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Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

I received a challenge, that I already did, before the video, that this dude commented. I know that absolutely no one, can play anything like Amede Ardoin... The question, from this one, is of speed.

I made a video, by myself, without my dad. 10o some miles an hour.

Greezy 39, I hope you can see this..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdcQaYJA5TQ


The comment on my dad, and my vid, a month later...

"I see a couple of guys are taking a try at Amede's "Two Step". It cannot be done correctly using the modern day accordion playing speed. Go back and listen to the original and try it at the right speed. The ultimate test for you counterfeit cajuns."

What this dude doesn't realize, is that I made a video, a few days or weeks, before this. I already did the Ardoin challenge. I do not profess, that I can play anything like him. NO ONE CAN!

I was finally nice, and 100% truthful with my response.

"Hey there. I actually agree with you about the speed of the Amede Two-Step. And you are correct! We are counterfeit Cajuns. We live in Baltimore Maryland.

However, I'm going to share a few things with you. Firstly, I'm going to go out on a limb, and assume that you are not Cajun, either, nor from Louisiana.

At the end of this message, I'll show you a video I made of this, on my own, before my dad and I recorded this. It's plenty fast.

Now as to me, believing that you're not actuallyfrom Louisiana, I'm assuming that statement had to do with the speed, of which we played? If it did, then you are calling many, many respected Cajun musicians, counterfeit.

However, I agree with you on the speed factor. In fact I've ******* at length to people who play the slower speed, when U started. The first couple years that I played Cajun accordion, all I wanted to do was emulate the old school recordings. I learned to play at 105 beats per minute. But I realized, that if I didn't slow down to learn these songs, I am missing many embellishments and notes, that I didn't squeeze in.

But as you can see, with this video that I made before the one you commented on. I can play this **** fast."

I adore to old style of speed. So, GREEZY 39, if you're watching... Suck on this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdcQaYJA5TQ

Re: Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

Hey wait a minute now. I can play as good, if not better than Amedee Ardoin! It's just that I won't let anybody see me do it. Too humble I guess. Maybe one day I will come out da closet and show yall some face melting accordion lix.

Re: Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

Yall done got me intrested in this Amedee again. I went back and listened to my record playar with Amedee's "TOO Stap" and I dont have me none of doze timin synchro meters me, so I used an stop watch to see how many down beats he was doing in 1 minute. It seems he is playing at 108 beats per minute. Meh me, I play da same song at 96 beats per minute. It plays more swanky that way i tink. My daddy's daddy used to play dat way him.

Re: Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

Mah Mon! Im about to lose my mind on dis. Got me lookin and timing myself and everybody I know on how fast dey play da accordion. I put one of dem links right dere fo yew to listen to. Ca que c'est mon cousanne defant Nathan. He's playing dat accordion at 96 down beats per minute da best I can here me.
Its funny how it works out wit dem down beats wit dem cajun too staps. (96 or 108 bpm.) boat of dem divide real good wit da number twalve (12). Almost as if God him salf showed us how to do it. I dint realize dat me until now.

Re: Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

One thing that was not mentioned, is that the recording equipment in Amede Ardoin's day was primitive compared to today's modern recording techniques. It is not uncommon to have irregular recording speeds on older records. I think it is possible that Armede was playing a bit slower but the speed changed as it was recorded and pressed. I have some recordings from the 60s that are slightly off pitch when I play along with them. I attribute this to the recording equipment used back in the day. Another point that was not mentioned is that when playing for dancers, a slower speed is preferred. If you are used to playing for dancers then you will naturally play at a slower speed than what was recorded. JIm, I think you are an awesome box player and I enjoy seeing you and your dad play on YouTube videos. You guys are great. Don't take this type of criticism too seriously.

Re: Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

totally agree Dana !!

Re: Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

Aldus Roger playing essentially da same song as Nathan Abshire's "French Two Step" aka Hicks Wagon Wheel.

But Aldus is playing it at 114 down beats per minute! An he pulls it off!

Go ahead an double check me because I'm only using a stop watch, my ears,and my feet to count the beats. (the natural way except for the watch) I could be wrong.

Re: Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

One more time, that other link was dead for some reason.

Re: Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

Mais Mon! J'connais pas qois se passe' avec le "link". Well, jus type in aldus roger hicks wagon wheel in da youtube if you even care. Interesting on these playing speeds deaux, dont you tink?

Re: Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

But den here is vielle Aldus playing at 108dbpm on a song that you would tink he could have played at his fast 114dbpm.

so...so far we have two step speeds of 105???, 108, 114, and dat elusive but yet do-able 96dbpm that only a few can actually do or even realize exist. I tink we have to go back to the drawing board on dis one.

Re: Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

Mais ca c'est un ***** pu tan! Got dam link! Well it was Aldus playing "Bosco Stomp". Its hard to be credible when the dam links you post dont work worth a f#$%. Da Devil is against me! Or against this accordion website.

Re: Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

114 BPM... Now there's a challenge. I know Aldus played some fast numbers... but that fast?? I've seen the Aldus vids, and they sounded nice and fast, like I love them. 114 beats per minute might sound like the chipmunks, do Louisiana. I can eventually try and record a video playing along with Ye Olde Casio keyboard, with the "country beat" (all intents and purposes, a two-step beat). 114 beats a minute is hardcore fast.

Re: Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

Yeah, 114 is fast, but da way he play it, it fits. I guess what all can be learned is Cajun musicians (the whole band) usually follow and followed in da pass, da lead instrument which in most cases is an accordion. I guess if da accordion player is spry or learned to play it fast, or feels like amping it up a notch for certain songs, he can choose to do jus dat for which ever two stap it fits with,....But, like Steve Riley said, you have to be careful not to start out too fast. One player who tends to go at it fast is Joel Sonnier, but he can sure play it slow and good when he wants. Marc Savoy too is known for amping it up, although its through da use of ungodly finger board manipulation combined with melt face speed sometimes. The gumbo can get too salty though if you keep adding salt too soon and through the whole cooking process, and even at the end. Know what I mean don't ya Marc?

Sometimes ya jus gotta play it slow and swanky with an attitude. But not too slow so's da people fall asleep or want to leave an go home. Dey can get boring for free at home as well as all kind of "fast"/overwhelming drama off the news tv at da house.

Try 96 bpm as can be heard on Iry Lejeune's "Jolie Catin" aka "Eunice two Step. Try it if you've ever a mind too. Your repetoir will change an grow if you learn how to do it. It'll make you like da rare few old masters before the dancehalls era. Good tool to break out at a jam session to show you actually know a lil someting different dan daat same ole honky tonk rhythm dat seems to dominate deze days.

I don't understand all I know. Ha

I say, we go back to letting the fiddler lead off for a few songs me. And last but not least in the words of Octa Clark..."You cant go wrong, if you play it right". Genius, pure genius.

Re: Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

Sorry to butt in guys but this topic really interests me. I too have been in ore of the Aldus Roger Bosco Stomp footage and funilly enough have only just bought an Iry Lejeune collection, I've also started messing around with drum machines! That Eunice 2 step is something I've kept returning to but not nailed- the Geno version got me started. In the sleeve notes by Ann Savoy she states of Jolie Catin; "A classic in both black and white scenes in Louisiana, originally recorded by amede Ardoin. It is melodically and poetically one of the finest examples of traditional cajun music" then goes on to include the lyrics.
All this speed thing makes me think of a little pill called French Blues, which ties into Northern Soul and the allnighters over here in England, like you with the Honky Tonk, soul funk and hippy stuff wasn't fast enough on the beat for those dancers. Working folks want something good, fast and solid for the good times at the weekend.
Another one which you can find on youtube which for me ties in with this strain of playing is Hathaway two step by Mamou Hour Cajun band, have been trying to nail that one for a long time, some of it sounds almost Irish to me.

Time to get up to speed, ha!

Re: Calling on Greezy 39, with mostly agreements.

I say you welcome anytime! Dat "Jolie Catin" is da unobtainium of cajun music. You get dat one down in the speed Iry and Wayne Toup plays it, and you join da ranks of da special ones.

To help you learn it, Wayne Toups cd "Reflections of the Past" has a three song acoustic session at da very end. He plays Jolie Catin on a "D" accordion, and you can match up to it if you try hard enough. The sound is way more clear than Iry's old classic recordings. Doze 3 acoustic songs are da whole reason I bought da cd when it came out. Enspiring to say the least!



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