The Cajun Accordion Forum Song of the Month for August 2014 is -- Jolie Blonde
It's August and it's hot - even here in Oregon (relatively for us) so time to dial it back.
Jolie Blonde is often called the Cajun National Anthem and at least for me here in Oregon, is the song most requested. Sadly, I don't know it well at all. There is some debate on the origin of the song. The Wikipedia article has a lot of information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jole_Blon
Youtube has many many versions of Jolie Blond. Give a search. Pick one or more.
Octa Clark and Hector Duhon have a version that I particularly like on the "Old Time Cajun Music" album.
I'm really looking forward to seeing what all versions we get of this. The song seems to lend itself to modification very well. I'm also looking forward to playing it a lot better.
A big note of thanks to Neal for his site. It's very interesting to listen to the song evolve over the years.
I must have missed this one. I actually suggested this song to John. I wonder how many folks actually posted versions? I did find very nice ones from Peer and Big Nick. Maybe there are still enough folks like me who never posted this one who need to "catch up" with the program. Haha!
Bryan I remember watching and studying your first version in my early days of learning to play this one, you've definately improved on it and it flows like a good waltz should, like john I'm always impressed with low notes thrown in- it must take alot of practice to do that comfortably.
Can anyone help me out with the lyrics to this one?
I've been using quite a simple two verse set- can't remember where from, not quite as basic as the Buckwheat version- which I am very fond of all the same.
Is there a standard set of lyrics that most cajun players prefer?
Bryan, I like your expansion of the melodic line to follow the vocal melody. This seems to be uncommon in Cajun music (case in point: Madeleine). Nice work!
I know where you can get a C box built, but the builder requires 10 months lead-time minimum, and a substantial deposit. You do, however, get a choice of ducks or fleurs. :-)
I'm having the opposite reaction. I just don't hear the melody to this song, the way that it is sung or played on fiddle, on the accordion. I keep hearing harmony notes where I am expecting to hear melody notes. And that's the case whether it's Bryan's version, or Octa Clark's on youtube.
The first time that I suggested this song at a jam none of the accordion players could play it. Do the melody notes just not lie well on accordion?
I was never attracted to the song, partially because it IS such a standard, and people might ask for that like they ask for Jambalaya (in my experience, people will ask for Jambalaya much more often).
When I did sit down to learn it, it really was not falling together well under my less experienced fingers, and someone else on here warned me that the B part was even more difficult.
I love the song, but it's one of those played so much I get kinda tire of it. But not nearly to the degree I've come to cringe anytime I hear La Port En Arriere.
Steve Riley calls this a "hard song" in his intermediate lesson CD. The way he plays it, one must agree. However, there are as many interpretations as there are players, but I still find this to be a difficult song to be so basically simple.