Boozoo's Magic Sounds
(9/11/99). Boozoo Chavis and the Magic Sounds made one of
their infrequent visits to the Bay Area on Saturday,
filling up Eagle's Hall in Alameda with dancers and music
fans who wanted to see one of zydeco's living legends
perform. Coming one day after the untimely death of Beau
Jocque, the chance to see one of the kings of zydeco music
seemed even more precious. Boozoo began performing in the
1950's (see Michael Tisserand's book, The Kingdom of Zydeco
for an insider's view of his career), and has had enormous
influence on the development of zydeco music as it is
played today.
At the beginning, and throughout the show, mention was made
of Beau Jocque's passing. Boozoo said it was important to
pay respect and show appreciation for artist's when they
were alive, not to cry and boohoo over their graves when
they were gone. .. they have no way of knowing then. During
the break, I spoke to
Boozoo's wife, Leona. She said that when Beau Jocque was
just getting started, Boozoo would let him get up on stage,
and play a few numbers with his band. They maintained a
warm friendship, and staged the "Beau Vs Boozoo" rivalry
for the title of "King of Zydeco" as a publicity stunt I
mentioned that I took my
parents to see Boozoo play and be interviewed (by Michael
Tisserand) at the Ft. Lauderdale Crawfish , and that they
really enjoyed him. She said after that show in May, Boozoo
came down with pneumonia and was hospitalized for two
weeks. It was all the more impressive that he had the
stamina and energy to
play for 3 ½ hours at Eagle's on Saturday night.
And put on a show, he did. Boozoo cranked out song after
song from his enormous repertoire. He played a mix of
two-steps, line dances, waltzes and slow blues, all in the
3-4 minute range. Boozoo's music has an immediately
identifiable sound. When he starts playing his unmistakable
accordion riffs, I just feel
compelled to stop what I am doing and get up and dance.
Saturday night, the band was cookin' and in between songs
maintained a nice interaction with the audience. Besides
the respectful references to Beau Jocque, they made
complementary remarks about the fine performance the Bay
Area's Andre Thierry put on at Richard's Club in Lawtell
during the Plaisance Zydeco Festival Labor
Day weekend festivities.
Beau Jocque, 1954-1999
(September 10, 1999): Andrus Espre, a.k.a. Beau Jocque,
passsed away at his home in Kinder, Louisiana at the age of
45 on Friday morning. . He died of a heart attack .His last
performance was Thursday night at New Orlean's Mid-City
Lanes (Rock and Bowl). For more information, go here.
The funeral will be held on Wedsnesday, Sept. 15 in Kinder
. Sadly enough, Beau Jocque's father passed away only two
weeks ago. I will try to keep this website updated as more
as information becomes available, but for the most current
information, check out Louisianaradio.com They have also
created a website where you can express your condolences to
Beau Jocque's family and they will pass the message on: To
express your condolences, visit:
http://www.louisianaradio.com/beau/. They will be adding
information to the above page as it develops.
Daily Advertizer (Lafayette, LA) article
Beau Jocque: Zydeco star dead at age 45
Bill Decker
Metro Editor
KINDER - Beau Jocque, a big man who made a big impact by
melding zydeco with other musical forms, died of an
apparent heart attack Friday at his home. He was 45.
"It's horrible," said Grant Street Dance Hall production
manager Susan Champagne, reacting to the news of Jocque's
death. "A lot of people are going to miss him."
Jocque, born Andrus Espre, became a professional musician
relatively late in life. He learned to play his father's
accordion after a job-related accident left him unable to
work in 1987.
Jocque's music was influenced by zydeco stars such as
Boozoo Chavis, but also by blues, rap and rock artists.
A little more than a decade later, Jocque and his band, the
Zydeco Hi-Rollers, were among the leaders of a new, more
energetic style of zydeco.
He made TV appearances on the David Letterman and Conan
O'Brien shows. And he enriched the zydeco tradition with
songs that included "Gonna Take You Downtown," "Beau Jocque
Boogie"
and "Give Him Cornbread."
Rolling Stone magazine once described one of his
performances as "a shotgun wedding of Clifton Chenier and
ZZ Top officiated by John Lee Hooker."
"He was unique in the zydeco arena," said Je'Nelle
Chargois, general manager of KJCB radio in Lafayette. The
station interrupted its programming Friday for a special
tribute to Beau Jocque.
"Coupled with his skills on the accordion," Chargois said,
"he was a fantastic businessman. He promoted his own
performances. And he was good at it."
Chargois characterized Jocque's music as "a lot more
energetic with a lot of crossover appeal."
Jocque was booked to play a show this Friday at Grant
Street in Lafayette. Champagne described a show by the
6-foot-7, 270-pound Jocque as "quite energetic. He didn't
move around on stage much, but with his size he was
commanding with his presence."
Jocque was a native of Duralde. He is survived by his wife,
Shelly Espre, and two sons, Andrus Adrian Espre and Justin
Travis Espre.
Jocque's funeral will be at 8 a.m. Wednesday, September 15,
at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Kinder. Burial will
be at St. Mathilda Cemetery in Eunice.
Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesday at the
St.Phillip Neri Church Hall. Ardoin Funeral Home in Kinder
is in charge of arrangements
Cards can be sent to Beau Jocque's (Andres Espre) home
address: 204 N. 13th St., Kinder LA 70648
A La Carte, A La Park, San Francisco with Buckwheat Zydeco
Buckwheat Zydeco played at one of San Francisco's
traditional food and music festivals - the very fine and
mellow "A La Carte, A La Park". Held in Golden Gate Park
for three days every Labor Day weekend, the festival
showcases 4 bands a day and great food and drink from over
40 local restaurants, all at reasonable prices. It is one
of my favorite SF events.
Buckwheat was the headliner on Monday afternoon, following
Bobby "Blue" Bland. The sun stayed out most of the
afternoon and kept the fog away. Folks had their chairs and
blankets and tasty food plates spread out and relaxed to
the music all afternoon. About a dozen or so dancers showed
up. Although we weren't a large group, we evidently made an
impression. In between all the songs, during the hour long
set, folks kept coming up to the dancers asking where they
could take dance lessons, or find out more about the local
zydeco dance scene.
Buckwheat himself put on an entertaining, 50 minute show.
He had a three piece horn section as part of the band, and
his music ran the gamut from "Hot Tamale Baby" to Fats
Domino's, "Walkin' to New Orleans", to the 50's hit "Hey
Baby (Won't You Be My Girl)" to slow blues.
Trish Tell Alls Former Bay Area resident talks
about visiting the Lafayette Area during fall festival
time..
"I have now been here in Louisiana 4 months.....and am
enjoying being here more everyday. I thought I would send
along some notes for visitors planning on coming down for
the upcoming festivals.
Lafayette now has online motel room booking capability at
http://www.lafayettetravel.com. which links to Room
Finders. Rooms really fill up for Festivals Acadians and
the Zydeco Festival over
Labor Day.
Also remember that it is really hot here........dancers
need to intake extra salt and drink lots of water to avoid
heat exhaustion. The festivals usually sell PowerAde or
GatorAde as well. This is
REALLY important...if any of you have ever had a heat
exhaustion head ache....you know prevention is the best
thing to do!!!!
The best way to find out what is happening in the clubs is
to listen to the radio. Here are the stations I like to
listen to for Zydeco:
770 AM Monday and Thursday nights 7-9 PM (105.5 FM)
1230 AM Friday and Saturday afternoons 3-5 PM (Luke
Collins)
88.7 FM Saturday morning 6 AM until noon (John Broussard)
105.5 FM Saturday evening 10 PM (Herman's Swamp n Roll)
104.7 FM Sunday morning 10 AM until noon (Don and Charles
Cravins)
770 AM Sunday afternoon 12-3 PM
105.5 FM Sunday afternoon 4-6 PM (Front Porch Zydeco)
KBON 101.1 FM is on round the clock with all Louisiana
music.
The Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival has events
scheduled over all three Labor Day weekend days this year.
In addition to the dances Friday evening and the BIG
festival day on Saturday, there will be cultural and music
events on the grounds on Sunday.
There are many, many great restaurants here in
Acadiana.....and several have Zydeco music featured. Cafe
des Amis in old downtown Breaux Bridge usually has Jean
Pierre and the Zydeco Angels on Saturday mornings from 8:30
-11:30. Pat's Cafe Creole on North University just down
from Highway 190 (Cameron St.) has music (either Zydeco or
blues) on Sundays from 11 - 2.....and great Creole food.
And, of course, Randol's and Mulate's have Cajun dancing
every night,
I think!!!!
For those who want to buy CD's or tapes to take
home......Plaisance will have booths, I am sure....oh, Sean
Ardoin's new CD should be available there. I have heard it
and it is TERRIFIC. Sean is a consummate musician and the
high energy, hard drivin' vocals he displayed with his
brother take center stage on this CD. Dexter Ardoin will be
taking his place as drummer with Chris Ardoin and Double
Clutchin'. Also, WalMart (don't laugh!!!) has a fair
collection of Cajun and Zydeco music. WhatBayou on Landry
in Opelousas has a great assortment as does Music Machine
on Walnut in Eunice and Music City on N. Main in Opelousas.
Raccoon Records on Johnston in Lafayette is another good
place and Floyd's in Ville Platte is, too.
I look forward to seeing all the visitors who will coming
down to enjoy all the upcoming events...Congres Mondial,
the gathering of Acadians from all over the world taking
place the first 2 weeks of August should be wonderful. The
closing concert on August 15 reads like a "whos' who" of
Louisiana French music and includes bands from Canada as
well. I sure hope there is a spot for dancers!!!!"
Lil Malcolm and The House Rockers Return to
Alameda
Lil Malcolm and The House Rockers returned to the Bay Area
and played a gig at Eagle’s Hall in n Alameda last Friday
night, July 9. The turnout was good, and expectations were
high, following his very popular stops here last year. It
was an interesting evening.
During the first set, my impression was that Malcolm didn’t
understand his audience for the night. He played songs like
Jambalaya, which I didn’t expect, since last time I
remember his to be a very funky, hard-driving sound. In
fact, in looking back on my write-up from a year ago, I
described Lil Malcolm, from Lake Charles, as playing a
nouveau zydeco set with a bluesy, funky edge. I felt like
during this show, instead he had pulled out his ‘I’m on the
road and playing for tourists " repertoire, which many
Louisiana bands understandably do to make a living.
However, it was not what the Bay Area dance crowd expected.
But in the second set, things picked up, and the music got
livelier. The stage show did too, as the band went into
some of their Motown style synchronized stage routines that
were so energizing to watch.
Perhaps the new sound had something to do with the band
line-up, which I believe has had changes since last we saw
them. For this show, the band kept slipping the beat, which
was annoying when you are trying to dance. I know Malcolm’s
father, Percy Walker, Sr. played guitar with the band last
year, and he was not on stage Friday night. In addition,
Malcolm played piano accordion all night, which lends
itself to a more bluesy style. I can’t recall if last year,
he played this instrument exclusively or not.
Zydeco Extravaganza Weekend
Over Memorial Day weekend, I traveled to Louisiana for
Zydeco Extravaganza ‘99 weekend in Lafayette. Several
events were tied in with the festival, including an all day
Dance Workshop at El Sido’s on Saturday featuring seven
local Creole dance instructors.
This trip started off, as always, with a Thursday night
visit to Rock N Bowl in New Orleans. Geno Delafose &
French Rockin’ Boogie played a great, high energy set to
1:30 in the morning without a break. Throughout the night,
new dancers from all over the country kept showing up.
These first pre-festival dances have come to feel like a
ritual evening, 'The Gathering of the Zydeco Dance Tribes",
and the weekend's kick-off party-reunion atmosphere, has
always been a delight to participate in . You could see
evidence of this watching everyone greeting old friends,
trading dance partners and seeing the many sweating,
smiling faces on the dance floor.
Friday the party moved to Lafayette. I had spent the day in
New Orleans playing tourist and rolled into town around
9pm. Checked into the hotel, and then headed over to El
Sido’s to see Step Rideau. Others went to Hamilton’s to see
Thomas Fields that night. When I got to the Sid’s, a table
of about 10 Bay Area folks was already holding court, and
by the time the evening was out, I counted almost 20 Bay
Area travelers in town for the weekend. Sid’s was packed,
and Step sounded great. It felt great to be back in
Lafayette.
The following morning, I had to be back at El Sido’s at
8:30 AM to register for the Dance Workshop which started at
8:30, and continued past 6pm. I set the alarm and got
there, but I must confess I questioned my own sanity, being
up and dancing at that time of day without adequate
caffeine. About 90 other zyde-crazy folks attended the
workshop, which was produced by Francis Haymark of
Lafayette, and Rebecca Zurn of Alabama. Dance instructors
included Sean Ardoin (brother and drummer in Chris Ardoin’s
Double Clutchin’ Band), John Broussard (MC for the
workshop, and a deejay for a Lafayette Creole music show,
plus a long-time zydeco dance instructor in the Lafayette
area), Steve Nash (former rubboard player in Geno
Delafose’s French Rockin’ Boogie band), a very athletic
Willie Bushnell from Houston and his partner Nicole, plus
Lincoln Captain, Keisha Robertson, and Jackie Thurmond
(great local dancers/dance instructors). I particularly
enjoyed watching the instructors show off their special
dance steps and moves - some of the dancing verged on a
gymnastics display and was quite spectacular. It should
have come with a warning label. The instruction was more at
a ‘real person’ level. I found Keisha Robertson in
particular a very gifted instructor and learned several
moves, that with a little more practice, may one day show
up in my dance step repetoire.
Two special treats were planned during the Dance Workshop.
First was lunch at Pat’s Café Creole (1904 W University
Ave). The home-style cooking was excellent, and after the
crowd had eaten their fill, Pat performed a one-woman
monologue theater piece. Her character was a Creole woman
reminiscing about her childhood, talking about her garden,
and her relationships. It was both hilariously funny and
very poignant. The second was at the conclusion of the
workshop where Donna Angelle took the stage to play for the
dancers who still had some energy left to move after 8
hours on their feet!
For those who plan to visit Lafayette, you should know that
Pat’s Café Creole now features a zydeco brunch on Sunday
mornings, and Café des Amis, in Breaux Bridge, now has a
zydeco band playing on Saturday mornings. There is also
another very nice casual eating spot in town, Louisiana
French Market (on Doucet off Johnston Road), if you are
looking for a break from Cajun/Creole cuisine. Great
sandwiches, salads, deserts, grilled chicken that you
purchase deli-style and then can either take out to eat or
eat there inside or al fresco.
After the dance workshop, and nap, shower and dinner at the
French Market (above), there were at least 5 clubs with
bands playing to choose from: Keith Frank at Slim’s, JJ
Callier at El Sidos, Lil Pookie at Richards, Zydeco Joe at
Hamilton’s, and Terrance Simien at Grant Street. For me, it
was no contest, and I headed straight to Hamilton’s to see
Joe. I was not disappointed. Despite the competition, there
was a good showing of dancers and Joe looked and sounded
great. Hamilton’s is a fairly large club, air-conditioned,
with a great wood dance floor and good acoustics. An
excellent place to dance - which we all did with gusto.
Sunday was the main event….an 11 am to 11pm marathon at
Blackham Coliseum. Bands playing this year at the Zydeco
Extravaganza included Donna Angelle, Lil Pookie, Brad
Randol, Boozoo Chavis, Chris Ardoin, Keith Frank, JJ
Callier, plus the annual accordion contest for youngsters.
Although the venue itself was clean and comfortable, plenty
of restrooms, air-conditioned, non-smoking, bottled water
available, wood dance floor, the acoustics this year left
much to be desired. There were only a few places on the
huge dance floor where the sound came together to sound
like music rather than just drums and a bass line. I found
it very distracting and quite honestly can’t tell you how
most of the bands sounded, particularly those I’d never
heard before. It wasn’t til late in the day, when I had a
partner who danced us up towards the front and center of
the dance floor that I discovered where the good sound was.
Around this time, Chris Ardoin came on, and I found I
enjoyed his set the best because of this.
After the Extravaganza, there was more to do at the clubs:
Brad Randol at Hamilton’s, Chris Ardoin at Slim’s, but for
me it was time to collapse. The next morning I headed back
to New Orleans, where we opted that evening to sit and see
the new Star Wars movie rather than to dance to Tony
Delofose at Storyville (in the French Quarter).
The Fort Lauderdale Cajun/Zydeco Festival
I have a not-very-secret confession to make. I just love
traveling to Cajun/zydeco music festivals to dance. And
going to Fort Lauderdale to attend the C/Z festival,
sponsored by the City of Fort Lauderdale Parks and
Recreation Dept and held on the grounds of the Fort
Lauderdale Stadium from May 7-9, 1999, just fanned the
fire.
The festival grounds were large, and well laid out. There
was easy parking, lots of shade and water and good food. I
met dance circuit friends there from all over the country,
including Southern California, Texas, Massachussets, New
York, D.C; Birmingham, AL, Memphis, and Louisiana, as well
as made some new friends.. The Bay Area was represented by
about 10 dancers.
The line-up was a excellent mix of Cajun and zydeco
musicians, from Louisiana, as well as some talented bands
from outside the crawfish circuit. On the Cajun side were
Cajun traditionalists, Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band, the
Magnolia Sisters, Lake Charles Ramblers, and Balfa Toujours
as well as the more venturesome Beausoleil, Mamou, File and
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. Zydeco was represented
by Geno Delofose & French Rockin' Boogie, Boozoo Chavis
& the Magic Sounds, Thomas Fields and the Food Stompin'
Zydeco Band, Lil Malcolm and the House Rockers, Step Rideau
and the Zydeco Outlaws, Rockin' Dopsie Jr and the Zydeco
Twisters, and Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band.
There were too many bands to comment on them all, so I will
only share a few impressions:
This was the first time I've seen Steve Riley & the
Mamou Playboys since Jimmy' Domengeaux's death. The new
guitarist is Roddie Romero, who stayed in the background
during the beginning of the set. Every so often, I would
look up expecting to see Jimmy's smiling face, but of
course, that was not to be. But just as I was wondering why
the band has chosen Roddie as its newest member, the band
shifted into its rock & roll repetoire, and let Roddie
step out and sing lead on one of my favorite pop songs:
"Last night...I got loaded... on a bottle of whiskey...".
The stage dynamics changed dramatically from that point on.
Roddie started to wail, the band grooved, and all of a
sudden there was an extra vocalist up front with Steve,
Peter and David working the crowd. Watch out once these
guys get more comfortable working together...they could
reach a whole new level.
The Whirling Dervish, also known as Rockin' Dopsie Jr leads
a zydeco showband. This was the first time I have seen
them. Dopsie, who plays the rubboard, is a dynamic
entertainer, doing James Brown splits, spinning around,
jumping into the audience, playing souped-up zydeco and
blues. Not the best band for dancing, ("too fast") but
incredibly entertaining to watch.
Boozoo Chavis put on an excellent set. Moments before going
on, he was in the Heritage tent, being interviewed about
his music and life, which was attended by a large,
respectful and appreciative crowd. He played his Main Tent
set with a grin on his face, and in an jovial mood. Every
time to hear Boozoo, you realize how influential his music
and songwriting is. Just about every zydeco band, and some
Cajun bands, cover his tunes, which compel you to get up
off your feet and dance. As his time ran out, he smiled and
said he wanted to keep playing another hour or so. The
crowd certainly would have liked him to as well.
In addition to the three shaded music tents, there was a
History/Cultural Tent that featured panel discussions
throughout the weekend led by Michal Tisserand, (author of
Kingdom of Zydeco), and Robert Santelli (Education
Coordinator for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame). The
subjects included The Family Roots of Zydeco Music, (Geno
Delafose, Lil Malcolm), Woman in Cajun Music (Ann Savoy,
Christine Balfa); Zydeco Music and its role in American
Popular Music; Cajun and Zydeco - The Connection (Thomas
Fields, Step Rideau, Christine Balfa, Dirk Powell), and an
interview with Boozoo Chavis. These discussions were as
delightful as they were informative. You could see the
affection, respect and rapport l Tisserand has with his
subjects, and because of this, the musicians really opened
up to him in the discussions. Among the highlights: Geno
Delafose demonstating the nouveau style he used to play the
accordian when he wanted to aggravate his father, John;
Boozoo playing solo versions of Uncle Bud and other songs,
explaining where the lyrics came from, as well as talking
about his race horses, and what to/not to feed them when it
got hot; Thomas Fields, Step Rideau and Christine Balfa
talking about the 'soul' in Cajun/Creole music (in this
conversation, Step related how, although only 32, he grew
up picking cotton outside Eunice, and how he tried to
ensure his music reflected his heritage).
After Fort Lauderdale, business took me to Austin, Texas,
where I was lucky enough to be in town for the Gulf Coast
Playboys regular Thursday night set at Antoin's. The band
plays a mix of Cajun and zydeco songs with some blues,
swamp pop, and country/western tunes thrown into the gumbo.
I was told the regular Austin C/z dance scene is quite
small consisting of about 30-40 dancers who also travel
regularly to Houston, and Louisiana to dance. And when
Lousiana bands come to Austin, they modify their sets to a
more commercial mix, with lots of blues and rock and roll
thrown in . Nonetheless, I had some excellent dance
partners during the evening, and quite enjoyed my week on
the road.
Good Vibrations: Geno Delafose and French Rockin’
Boogie Rocks the SF Bay Area
(April 19, 1999.) Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie
came to the Bay Area last week and reinforced their
reputation as one of the hottest and most charming
traveling zydeco bands on the national scene. Despite the
glorious weather outside, Geno played to a packed (and
perhaps
overcapacity) house at Eagle’s Hall in Alameda on the
Sunday afternoon. Whether playing button or piano
accordion, adding “Motown” dance moves to the on-stage
action, or hanging out with the enthusiastic crowd signing
autographs during the break, Geno and his band demonstrated
the charm and musicianship that makes them one of the most
popular and beloved of today’s touring zydeco bands.
The scene at Eagle’s was, in itself, amazing to behold. I
would estimate about 250-300 in attendance, and just about
everyone dancing, with or without partners as the
follower/leader ratios fluctuated. When some bands tell
their audiences, ‘let me hear you scream’, the sound is an
obligatory whisper...for Geno it was a raucous holler of
delight. The band stuck to the numbers it plays best...well
within the bandwidth of the inherited musical traditions of
father John, the legendary Clifton Chenier, and the classic
Creole/Cajun repertoire, all updated slightly for modern
sensibilities. Happily, the recent personnel change in
French Rockin’ Boogie’s rubboard players had little effect
on the band’s showmanship.
Three days earlier, Geno and the band played at a much more
intimate venue, The Powerhouse in Sebastopol (about 60
miles north of San Francisco). Thursday night the show was
more relaxed, befitting the much smaller room and the less
frenzied audience. It felt very much like a private party
and those of us who braved the Bay Area bridge traffic to
attend the show, thought it was felt it was worth the miles
driven, even in these days of outrageous gasoline prices
($1.85/gallon in SF, but I digress)!
Merci pour les bons temps, Geno!
A Great Weekend to Dance: Leo and LeeRoy Thomas and
the Benefit for Dick Richard
Real Louisiana zydeco came to the Bay Area last weekend
with the visit of Leo Thomas and his Louisiana Zydeco Band.
Leo is the drummer, resplendid, on Friday night (March 5,
1999) at Eagle's Hall, from head to toe in neon blue, from
his chapeau to his boots. On Sunday at the Cadillac Ranch
in Concord (which is a spacious club with a really great
dance floor), Leo was decked out in red hat and matching
garb. LeeRoy is his very talented son, on accordion. The
rest of this talented group of musicians includes Steve
Nash on rubboard (formerly with Geno Delafose's French
Rockin' Boogie), Raymond Bilbo on bass guitar (who has
played with Beau Jocque and Boo Zoo Chavis and leads the
band, the Zydeco Brothers, in Louisiana), and J. C. Shaw on
guitar (who plays blues and zydeco in Louisiana). This band
plays traditional zydeco in the style of John Delafose,
Clifton Chenier and Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas, and
really rocks. Leo and LeeRoy trade off vocals. For the
first set, LeeRoy played the button accordion. Boy, can he
stretch that thing. LeeRoy and Steve were grooving and
dancing and doing a "Motown meets zydeco" performance.
Their pleasure in playing was contagious. After the break,
LeeRoy brought out the piano accordion for a few
Clifton/Nathan inspired numbers. The band plays a few
really catchy tunes with distinctive accordion riffs (Early
One Sunday Morning) that I really enjoyed. Late on Sunday
at Cadillac Ranch, Andre Thiery got up to join the band and
LeeRoy moved to drums. The band's sound changed but they
still rocked. I like Andre's music A LOT, and usually, no
matter how good a band's accordion player is, when Andre
gets up to play, he usually takes the music to a higher
level for me. It didn't happen here. Andre was great as
always, but when LeeRoy got back up to play, there was no
let-down and in fact I actually found, I wanted to hear
more of the visiting LeeRoy and less of our homeboy Andre!
I was amazed.
Between the music and the stage show, these were two
terrific and very entertaining nights of dancing. In fact,
quite a few folks commented it was the best Louisiana dance
night since Balfa Toujours' visit and I have to agree.
There is something about how Louisiana musicians come
together to create a particular distinctive sound that is
unique and seemingly impossible to duplicate. This must be
some kind of trade secret, like Coca Cola's or McDonald's
secret sauce recipe.
Also happening last weekend was a benefit for Dirk Richard,
longtime Cajun musician and instrument builder, to help pay
for his medical expenses. It was held in San Francisco at
Goat Hall. The line-up included Billy Wilson, California
Cajun Orchestra, Frog Legs, DP & the Rhythm Riders and
the Flames Duo of Bruce Gordon and Lloyd Meadows. This was
5 hours of great local Cajun & Zydeco music in a venue
that keeps improving. Dana Mandell has done a great job of
creating a dancer friendly environment, and each time I go
there it seems the acoustics, stage, ventilation or other
parts of the church turned dance hall are upgraded. There
was a great turnout and over $1400 was raised for Richard's
medical fund. Keep it up Dana!
D.L Menard Headlined This Year's Ardenwood
Festival
(9/26/99) This year's Ardenwood Festival was a great
success. It was a glorious, sunny day, and a nice sized
crowd turned out to enjoy the music, dancing, food and
atmosphere. Music was provided by D.L. Menard, aka the
Cajun Hank Williams, as well as local Bay Area favorites,
Frog Legs, Andre Thierry and Zydeco Magic, California Cajun
Orchestra, the Zydeco Flames and Cajun Classics. The
California Friends of Louisiana French Music hosted a well
attended cultural booth and held several raffles during the
day.
Festival Acadiens 1999: Too Much Fun (Not)!
(September 22, 1999) How much fun can a dancer pack into a
5 day trip to Louisiana? I just got home from a visit to
New Orleans and Lafayette, principally to attend Festival
Acadiens and I know I tested the upper limits of maximum
enjoyment for a vacation.
Where to begin? On Wednesday, I flew into New Orleans and
arrived around dinnertime, checked into what turned out to
be a great, reasonably priced hotel just 3 blocks from the
French Quarter, and walked the few blocks to sample some
Louisiana cuisine before heading off to Rock and Bowl for
the evening. A fabulous dinner at Emeril Lagasse’s NOLA
restaurant was an auspicious beginning to this holiday -
gumbo and a chocolate bread pudding to die for were
highlights. Then, it was time to head to the real main
course of the evening: dancing to File at Mid-City Lanes.
Although the band sounded great, the Wednesday night crowd
was a little sparse. After a few hours, I decided to do
some club-hopping, and catch Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ
Swingers at Le Bons Temps Rouler. Amazingly, there was no
cover charge to see Kermit (I paid $20 to see him in San
Francisco in August!), plus there was free BBQ for
attendees. I ran into a dance buddy from St. Louis I knew
from prior Louisiana trips at the club, and afterwards, we
partook of a New Orleans tradition: cafe au lait and
beignets at 1:30 AM at Cafe du Monde. The French Quarter is
serene during the wee hours of the morning; no surprise
that we ran into other dancers enjoying the ambiance as
well.
Thursday it was time to play tourist: for me that entails a
breakfast that includes pain perdu, a New Orleans version
of French toast, visiting some favorite shops in the
Quarter, oysters at Felix’s ($6.50 for a dozen!), a visit
to Tower Records and the Louisiana Music Factory, and just
poking around. This time, I stopped into Storyville, a new
club that, in the afternoon, has New Orleans style piano
players entertaining the folks in of their three
lounge/bars areas. After dinner at the Napolean House, I
headed out to Rock N Bowl to see Geno Delafose and French
Rcckin’ Boogie. This time, the joint was jumpin’ with
locals and friends from Lafayette and around the country
that had arrived for the Festival Acadiens celebrations.
John Blancher, the ever-gracious proprietor of Rock N Bowl,
kicked off the evening by having a moment of silence for
Beau Jocque, who had played his final gig at Rock N Bowl
the prior Thursday night. Then Geno started the show with
"Cornbread". Later in the evening, Christine Balfa, of
Balfa Toujours, joined the band on stage for a few songs.
Geno played from 9:30 PM to about 2 AM without a break, and
put on an incredible, high energy performance. There were
lots of great dance partners in the crowd and it was quite
a party. In the last year, Geno has really matured as a
musician and entertainer, and you can understand why the
media goes crazy for him. He is truly an ambassador for his
music and culture these days.
Friday it was time to head out to Lafayette. I never tire
of driving over the causeway that passes over the Henderson
Swamp. Seeing the soft reflections of sunlight, broken up
by trees and tree stumps sparkling over the bayou never
fails to take my breath away. After arriving in Lafayette,
I decided to have dinner at Enola Prudhomme’s Cajun Cafe,
located halfway between Opelousas and Lafayette. Enola,
after a year’s break, was back in the kitchen, and the meal
I had was fabulous (baked stuffed rabbit). Then it was time
to dance. I got to Downtown Alive at the beginning of C. J.
Chenier’s set. The evening was cool for Louisiana, and the
closed off streets were packed. C.J. played a slower and
more traditional set, than I think he typically plays when
on tour. The key to enjoying this event was earplugs and
very cushioned shoes for dancing on concrete.
After CJ, my real troubles began: where to go? where to go?
It was an embarrassment of choices, any of one which would
have made my month in San Francisco. Let’s see, there was
Boozoo Chavis at Grant Street Dancehall, Step Rideau at El
Sido’s, Keith Frank at Slim’s, Zydeco Joe at Hamilton’s
Club as well as the annual Krewe de Canaille party at
Harry’s Club. I opted to see Zydeco Joe, one of my favorite
musicians, who just the evening before had received an
"Entertainer of the Year" award. (The prior week, he played
with Paul Simon on the Lafayette stop of the Paul Simon/Bob
Dylan tour.) Joe is a great showman and creative accordion
player, with a band that really cooks. Friday night was no
exception. Around 2 AM I headed out exhausted, and the main
festival events hadn’t even started yet!
Festival Acadiens kicked off at 11 AM on Saturday morning
with Zydeco Joe playing in the air-conditioned crafts hall.
At least 100 dancers showed up, and entertained the
onlookers with their dance moves. Near the dance floor was
a book-signing table. Sitting there were Ben Sandmel,
author of Zydeco! and Elemore Morgan, Jr. photographer for
Barry Jean Ancelet’s classic , "Cajun and Creole Music
Makers’, which has just been updated and reissued. These
are two insightful volumes and must-reads if you want to
learn more about the musical and cultural history of Cajun,
Creole and zydeco music. The rest of the Saturday afternoon
was filled up with music by File, Bois Sec Ardoin, a fiddle
workshop tribute to Vermilion Parish Fiddlers with David
Greely (of the Mamou Playboys) and young Beau Thomas of Feu
Follet, Balfa Toujours, the Huval Family/Mamou Family Band,
and Jo-El Sonnier. I was particularly impressed with the
Huval’s set, whom I’d never heard before. Also, if you’ve
never been to Festival Acadiens before, you will be amazed
by the quality of the food which is catered by some of the
best restaurants in town, and reasonably priced.
After leaving the festival grounds, it was time to clean up
for the evening... I gave my eternal thanks that evening to
whomever invented showers! The festival grounds can get
extremely dusty. They hose down the dance area to try to
keep the dust under control, but this is only of limited
value. I was joking that when I got home, they were going
to have to charge me Louisiana property tax for all the
land I was bringing back with me!
There were lots of events to choose from Saturday evening.
I decided to start early and go to Breaux Bridge to see
Walter Mouton play at La Poussiere Dance Hall...which has
one of the best dance floors anywhere. A friend from the
Bay Area who used to live in Louisiana was there, and told
me a great story about the place. Seems he used to dance
there regularly, when he lived in the area. One night in
exile, he got homesick for the club and called
long-distance during Walter’s set. He had the bartender put
the phone on the counter so he could listen to a song. They
announced his phone presence from the bandstand and
everyone applauded. On the night I was there, he went up to
Walter to tell him it was he who was on the phone! Great
story!
From La Poussiere, I drove over to Hamilton’s Club to catch
the CD release party for a new band, Sean Ardoin and
Zydecool. Sean was the lead singer and drummer for Chris
Ardoin (his brother) and Double Clutchin’ and decided to
head off on his own. He is a showman in the Keith Frank
mold, and the sound of his new band is very similar to
Double Clutchin’s, with a funky dance beat. The band has
only been together a few weeks and while they need some
polish, I think they have great potential. Around 1:30AM, I
pulled myself away from Hamilton’s to see if I could catch
the last set Keith Frank was playing at Grant Street. Got
there around 1:45 and lucky for me, Keith played until
about 2:30AM. I hadn’t seen him for a few trips to
Louisiana and I forgot (silly me) what a dynamic
performance he puts on. I finally crashed at 3am.
Sunday, it was slow going. I got to the festival grounds at
Girard Park at around 1pm and headed over to the covered
Heritage Pavilion. Steve Riley was participating in an
accordion workshop, demonstrating the different parts of
the instrument, talking about the history of the accordion
in Cajun music, and highlighting the talent of two next
generation musicians that shared the stage with him.
Following this session in the Heritage Pavilion, was
Preston Frank (Keith Frank’s father) on accordion,
accompanied by Christine Balfa, Kevin Wimmer and Dirk
Powell of Balfa Toujours. He played a traditional Creole
music set that was extremely well received. Next came the
much anticipated performance of The Traiteurs. All through
the weekend, local folks were talking about this Cajun
supergroup. Made up of many of the original musicians from
Beausoleil, even the zydeco fanatics were buzzing about the
band. I was told the word was you would either love them or
hate them. I loved them! Featuring Sonny Landreth, Errol
Verret, Al Berard and Gary Newman, the band rocked Cajun
style. To me they sounded like a blend of Southern rock a
la Allman Brothers, Steve Riley and Beausoleil, with
exquisite musicianship throughout. Near the end of their
set, I had to pull myself away so I could catch the end of
Steve Riley’s set on the Main Stage, which did not
disappoint. Closing the festival after the Mamou Playboys,
was, remarkably, a zydeco act: Geno Delafose and French
Rockin Boogie, playing his Creole/Cajun/zydeco brew.
Mid-set he brought out members of his father, John’s,
original band, the Eunice Playboys. The music was inspiring
and his reception there, even more so.
Following the festival, was one last evening of multiple
choices. Balfa Toujours was at Whiskey River, File was at
Randol’s and at Grant Street was the Louisiana Stomp, a
benefit for the Dr. Tommy Comeaux Endowed Fund for
Traditional Music, featuring Cory McCauley and his
Evangeline Aces (Cajun) , The Traiteurs, and Geno Delafose
and French Rockin Boogie. I started at Grant Street to see
Cory, then during the auction break dropped in to dance to
File, and then headed back to Grant Street, where Michael
Doucet (of BeauSoleil) was sitting in with The Traiteurs,
for an incredible set. Geno came on, and played a really
different set, including somecountry songs, "Please Release
Me’, and "(No-one Knows What Goes On) Behind Closed Doors",
some blues and zydeco. He was accompanied by a saxophone
player. Later in the set Christine Balfa, and Dirk Powell
(of Balfa Toujours) and Jimmy Breaux (accordionist for
BeauSoleil) joined him on stage, and the band segued into
hard-driving Cajun rock. I can’t describe to you how
exciting the last songs of the evening jam were, except to
say I wanted to stop dancing, and just watch the stage....
it was that good. The words ‘awesome’ just kept popping out
of everyone’s month. Lucky for us, the show was being
recorded, and a benefit CD is being planned. What was also
so interesting this evening was the crowd. Looking around
the club, I saw members of File and Thomas Field’s band as
well as Horace Trajan in attendance. In addition, they
announced from the stage that Steve Riley was also in the
house, but I didn’t see him. It was truly an inspiring
evening.
Sadly, the next day I had to go home. At the New Orleans
airport, we counted 20 lucky folks from Bay Area who
attended this year’s festival, truly a memorial experience
for all.
Tragic Death of Jimmy Domengeaux, Guitarist for Steve Riley
& the Mamou Playboys
Jimmy Domengeaux, of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys,
was killed in a motorcycle/automobile accident last Monday.
I've seen this band lots over the past years and Jimmy was
always one of the delights of each performance. Aside from
his musicianship, he always had an enormous grin on his
face, got a charge watching the crowd, and looked like a
man who just LOVED what he was doing. He had the best
energy of just about any musician on stage I've ever seen,
and his pleasure was contagious. I will miss him.
Links to media writings that discuss the accident, and the
announcement from Peter Schwarz follow:
News Story (Daily Iberian)
http://iberianet.com/news/stories/99012504n.html
News Story (The Advocate)
http://www.theadvocate.com/news/story.asp?StoryID=4581
Obituary (Acadiana Now)
http://www.acadiananow.com/obits.html
Here is Peter Schwarz's Letter:
Dear Friends,
I'm sure many of you have already heard. We have very sad
news.
Jimmy was killed early Monday morning, January 25th, in a
motorcycle accident here in southwestern Louisiana. For the
past
four years as guitarist with Steve Riley and the Mamou
Playboys,
he was featured in performances and recordings heard around
the
world. His music career stretched back some 38 years,
perhaps
most notably with the band "Black Dog." He also performed
with
Warren Storm, Cajun Heat, The Gumbo Cajun Band, Cheryl
Cormier,
amongst others.
Jimmy was a gifted guitarist and a happy spirit. His smile
and
his high voltage solos lit up the stage wherever he played
and
his dynamic style was an intrical part of our sound. He was
also
a caring friend and a brother on the road. We speak not
only for
the band, but also the music community, and fans around the
world, in sending our deepest condolences to his family in
this
sad time. He will be sorely missed.
Jimmy was 44 years old. He is survived by his mother and
father
Mr. & Mrs. Murphy Domengeaux, sisters Letty Darbone,
Judy Theriot
and Nancy Baham, brother Jackie Domengeaux and daughter
Javen
Domengeaux, age 9.
The wake will begin Tuesday January 26 at 12:30 PM at
Pellerin's
Funeral Home, 211 Berard Street, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517
tel
(318) 332-2199. The wake will continue overnight until the
funeral, which will be at 11:00 AM on Wednesday January
27th at
St. Bernard's Church in Breaux Bridge.
The family has asked that anyone wishing to make donations
(for a
trust that will be set up for Jimmy's daughter Javen)
please send
to: Murphy or Annie Domengeaux, 210 East Bridge Street,
Breaux
Bridge, LA 70517.
For all of you who have called and written, the band
appreciates
your thoughts in this hard time. We will be sure to bring
all
your responses to Jimmy's family. I don't think they really
realize what an impact he made on people all over the
world.
-- Peter Schwarz
Management for Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys
http://www.rounder.com/mamouplayboys.html
The 2nd Annual Zydeco Festival at Rock 'N
Bowl
On November 5-7th, Rock N Bowl held their second annual
Zydeco Festival, which I attended. This was the first time
I spent so much time in New Orleans without a major event
like Jazz Fest, or the September festivals in the Lafayette
area also going on, so it was interesting to see the
difference in the attendance and energy levels.
I actually arrived in New Orleans on Wednesday night and
after checking into my hotel stopped first at Mulate's to
see File, and then went over to RNB to check out Sunpie
Barnes. File sounded good, but there were mostly tourists
there, and very few dancers. After listening to a few
numbers, I went down to RNB, where it was a slow night.
Very few out-of-towners, and the local dancers must have
been resting up for the weekend. The good thing about slow
nights though is that you get to dance with most everyone
there and have lots of room on the dance floor, plus you
have an opportunity to talk to people. Sunpie played a most
enjoyable straight zydeco set and a friend who had never
heard him before was very impressed with his sound.
Thursday night was the official kick-off to the Festival
and featured Roy Carrier. The crowd picked up, but there
was still lots of room to dance. A few more out-of-towners
showed up and Roy played zydeco all night. Last time I
heard him in the Bay Area, he had played 50% blues set, so
this was a nice surprise.
Willis Prudhomme kicked off Friday night, followed by Beau
Jocque. This turned out to be a much better night for
dancing. The crowd was doubled from the night before, and
the energy level was much higher. Willis is always a
pleasure to hear, and Beau Jocque sounded fine. Reports
were that Michael Seider's dance workshop , held before the
bands started, had turned into a big dance party.
On Saturday, Thomas Fields was playing at the Old Mint at 2
pm , so before heading out to Rock N Bowl, I stopped by to
see him. The band was preceded by a short talk on zydeco
music, and the crowd was mostly there to sit and listen.
About a dozen dancers provided some additional
entertainment. From there it was back to RNB for a marathon
of a day. JJ Callier started off the day playing Bowl Me
Under. He was followed by Zydeco Joe (upstairs), Chris
Ardoin (BMU) and Beau Jocque (upstairs). On Saturday the
crowd was MUCH larger and both venues were packed with
local dancers, dance tourists, plus the standers and
bowlers. It was quite a party. And, not to get boring about
this, but the musical highlight for me was again Zydeco
Joe, who consistently puts on a high energy, crowd pleasing
performance with excellent musicianship, and great
sincerity. I danced with some terrific dance partners and
swore I was in zydeco heaven. Later that evening Chris
Ardoin was able to overcome the weaker accoustics of BMU to
play some high energy music and Beau Jocque came through as
well. This festival also reminded me how important is to
make a conscious effort to pace yourself, keep drinking
liquids, take anti-inflammatory drugs if you need them, and
get down some food every few hours. I could feel myself
fading several times over the course of the long day (3pm
to 2 am), and several other dancers were succumbing to
dance fatigue as well.
Special thanks, as always, to John Blancher, for being such
a gracious host and putting on this festival.
Balfa Toujours: Music to Make You Smile!
Balfa Toujours played Eagle's Hall in Alameda last Saturday
night (October 10) in a dance event sponsored by the
California Friends of Louisiana French Music. For those who
missed it, I've had several attendees tell me it was the
'best dance of the year'. And these comments came from
died-in-the-wool zydecoholics! Needless to say, Cajun music
lovers were equally ecstatic, since we so rarely get
traditional Cajun groups traveling out West. This was the
first ever Bay Area performance for Balfa Toujours, who are
major festival headliners in Louisiana.
Many people told me they had never heard of Balfa Toujours.
This band carries on the legacy, literally, of Dewey Balfa,
perhaps the most renown of all Cajun fiddlers. Dewey almost
single-handedly was responsible for the Cajun music revival
which started in 1964, when he introduced Cajun music to
the Newport Folk Festival. With his brothers, Will, Rodney,
Harry & Burke, Dewey also formed the Balfa Brothers,
renown instrumentalists whose trademarks were superior
fiddle duets.At the time, the folks back home in Louisiana
were still slightly embarrassed by their folk traditions
and Dewey and the Balfa Brothers helped change all that,
becoming champions of Cajun pride and its musical
ambassadors. The modern Cajun masters we take for granted
today, like Michael Doucet of BeauSoleil, Marc Savoy, Steve
Riley, and even our own Suzy Thompson, all acknowledge a
great debt to Dewey.
The core members of Balfa Toujours consists of Dewey's
daughter Christine on vocals and guitar, her husband Dirk
Powell on syncopated accordion and occasional fiddle, and
Kevin Wimmer on lead fiddle. The band's recordings also
feature Christine's sister, Nelda, plus collaborations with
other musicians such as Peter Schwatz (from the Mamou
Playboys). The band recently released a traditional
recording, "Allons Danser" with the legendary Creole
musician, Bois Sec Ardoin, who often played with Dewey. In
Louisiana, Balfa Toujours represent the heart and soul of
traditional Cajun music, combining the liveliness and joy
of the music with respect for their heritage and
traditions.
When Balfa Toujours took the stage on Saturday night, the
crowd began to buzz because they didn't have a drummer with
them. One person looked at the band and asked how he would
be able to dance without a drummer. Let me tell you, it
wasn't a problem! The configuration of the band for the
evening included the key three players, plus Ganey Arsement
on electric bass, and Danny Poullard on triangle. You had
to step lively for the two-steps and most dancers had that
healthy sweaty glow we all seek to achieve each dance
night. The waltzes were right on, and there were shuffles
as well. Christine's singing is perfectly in the Cajun
vocalist tradition - sweet and creaky simultaneously. And
the dueling fiddles!!! I have to confess that I am just
nuts about dueling fiddles. They make me pause, carry me
away and I just listen with awe at the incredible sounds -
it just speaks to me in some indescribably pleasurable way.
Kevin Wimmer and Dirk Powell played several fiddle duets
throughout the evening and all I can say is "amen', and you
had to be there. I love zydeco music - it's got that funk,
and that beat to bliss out to - but it ain't got them
dueling fiddles..Zydeco makes me want to stomp, Cajun makes
me want to smile!
Balfa Toujours also played a concert at Freight and Salvage
on Sunday night. Here is a report from Christy Leichty, who
attended:
"Their gig at the Freight and Salvage was outstanding--they
did alot of different music and explained the history of
some songs and interpreted the lyrics. They talked about
musicians from the past that they had known, the older ones
that are dead and gone now, but the music lives on. They
talked about the songs that they had written. I didn't
think I could sit and listen and not go crazy. But to my
surprise it was beautiful to watch the dueling fiddles,
Christine's bright smile, and listen to the light banter
between them. It was inspiring, to see the miracle of
effortless playing--how could anyone not love this music
and these people who have helped us pass hours of bliss in
small bars and dancehalls from east to west, north to
south? "
Finally, I would like to put in a plug for the sponsors of
the Eagle's dance, the California Friends of Louisiana
French Music. This non-profit group was granted tax-exempt
status two years ago with the mission of promoting and
educating the public about traditional Louisiana French
music. The first big event sponsored by CFLFM was last
winter's tribute to Danny Poullard, and his contribution to
the California Cajun and Zydeco scene. You can read about
Danny's significant influence and the Bay Area's early
years in Michael Tisserand's excellent book, "The Kingdom
of Zydeco". In 1998, CFLFM has also had educational booths
at New Orleans by the Bay at Shoreline, the Ardenwood
Cajun/Zydeco Experience, and the Zydeco Festival at St.
Francis of Assisi in East Palo Alto, as well as sponsored
quite a few traditional jam sessions with our great local
musicians. The group also publishes a monthly newsletter. A
Board of Directors is elected annually by a membership that
now numbers about 200. Our next meetings will begin
planning for 1999. We welcome new members and encourage the
community to get more involved - from joining the Board to
volunteering at events. For more information or to join,
you can email me, Christy Leichy or Charmaine Silverstein.
.
For more info on Balfa Toujours, check out their web page