A number of years ago, while searching for more info on Leadbelly, I communicated with the director of the Leadbelly Foundation who happens to be his great, great niece. I was curious about the accordion recordings. She said that there were only four recordings on accordion in his vast catalog that includes almost 200 recordings. She also said that this was not a reflection on his ability to play it. He was known to play an entire gig on the accordion if the desire hit him, or if his guitar wasn't available. Without more recordings, or concrete proof, I find this hard to believe 100%.

I have said many times, on here included, that I firmly believe that Leadbelly's music had some influence on Amede' Ardoin and vice versa. The time period and region that they were performing overlapped a great deal. They had to have crossed paths. While language and actual content are vastly different, the similarity in melodies is sometimes eerie. Now, whether or not they were inspired by each others melodies is an unknown. They could have both been inspired by traditional Folk songs that they both heard while growing up.

All of this is pure speculation. I have yet to see any solid proof.

Speculation or not, it's very interesting and also probable. I know that blues musicians in those days crossed paths very often. It was a small world. I don't know if Amedé traveled a lot, but Huddie Ledbetter certainly did.

Leadbelly did not play a "Cajun" accordeon. He played a one row 4 stopper, 4 reed,10 button, 2 bass, bellows driven aerophone,.. Also known as an Accordeon. His were likely the very common Hohner/German, Saxon or Bohemian (where they were invented) instruments that were plentiful and cheap which the Cajuns also played and copied.

Leadbelly called the instrument a "windjammer"

The brand/model "windjammer" is now in use by Welsh accordeon dealer/player/maker Rees Wesson. Do a search for his web site.
Rees makes the CLIPPER and the Windjammer" which is a near copy of the Hohner HA114 with upgraded materials including Italian bellows in the Hohner colors.

A "Cajun" accordeon is an accordeon made by a Cajun.

Leadbelly played the "windjammer" much as he played the 12 strings, "ballsy"

There were many more non Cajuns who played the accordeon/melodeon in the US.
It is near lost and has been the topic of recent interest by some US players who are researching this little known segment of American folk history, and in particular, blacks/ African Americans not necessarily creole..but mostly in the urban north and the delta.

A friend of mine knew Leadbelly quite well and dated his niece for many years. He was also a player and builder of the 12 string and sang in the Leadbelly style and was the true author of Gallis/Gallows Pole/Poll. (sp)
He recounted to me Leadbelly playing the " windjammer"
RIP Fred Gerlach.. Dec 2009.

For a real treat check the scond link for info about a true American icon in the world of "folk" music... You will find on this German web site that has a bit on Fred, and a note I sent to the web owner is posted there. Scroll down to the letter just above the photo of him with his hand over his head.

All very true Signore Soprani! bravo! And very interestink!
A one row squeezebox or windjammer!
Probably "factory" tuned ,just like my old 114, and not "Cajun". I doubt if something like "dry Cajun tuning" even existed in those days. I guess not.

"dry Cajun tuning" is "just" tuning and the stamndard from most of the makers of the old boxes pre "Cajun"

Cajuns did not invent the tuning, they copied it.

"Dry tuning" is a lack of tremolo between the rows of reeds. "Just tuning" relates to the distance between notes within the scale.

Correct.

Dry tuning is "unison" tuning and can be done in any mode of tuning such as
"just". 12 TET, "Cajun", 1/4 comma etc etc etc

??!! !!??
Don't wanna be offensive, but what the f*** is a Tet? I don't speak Vietnamese.
Now I have to be frank: I'm possibly the only person on this board that has NEVER opened his CA! So count me out when it gets too technical.

At second thought I see what you mean. Makes sense, even though I still don't know what Tet means. BTW is it you Bohemian?

Site #2, a little light reading for you, Peer.

Well, I wonder if Leadbelly knew or cared whether his windjammer was tuned 12 TET, Wohltemperiert, "just" or "Cajun". I doubt it! Same goes for Amédé and the rest.
But it's interesting stuff for sure! I'm going to dive into that on some ol' rainy day!

Apart from all that, just a question: who started that "dry" tuning in Cajun/Creole music and when?
When I hear Amédé or Iry Lejeune, the accordion sounds "wet" , but with Lawrence Walker it's suddenly almost "dry". Was he one of the first?

You can hear that change from wet to dry not only in Cajun music, but also in French musette (from "musette" tuning to "swing" since the forties with musicians like Gus Viseur) and in Irish traditional (from Joe Cooley -wet- to Jackie Daley - in between- to Sharon Shannon- almost dry.)