in
central Florida near Ocala before reaching the Atlantic
coast and Fort Lauderdale.
Yes, that is a real bird checking out the menu with us!
On Thursday, we checked into the Shore Haven motel, located
2 blocks from the ocean in Lauderdale by the Sea, and about
4 miles from the festival grounds of the 10th Annual Fort
Lauderdale Cajun-Zydeco Crawfish Festival. Our rooms were
great - a choice of a standard motel room, which included a
coffee maker and a small refrigerator, an efficiency, with
a full kitchen, or a one-bedroom apartment. Prices ranged
from $42 to $62 off season. Two pools and laundry
facilities were on the premises. In the evening, we hung
out by the pool, enjoyed evening libations, and delicious
food, provided for the price of a good joke, by Gary
Thibodeaux, who will be teaching mini-classes in Creole
cooking at Augusta this summer.
The Ft Lauderdale festival, as I have written in the past,
is one of my favorite festivals and this year was no
exception. LOTS of dancers from around the country show up
& enjoy the pleasures of dancing on wooden floors under
huge covered tents with lots of fans set up to provide
ventilation. There is a great variety of Cajun, zydeco and
Creole bands performing as well as an attempt by the
festival organizers to show the music in its cultural
context by having two intimate stages: the Bayou Corner for
historical and cultural presentations and the Backwoods
Acoustic Stage. Some of the best performances of the
festival were held in these spots, away from the hoopla of
bigger venues.
Gary Hayman has included a very good description of the
festival logistics, a list of performers, food vendors etc
on his website (May 16, 2002 edition archived at
http://users.erols.com/ghayman/articles.htm) I won't bother
to repeat this information. Instead I will just mention a
few of the musical highlights from this 3 day event:
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys (Main Stage)/Steve Riley
and Friends (acoustic stage) I've seen SRMP a lot in the
last month, but they always seem to change their sets or do
something to surprise me. This evening they added an
acapella rendition of a Creole song with gorgeous 3-part
harmonies about a Cajun prisoner who is sentenced to hard
labor building a levee, which I had heard earlier in the
day in a more traditional 2 voice performance by Veillee.
Later, on the acoustic stage, Steve Riley and his many
friends jammed to the audience's delight. Of particular
interest was Steve talking and demonstrating two different
versions of a song he learned from Dewey Balfa - one the
way Dewey originally wanted it played, and how the song
actually was performed and recorded ("more crooked") at the
insistence of the accordion player.
Veillee and Marce Lacouture (acoustic stages). Marce has a
beautiful voice and whether singing traditional Francophone
ballads and songs acapella with their haunting harmonies,
as part of Veillee or with her Nouveau String Band, she is
not to be missed.
Nathan Williams and Nathan Jr (acoustic stage)/Savoy Family
Band (Bayou heritage stage). Whether you listen to Nathan
Williams speak about zydeco music, his family and the
things he is grateful for, or watch Ann and Marc Savoy and
their brood perform Cajun tunes on Mother's Day, you can't
help but be overwhelmed by the importance of family,
providing meaning and soul and joy, and connecting the
music and musicians of southwest Louisiana together in a
profound way.
Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic (Swamp Stage) Andre has
finally put together a band that matches his pyrotechnics
on the accordion and after almost a year working and
touring together, these guys smoke! Think the funkiness of
Beau Jocque and the genius of Clifton Chenier with touches
of Houston nouveau zydeco and some traditional John
Delafose seasoning.
Sean Vidrine (Swamp Stage) It's a shame almost no one was
in attendance to see the dynamic performance of Sean
Vidrine on the Swamp Stage. He put on a terrific
high-energy show, reminding me a little of Wayne Toups, and
wowing everyone in the audience. Fine vocals and accordion
playing by this talented 20 year musician from Lake
Charles.
Brian Jack (Swamp Stage) Step back… give me some room!
Brian Jack is one of the stars of the Houston zydeco scene,
and he just burns up the stage during his set, which
features many original songs with great hooks.
Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas (Main Stage) No doubt in my
mind why Nathan was the headliner. Another dynamic
performance from this band who got everyone up on their
feet demanding (and receiving) two encores at the end of
this 3 day festival.
Other Performances of Note:
Sean Ardoin (Main Stage) Sean has generated a lot of press
for his latest CD as the zydeco musician who may be able to
cross-over into the broader pop world. You could see him
striving to develop such qualities during his set.
Performing with a cordless headset and accordion, he could
pace the stage, gesture extravagantly and work the crowd.
His songs ranged from the more traditional to some
over-the-top hip-hop inspired material, most of it very
danceable.
Leroy Thomas (Swamp Stage) Leroy and his band always puts
on a dynamic show. I just loved his red, white and blue
accordion! Leroy's rubboard player was so energetic during
his mid-day set that I was worried he would pass out in the
heat
Finally, I should perhaps mention that my travels to
Louisiana and Florida this month by necessity took on less
of its normal dance frenzied focus, because I had a serious
knee injury several months ago, and am still recovering
from that accident. So, instead of being on the dance floor
non-stop, I spent a lot more time listening to music on
small stages and less on the dance floor and specifically a
lot less time watching zydeco bands than usual, since it is
almost impossible for me to listen to zydeco and not want
to dance. Nonetheless, it was a fabulous four weeks, filled
with great music, wonderful adventures, and lots of good
friends and food. Ain't nothing but a party!
Finally, if you go plan to go to Simi Valley next year, be
sure to make your reservations well in advance. There are
not a lot of inexpensive motels in the area, especially for
Memorial Day weekend, and most of them were sold out. Quite
a few folks had to stay in neighboring towns. Also, if you
drive there, watch out! I haven't washed my car in a few
years, and while in town, I felt compelled to turn into a
car wash and get 'the works'. Maybe it was some Southern
California thing that came over me - plus all these 6 lane
drive-through car washes that make it as easy to do as
buying a burger!
Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie on Memorial Day.
This John Delafose Memorial Dance opened with a moment of
silence. Mid-way through the evening the local Bay Area
dance community, as represented by Robbie and Shirley
Robertson, presented Geno with a silver cross as a token of
their appreciation for the many years he (and his father)
have performed in the Bay Area and enriched our dance
scene. Instead of taking a break, Roy Carrier & his
band, who until then were in the audience socializing and
dancing with the locals, came up and played a few songs.
Later in the evening, Andre Thierry's sister, Chasya,
joined French Rockin' Boogie, and showed her bloodlines to
a cheering home town crowd who has been watching her
musical progress with great delight. And on top of this,
there was 3 plus hours of great music by Geno, who only
stopped playing because the band had a red-eye plane to
catch back home that night. It is always great to see Geno
at a festival playing for an hour or so, but it is even
better to see a long set when he and his band can go
through a broader range of their material and you can dance
your way to exhaustion. It was a wonderful evening.
Balfa Toujours at Ashkenaz
It is a rare treat when Balfa Toujours plays in Bay Area
and we lucky to have them perform at Ashkenaz on Thursday
(on a quick stopover from a Nevada gig). Featuring
Christine Balfa on guitar, vocals and triangle, her husband
Dirk Powell on accordion, fiddle, guitar and vocals,
Courtney Granger on guitar, fiddle, triangle and vocals,
and Kevin Wimmer on fiddle and vocals, this band is just
inspiring, playing songs that have been handed down to them
from legendary fiddler, Dewey Balfa (Christine's father and
Courtney's great uncle), as well as other traditional
numbers and original compositions. Awesome fiddle playing
was displayed by Kevin Wimmer and Dirk Powell, joined by
Courtney on triangle, as they played old time Dennis McGee
fiddle number, "Le Reel Frugé,". My partner and I even
stopped dancing to watch them! (Incidentally, Christine is
a Frugé on her mother's side - talk about musical
bloodlines.). It was definitely a family affair as
Christine and Dirk had their 6 month old baby, Amelia Rose,
in tow, for the evening. Additionally, the audience was
packed with Bay Area musicians who watched the band play.
Later in the evening a few joined BT on stage, including
Gerard Landry, Suzy and Eric Thompson and William Scarlet.
It was just a wonderful evening filled with joyful sounds.
Roy Carrier & the Night Rockers
If you had any dancing gas left in your tank on Friday
night, Roy & his band did their best to run you to
empty. Chugging along at zydeco speed, the Carrier clan
rocked a full house. Queen Ida was in the audience and Roy
did a hilarious impression of her, singing "Jambalaya" in a
falsetto voice. Troy sang lead on one number, adding a
hip-hop tinge to the vocals and beat. Extended versions of
"Leaving Lawtell" and "Allons dancer" drove the dancers to
exhaustion. It was a fine ending to a killer week of music
and dance.
Another Stretch of Great Music in SF Bay
(March 18, 2002) Yes indeedy. The last week or so has
contained one amazing stretch of Cajun and zydeco music in
the Bay Area... one that probably couldn't be duplicated in
many places outside of Louisiana or Texas. For example, on
4 consecutive days, I was able to attend multiple
performances by Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic (at
Eagle's in Alameda, Alvarado Gardens in Richmond, a church
dance in San Francisco), plus see Brian Jack & the
Zydeco Gamblers (from Houston) at Alameda and spend time at
a lovely Cajun jam at Ashkenaz.
It was really a treat to see Andre play with his new Zydeco
Magic band here at home, which now includes Chuck Bush on
bass guitar and Eric Minix (both of whom played &
recorded with Beau Jocque), Steve Nash on rubboard (who
played with Geno Delafose) and Mike Taylor on lead guitar.
These guys have been playing together with Andre for
several months in the Houston area, and they kick-ass,
playing everything from old-school traditional zydeco to
original Andre compositions. Andre and Chuck in particular
have an on-stage chemistry and improvisational groove going
that makes their sound unique and lets the music soar.
Seeing Andre show any emotion on stage besides intensity is
rare, but with these musicians supporting him, who can
effortlessly follow whatever grooves he throws out, Andre
actually grins and smiles and even throws in a few 'cool'
moves. The band was having so much fun, during their San
Francisco dance at the St. Finn Barr Church, they even
brought a member of the audience on stage and gave her a
rubboard lesson. This dance had a great community feeling
to it, not to mention that fact that some of us grew
particularly fond of the "great jello shots" brought around
to the tables on trays by the hostesses at this dance.
There are still a few more opportunities to see Andre with
this band before they head back home... including a potluck
at DeMarco's 23 Club this Sunday (March 24). Don't miss
them.
Brian Jack is another impressive performer, who came back
to the Bay Area for round 2, thanks of Louisiana Sue and
Dana DeSimone and the excellent dance weekend they
organized at Alameda Eagle's Hall. Brian is a mass of
energy on stage, writes catchy songs with great hooks and
puts on a fabulous show. He swings his accordions so
forcefully, I wonder that they don't split in two. During
the evening, I saw him play some real crowd-pleasers,
including "Step Back -Give Me Some Room', "L'Argent", and
from his latest CD, "Creole Lady". His musicians do an
excellent job backing him up.
To top it off, the California Friends of Louisiana French
Music had their monthly jam session at Ashkenaz on Sunday
afternoon. Many local musicians showed up to lend their
talents, including Andrew Carrier, Gerard Landry, Marty
Jara, Maureen Karpan, David "Killer" Hymowitz, Blair
Kilpatrick, Robert Richard and Dana Mandell. The atmosphere
was casual and relaxed. The music was great. Additionally,
the new dance floor at this popular venue is quite
beautiful.
LeFleur-Basile Cajun Band at Ashkenaz
(March 29, 2002) LeFleur et Basile continued the run of
authentic Louisiana Cajun bands playing Ashkenaz in the Bay
Area. They presented an fine, energetic evening of
traditional Cajun music, performed with top-notch
musicianship and great enthusiasm. These guys just look
like they love to be up on stage making music and their joy
is out there for all to see.
LeFleuur et Basile is a spin-off of Mamou, an immensely
popular Cajun/rock band founded by Steve LaFleur in the
mid-80's. Along with Lafleur on guitar and vocals, the band
includes accordion player Mark de Basile and fiddler Jonno
Frishberg. During the evening, they played fine versions of
the Bebe Carriere's challenging fiddle tune, "Blue Runner",
the lovely Michael Doucet waltz, "Chez Seychelles", John
Delafose's "Quo' Faire" & a fierce rendition of the
traditional Mardi Gras song, as well as several original
compositions.
Ashkenaz continues to earn my gratitude by hosting
top-notch Louisiana-based Cajun bands. With its new floor
and sound system, this dance club is a great place to
showcase such talented musicians.