I know the music in link #1 is not zydeco, but is there any relation or direct influence? In fact it is not so far to New Orleans.
And is it also performed on the (piano)accordion?

Gus

I don't think there is any connection whatsoever between Professor Longhair and zydeco music. They are both rooted in Louisiana, but musically and culturally they are worlds apart. Professor Longhair was having hit records at least a decade before zydeco was even invented!

-David

Thanks David,
funny, so close and then such a difference in culture. So the Mardi Gras from New Orleans is also different from the cajun? Or is there more relationship between those?


Gus

Yes, Mardi Gras in New Orleans is WAY different from the Cajun variety.

-David

Oh, I expect Professor Longhair influenced some Zydeco. Clifton Chenier had to have heard him, and no music was safe from Clifton absorbing and reflecting back in his own way. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say they both were influenced by Caribbean music. Whaddaya think?

i wouldn;t be sure clifton heard the professor

new orleans and lafayette were much more
separate, before i-10

i have never heard anything in clifton;s
music that sounded like the professor

the professor;s signature thing was
the relentless bass/percussion pounding
of left hand rumba

there isn;t even the same thing or sound
on any accordion

and his vocals
what a cool singer
the prof
i love the professor

i;d say the professor had more latin
influence than african/caribbean island flavor
as well
and there is no latin in clifton either

i vote no
but what do i know

wle

What about Ay-yi-yi?

hmm!
could be
it;s kind of latin
no way to know
clifton could have heard prof by the 70s or 80s
ay yi yi, when was that recorded?
also remember that latin music swept the usa
in the 40s and 50s
ricky ricardo, xavier cugat, it was all
about cuba for a while - just before elvis..

wle.

I'm thinking he recorded that in the early 70's. I would've liked to have been a fly on the wall and have those two meet musically. Did you ever hear the album that Gatemouth Brown and Professor Longhair played together on? Gate and Roy Clark also did an outstanding album called Makin' Music. It's not available on CD, but everything Vanilla Ice ever did is. Go figure.

"Ay-Ai-Ai" is a cool song. But what are you saying about it? Are you saying that Professor Longhair wrote it? Or are you saying it is a Latin-influenced expression? It could be, I suppose, but if you look back in Cajun music you will find a similar sounding expression that goes way, way back and is often written as "Oh, ye yaille!".

Clifton recorded "Ay-Ai-Ai" in the mid-1960's - it is on the Arhoolie CD called "Bon Ton Roulet".

-David

So, it turns out that "Ay-Ai-Ai" was recorded in 1964. It only had accordion, drums and...piano. The piano player was Elmore Nixon. I don't know anything about him, other than the fact that he was a session player on several recordings by Clifton Chenier circa 1964-1969, and that he is regarded as not having achieved the recognition he deserved. There was supposed to be a guitar and bass player on the session, but their amps short circuited or were non-functioning for some other reason. Apparently they at least sang background vocals.

I didn't check the song writing credits for the song because my copy of Bon Ton Roulet is at work. But I know that usually Clifton was given credit for a lot of songs that maybe it was a bit of a stretch (e.g., J'ai revailler a ce matin, is an exact copy of I Woke Up This Morning, the only difference being that it was in French instead of English.)

But perhaps on this particular song, maybe there was significant contribution from Elmore Nixon. Being a piano player, he may well have brought in additional stylistic influences.

Oh yeah, one other thing. We were discussing the distance between New Orleans and the whereabouts of Clifton. Well, at this point in his career, it was even farther because he was in Houston, not in Louisiana.

Fun facts to know and tell.

-David

Hi David, My kingdom for the lyrics of "Ay-yi-yi". I know most of them. There's just the one line, and if you figure it out, you're a better man than me. Here's out it goes:
Way down in Louisiana, underneath the evergreens
I was sitting there all alone, along came a Creole queen
***(Garble garble garble) >?took her by the hand?<,***
as we went strolling along. she said Ay-yi, Ay-yi, ay-yi ,mo-mo.

And if you can deciper that one, my friend, we'll move on to "Don't you just know it" by Huey "piano" Smith.

Thanks, Jamey

Hi Jamey,

I struggled my way through that line many years ago. This is what I came up with:


Way down in Louisiana
Underneath the evergreens
I was sitting there all alone
Along came a Creole queen
Her mother dear had her by the hand
As they went strolling along
She said Ay-yi, Ay-yi, ay-yi, mo-mo.



I'll post "Don't You Just Know It" too. Soundhound and I used to play that all the time in a band we were in together in the late 80's. It was always a crowd pleaser!

-David

Just found some samples of the Chenier Ay- Ai- Ai.

Never heard them before, but to me it sounds a (very) little like "Iko Iko". If there must be a link with the scene of dr John, Prof Longhair et cetera, this is imho at least one link.

Gus

Okay, NOW I have to go back and listen to it. Strange lyrics, if those are indeed the ones. It may be another week or so before I get the chance, 'cuz I'm off to FABULOUS Lafayette! Merry Christmas!

-Jamey