Cajun and zydeco music is not just for old people

My two sons were on stage with Buckwheat Zydeco last week.
Sorry, had to tell someone.

That's cool (I once sneared at Buckwheat and Dimension 5 (Haikunym Cibula) rightly took me to task for my snobbery. Buckwheat has a zydeco kids cd, right. Plus I think he used to play in funk and soul bands in the 70s.

I was a Zydeco skeptic until I saw Beau Jocque perform at the Mid City Lanes Rock 'n Bowl back in the early '90s. He was a pretty intense performer, which I guess you have to be if you want to be heard above the sound of balls smashing into bowling pins.

Beau's bass player, Chuck Bush, was on guitar with Rosie Ledet at the zydeco dance the other night. He added more fuzztone than you usually hear from a zydeco axe-slinger.

Saw Rosie Ledet last month, and Leroy Thomas & the Zydeco Roadrunners last night (I think they're playing in Providence tonight and New York City Sunday night). Need to blurb more about this. Plus I've been reading about various festivals and stuff.

Nice funky bottom from Leroy Thomas' rhythm section. Plus covers of Ray Charles, Hank Williams and the Everly Brothers. He does some of the same songs that Geno Delafose does. Like Geno he takes a traditional approach--that means he can get '70s style funky but no hiphop influence like some of the younger guys. Zydeco couples dancing when done right is so cool. But I don't have the time to practice.

http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007711190320

Article published Nov 19, 2007
Popular accordion player Zydeco Joe dies at age 64
Herman Fuselier
hfusel✧✧✧@theadverti✧✧✧.c✧✧
Funeral services are pending for musician Zydeco Joe, aka Joseph Adam Mouton of Lafayette, who died Saturday at Lafayette General Hospital. Mouton was a popular accordion player, known for hits such as "You Can't Rooster Like You Used To," "Poppa Jack" and "Jack Rabbit."
Mouton was 64. Syrie Funeral Home in Lafayette is in charge of arrangements.

Joseph Mouton, Mouton's son, confirmed Sunday that his father died from complications related to strep pneumonia. After several attempts to revive Mouton from cardiac arrest, he was declared brain dead Saturday afternoon. Mouton was kept on life support for 24 hours so his organs could be harvested for donation.

Mouton's death came as a shock to many in the zydeco music community. He had performed Nov. 10 at Rock the Moon, a KRVS listener appreciation party, held Nov. 10 at the Blue Moon Saloon. He also played Wednesday during the 21st Annual Thanksgiving Zydeco Food Drive at El Sido's Zydeco and Blues Club.

Cullen Washington of Lake Charles, his longtime producer, said Mouton was preparing to go back into the studio. His recent CD, "Black Cat" on Zydeco Gumbo Records, had become a best seller. Washington was ordering more copies for distribution.

Washington remembers Mouton as "a giving person" who often played for elderly residents nursing homes. Mouton was also proud of his Creole roots and the French language used in his music.

"What you see with Zydeco Joe was what he was," said Washington. "He used to tell me he might not be the best accordion player.

"But I used to tell him he might not be Keith Frank or J. Paul, but nobody could beat him at what he did. Not many could do the old school zydeco and the Creole French like he did. He was a natural guy."

Mouton was born Oct. 25, 1943, in rural Lafayette Parish. Although he played guitar as a teen, Mouton did not learn accordion until he was 45. A close friend, Robley Hebert, died in an auto accident and his mother gave the accordion to Mouton.

Dudley Broussard, a nursing home resident, showed Mouton how to play blues and old-style, zydeco tunes.

After mastering the instrument, Mouton formed his Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler Band in 1988. The group played clubs and festivals from Lafayette to New Orleans, along with some out-of-state appearance.

Mouton recorded two CDs, "Jack Rabbit" in 2001 on Maison de Soul Records of Ville Platte, and "Black Cat" in 2006.

Man, that's terrible. Me and a friend of mine here in Houston have a two-man Zydeco Joe cult. "Can't Rooster Like You Useta" is a classic.

Awesome song title

http://www.parisdjs.com/images/covers/Mr_Moo-Cajun%20Funk_Vol_1_b.jpg
croc style - boom like that

http://img170.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf59282uk2.jpg

http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080211/NEWS01/802110320

Terrence Simien used to put on some great zydeco shows back in the 80s and he would occasionally add some blues and reggae and roots rock into the mix. By the '90s he increased the amount of non-zydeco and began to attract a jam band following. I lost interest in him. Recently I read that he and his wife's multi-year effort to get a Cajun and Zydeco category added to the Grammies paid off. And sure enough, the Grammy folks just gave him the award this year! While his efforts schooling the Grammys folks on the need for such an award is to be commended, it's a bit more questionable saying his latest cd was more worthy than that of the other artists nominated (and some of the great artists not even nominated). Yes I will admit that I have not heard his latest. And maybe expecting a smart decision from the Grammy folks (who once gave Jethro Tull the best heavy metal band award)is naive.

I'm way into zydeco right now. I admit, the 'hipster proof'ness of the genre is what drew me to it initially, but man, there is some rockin' shit to be discovered here. This was sorta my last stone unturned, genre wise, and I'm pretty excited about it right now. Anyone got any recommendations besides those listed above?

do u guys prefer polkas or waltzes

Waltzes are Cajun (and sometimes Creole), polkas are not. I prefer faster-tempoed zydeco to both, but if I had to choose I'd take waltzes.

I like all the zydeco acts that regularly come through the DC area--Curley Taylor, Andre Thiery, Geno Delafose...Plus, if you want to just listen to cds of old classic stuff you can also check out that Kingdom of Zydeco book. There's another book on Texas zydeco that I've been meaning to get.

I wish the more hiphop-inflected zydeco acts from Texas (Houston area mostly) would come my way-Step Rideaux and others. I'm spacing out on some of the names right now. Will list more of 'em later.

Actually Novamax listed 'em above. On the Cajun side of things, I've always liked Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys who add zydeco, melodic swamp pop, and minor-key balladry to their Cajun sound. They're touring the US in May (or at least coming to DC).

Another great Houston act: Lady D and the Zydeco Tornadoes. Her albums just make me smile.

I wish those Houston acts would tour the East coast.

No mentions of Amanda Shaw yet on this thread??

http://blog.rhapsody.com/2008/04/so-i-caught-17.html

I also really like this Arhoolie album I heard a couple years ago by Sam Brothers 5 (who are only partially young, but still):

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6739414/a/S.A.M.+(Get+Down).htm

I think I saw young fiddler Amanda Shaw at Jazzfest a few years ago. Your praise and something I read in Offbeat have me curious about her latest cd.

I have vague fond recollections of that Sam Brothers 5 one also.

I didn't see it, and I forget the kid's name, but I read that Oprah featured the 10-year-old zydeco accordion prodigy on her show a week or two ago. His name is either Ledet or Leday or Laday or some variant...I've been hearing about him for a few years now.

amanda shaw is vile but if for some undoubtedly non-illicit reason actually want to suffer through her schtick the imax film hurricane on the bayou has her pretending to play with an "all-star" band of her, allen toussaint, marva wright and "cajun" novelty bluesman tab benoit. the film also patiently explains to the viewer that the flooding in new orleans was a "natural disaster" and that some people somewhere might think maybe that perhaps the government didn't respond quite as well as it could have.

I've read many folks critique that movie for the same reasons. I always found Amanda Shaw harmless (not exceptional not terrible).

It's Jazz & heritage fest weekend in New Orleans and that big other fest down in Lafayette right now. Lots of zydeco and Cajun for all.

Just heard Travis Matte & the Kingpins doing "Vibrator" on the radio yesterday. It's about a woman's bottom. The song's actually from 2005 (why I have I never heard this before). I just learned that Matte, who used to please traditionalists with French language Cajun material, now does more zydeco (and in English). His 2006 cd is called "Booty Zydeco"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3oA7_xAChg

http://www.lsue.edu/acadgate/music/zydecokingpins.htm

Then there's Horace Trahan & the New Ossun Express's "That Butt Thang"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXh3eezILaU&feature=related

http://www.lsue.edu/acadgate/music/htrahan.htm

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is featuring Texas this summer so I was hoping some of those Texas acts that rarely if ever come up North would be playing. But alas, the only Texas zydeco act that appears to be coming is CJ Chenier. Although Step Rideau will be here June 13th at the Kennedy Center for free.

I missed Step, but I think they videotaped the show and it is archived on the Kennedy Center Milennium stage website. I just bought Roger Wood's "Texas Zydeco" book at the Smithsonian Folklife Fest today. Wood was apparently at the Fest last week as one of the themes as I noted above is Texas. I missed CJ Chenier who was apparently good, but stayed on a stool the whole time because he had a stroke (and he's not that old). I saw a little of Jim Thibodeaux and the Austin Cajun Aces (or something like that). They were ok--just standard trad Cajun.

zydeco for Obama

I heard that on Rachel Maddow's show a couple of nights ago. Curmudgeon, you're doing the work of the Lord, keeping this thread going almost singlehandedly.

It's one of my ILX blogs along with the chitlin circuit soul thread!!

Just heard the Zydeco Cowboy, Texas Fred, playing "Zydeco Strokin'" (a version of the Clarence Carter song) on WPFW. I think it was by Jude Taylor. Very nice.

God, it's that kind of stuff that makes me miss Virginia.

I know it's not the same but supposedly you can hear wpfw online. Texas Fred, The Zydeco Cowboy, is on Saturday afternoons now from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time (hmmm, that's like 11 a.m. for you). WPFW's chitlin circuit soul and blues show with dj The Gator is on before at noon Eastern time so give it a try some rainy Saturday when you don't mind being near or on the computer.

My apartment's small, so I can just turn the speakers up a little. Will definitely give it a go.

I wonder if this scene will end up spreading a little like the Daptone, etc., soul stuff.

What are the labels and distribution channels for contemporary cajun music? is any of it being released on LP?
my only expose to cajun music has been the series of LPs on the Old-Timey label, mostly of cajun fiddling. That stuff I like very much.

Oh you're the vinyl addict. Young Cajun band the Pine Leaf Boys are on Arhoolie (who I think still put out vinyl and have been releasing Cajun and zydeco records for decades), the Lost Bayou Ramblers (wh add some jazzy swing to their sound) are on Swallow (maybe still vinyl not sure), and the Red Stick Ramblers (who I don't much about are on Memphis Int.). Great African-american fiddler Cedric Watson who was in the Pine Leaf Boys (they still include Wilson Savoy, Marc & Ann's son) put out a solo cd with guest musicians on a label called Valcour earlier this year---again I know it's on cd but don't know about vinyl.

Louisiana zydeco groups record for a variety of big and small indie labels, and Texas(Mostly Houston area) ones (some hiphop-influenced) record on very small indies.

The Louisiana Music Factory store (with website) in New Orleans sells lots of the above (I believe including vinyl). Alas, the Nooney & the Floaters hiphop-inflected zydeco cd from a few years back that I wanted is now unavailable.

thanks :D

No problem. Now I just need a good source on Houston zydeco (and maybe Louisiana too). Maybe if I google Lomax's Texas alt-weekly contributions.

I'll save you the trouble 'Mudge. I'm not the music guy down here anymore, but I'll always keep with zydeco...

Here's a mess of Houston and SE Texas zydeco band Myspaces, with a bunch of big names left out, for the simple reason they don't do MySpace:

http://www.myspace.com/bigredandthezydecoplaymakers
http://www.myspace.com/curtispoullardczband
http://www.myspace.com/AndreThierryZydecoMagic
http://www.myspace.com/brianjackzydeco
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=109732605 (Corey Ledet)
http://www.myspace.com/jabo832
http://www.myspace.com/390816697 (Keyun and the Zydeco Masters)
http://www.myspace.com/marcusardoinandthezydecolegendz

This site is always the best way to keep up with H-Town zydeco:

http://zydecoevents.com/events.html. I dig the Zydeco version of "Casanova" that plays in the background.

BTW, that version of "Casanova" has an obvious debt to the Glen David Andrews brass band medley.

I like Keith Frank. Thanks for all the links--Andre Thiery and Brian Jack have come east (Thiery was just in Maryland Sunday) but not most of those Texas acts.

god, that casanova cover sounds so wack compared to rebirth

Zydeco can't help but sound kinda wack compared to brass bands. That's part of its charm to me.

http://www.arnb.org/Schedule.php

Now this is ambitious. A world-wide zydeco and Cajun calendar.

http://zydecoevents.com/nooney.html

I Like the syncopation on "Bounce Back," the Nooney & the Floaters song streaming here

From Ned Sublette's e-mail list:

ben sandmel in new orleans sent this today:

Luderin Darbone, the acclaimed Cajun-swing fiddler who co-founded The Hackberry Ramblers in 1933, passed away on November 21, at Calcasieu-Cameron Hospital in Sulphur, Louisiana.

Born in Evangeline, Louisiana and raised in Orangefield, Texas, Darbone taught himself to play, at age twelve, by taking a correspondence course. With the technique that Darbone acquired he was soon able to play by ear and learn songs heard on radio. As a teenager, Darbone moved to the then-remote salt marsh town of Hackberry, Louisiana. There he met his life-long musical collaborator, Edwin Duhon, a multi-instrumentalist who, at that time, focused on the accordion. The two began playing dances together.
They quickly gathered a following, added a third member, and dubbed themselves The Hackberry Ramblers.

Edwin Duhon soon switched to playing guitar, reflecting a prevalent trend in which the accordion faded from Cajun music in the 1920s and ‘30s. This String Band Era, as it came to be known, coincided with the introduction of electricity to rural southwest Louisiana, and The Hackberry Ramblers brought two important innovations to the local scene. They blended the Cajun repertoire with Anglo-American west­ern swing and country songs, which thus far were totally separate traditions, and they intro­duced electronic amplification to area dance-halls. This allowed acoustic instruments such as the fiddle to be clearly heard over the sound of a crowd, thus encouraging musicians to increase their technique as soloists, raising levels of skill all around. At some far-flung places that did not yet have electricity, Darbone powered the band’s primitive Sears-Roebuck P.A. system with his Model-T Ford, which idled outside the dance-hall all night. .

In 1935 The Hackberry Ramblers signed with RCA Bluebird, a prominent national-level record label. Their hits, released on 78 r.p.m.
records, included the first rendition of "Jolie Blonde" under that title, and "Wondering," which later scored a huge hit for country crooner Webb Pierce. Their eclectic repertoire included Cajun music, country and western swing, jazz, low-down blues, and even the occasion Hawaiian novelty number.
When singing in English the band adopted the moniker The Riverside Ramblers, thanks to a sponsorship deal from the Montgomery-Ward department store chain, which was then marketing a new line of Riverside Tires. These recordings revealed Luderin Darbone, with his lilting, lyrical fiddle style, as a leading creative figure of his day whose contributions have come to be considered historic.

By the 1940s the Hackberry Ramblers evolved from a hillbilly string-band -- to use the record-business parlance of the day -- into a ten-piece western swing orchestra with horns, piano and electric guitar. In this configuration they recorded for the Deluxe Records, in 1950. At the time the Ramblers were in the midst of a ten-year house-band gig at a local roadhouse known as the Silver Star.

The popularity of Cajun mu­sic reached a low ebb during the 1960s, and The Hackberry Ramblers contemplated retirement. But cultural crusader Chris Strachwitz, the guiding force behind Arhoolie Re­cords, encouraged the band to stay active, recording them anew in 1963 and
reissuing some of their Bluebird classics. The pace eventually
re-accelerated with the advent of the Cajun music and zydeco renaissance in the late ‘70s. Heritage-conscious young fiddlers such as Michael Doucet sought out Darbone and other old masters, and brought their songs to new audiences. In 1988 The Hack­berry Ramblers began a series of annual performances at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fes­tival which lasted through 2005. They also started touring nationally, appear­ing over the years at di­verse events including Superbowl '96, The Grand Ole Opry, The New­port Folk Festival, and dozens of festivals and nightclubs. By this point the group’s sound had evolved once again, as electric guitarist Glen Croker added a swaggering honky-tonk tinge that included R & B, rockabilly, and country a la Ray Price and Merle Haggard.

By the early 1990s The Hackberry Ramblers' rich history and
undiminished vitality began to pique media interest. This groundswell
inspired the Ram­blers to record their first album in thir­ty years. Cajun Boogie (released in 1993 by Flying Fish Records, and reissued in 2003 by Hot
Biscuits.) The album was well received by national publications including The New York Times, Rolling Stone and USA Today, leading to TV/radio appearances on Entertainment Tonight, NBC’s Today Show, CNN Showbiz Today,
MTV Live and NPR's Weekend Edition, Fresh Air, and World Café. The
Ramblers follow-up album, Deep Water (Hot Biscuits), featured guest appearances by Marcia Ball, Rodney Crowell, Michael Doucet, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Deep Water was nominated for a Grammy award as the best traditional folk album of 1997. Continual touring followed and, in 2002, The Hackberry Ramblers debuted in Europe with festival performances in France and Holland. That same year, Luderin Darbone and Edwin Duhon received a prestigious National Heritage Fellowship from the Folk Arts Program of the National Endowment for the Arts.

In January, 2004 Darbone was featured, along with the rest of the band, in the documentary Make ‘Em Dance: The Hackberry Ramblers’
Story. Directed by film-maker John Whitehead, Make ‘Em Dance was nationally broadcast on the PBS series Independent Lens. The Hackberry Ramblers’ final tour included a performance at the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004, where one of Luderin Darbone’s fiddles is on permanent display, following a donation ceremony in 1999. The Ramblers’ final performance took place at the Shaw Center’s Manship Theater, in Baton Rouge, in 2005. But Luderin Darbone, who loved his music, continued to play every day, at home, and he rallied for two performances in 2008, performing in public for the last time at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Luderin Darbone was a kind, gentle, conscientious man. He was a deeply talented musician, a loving parent and grandfather, and a wise bandleader. Although he will be sorely missed, he leaves a rich and beautiful legacy from a long, happy life. May he rest in peace.

He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Eddie and Annette Darbone; his grand-daughter Paige Neal, her husband Bob, their daughter, Julia, and son, Taylor; his grandsons Heath, and Dustin; and band-members Glen Croker and Ben Sandmel. Luderin Darbone was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Lue, who steadfastly encouraged his musical career and travels until her passing in 1999. A devout Catholic who attended mass every day, Darbone was also an active member of the Knights of Columbus.

Visitation will be held on Monday evening, November 24, from 5:00 – 9:00 PM, at Hixson Sulphur Memorial Funeral Home, 2051 E. Napoleon, in Sulphur, 337 – 625-9171. On Tuesday morning November 25, at 10:00 A.M., the funeral will be held at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church, 1109 Cypress St, in Sulphur, 337 – 527-5261.

_____________________________________________

RIP. I had no idea the Hackberry Ramblers were even recording as late as 1993 much less performing in 2003! God, the man must have lived a good life.

I got a cajun record today. The Balfa Brothers Play Traditional Cajun Music.
I like it.

http://www.popsike.com/pix/20071223/350008936915.jpg

oh nice. A good album.

http://bayoutechedispatches.blogspot.com/2022/05/state-of-genre-swamp-pop-in-21st-century.html

Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas and Sean Ardoin are both nominated for Best Regional Roots Music Album n Grammys

https://www.nola.com/gambit/music/with-new-solo-music-louis-michot-plays-weekly-residency-at-maple-leaf-in-january/article_90b685ca-82fb-11ed-98a9-5fdea198a1ac.html

Louis Michot from Lost Bayou Ramblers has a solo album in the works with some experimental aspects ( mixing in Alan Lomax items) and a series of shows in New Orleans with some collaborations. Looks cool to me

https://wherewegotozydeco.com/

This site lists upcoming live zydeco and Cajun shows in DC, Md, Va , PA, NY & sometimes New England states

Steve Riley is giving zoom Cajun accordion lessons. He and a band are also touring the northeast

From his Dad's Go-Fund Me for him: John Nova Lomax is in his last days with liver and kidney failure, an infection, bleeding ulcers and lesser issues, all of which came to a head today (Monday 5.8)

He wrote some great articles about Houston zydeco

Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz died a few days ago as well. Been listening to some of Clifton Chenier's classic records from his label.

I listened to some Clifton Chenier on YouTube as I couldn’t find his Black Snake Arhoolie album on Spotify, and I only own a few Arhoolie releases on vinyl.

FWIW, I always thought this was a solid "best of" that Strachwitz put together. This and Bayou Blues (from Specialty) make a pretty great intro to Chenier.

https://www.discogs.com/master/730702-Clifton-Chenier-60-Minutes-With-The-King-Of-Zydeco

Thanks. Will check those out. I am still interested in some current zydeco too-

I wish some of these 2023 Houston zydeco bands would come to the east coast. I haven't researched what they have available for purchase or stream yet.

Looking for a great time in Houston? The upcoming Houston Zydeco Fest will be fun! Dancing, Food and more! See You There! 💥 #Houstontx @Eventbrite #EmancipationPark @epconservancy pic.twitter.com/hGeVheyfWB

— LaVerne St.Mary NMLS #113731 Equal Housing Lender (@MortgageLaVerne) April 28, 2023

Lawrence "Black" Ardoin, patriarch of family of Creole and zydeco music has died. He played music & was son of Creole music legend Bois Sec Ardoin, & the father of musicians Sean Ardoin, Chris Ardoin and uncle to Ernest Ardoin and Gus Ardoin

https://www.katc.com/news/around-acadiana/lawrence-black-ardoin-creole-music-patriarch-has-died

Lawrence Black Ardoin died in December 2022.

RIP writer John Nova Lomax at 53 who wrote about Houston , Texas culture including music like zydeco, hiphop and more

"Whether covering crime or culture, streets or songs, Lomax overturned all stones."

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/article/john-nova-lomax-writer-houston-texas-dies-18088579.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaG91c3RvbmNocm9uaWNsZS5jb20vbGlmZXN0eWxlL2FydGljbGUvam9obi1ub3ZhLWxvbWF4LXdyaXRlci1ob3VzdG9uLXRleGFzLWRpZXMtMTgwODg1NzkucGhw&time=MTY4NDc4ODIwOTczNw==&rid=YzVkMmE5M2QtNGU1Yy00ZmI4LWI0YzEtMjBjMjFjZGUyMTNm&sharecount=MQ==

Every Grammy Awards nominee for best Regional Roots Album is from Louisiana:

New Beginnings
Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band

Live At The 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers

Live: Orpheum Theater Nola
Lost Bayou Ramblers & Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Made In New Orleans
New Breed Brass Band

Too Much To Hold
New Orleans Nightcrawlers

Live At The Maple Leaf
The Rumble Featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/16/travel/things-to-do-cajun-country-acadiana.html

No mention of zydeco club El-Sido's

RIP Jo-El Sonnier Louisiana Cajun and country musician from what sounds like a heart attack

https://kpel965.com/louisiana-cajun-country-music-artist-jo-el-sonnier-dead/