Recording of Acadian Two Step with Nathan Abshire.
Does anyone know of a CD that has Nathan Abshire playing Acadian Two Step? There's a version of him playing it with the Balfa Brothers on YouTube, but I can't find it on any of my Nathan CDs or Balfa CDs. It would be sad if it is out of print.
The version on YouTube is a little strange. They should video of Nathan and the Balfas playing it, but the sound is from a recording, not from the live performance that they are showing.
It's a great version, and I sure would like to have a recording of it. I used to play it a long time ago, and I want to dust it off and add it back to my repertoire.
Re: Recording of Acadian Two Step with Nathan Abshire.
That's weird! I've just been playing this tune tonight after it came into my head probably from listening to Keith Frank a while back, I even located the tune on his zydeco icon album- as I didn't know the name of it- which then lead me to listening
to Nathan Abshire's on youtube. Then I look on here and you're on about it!
I got reminded of Acadian Two Step a two or three weeks ago when I was randomly playing some songs on my phone while walking to work.
It was Keith Frank! I guess I forgot that he had a version of it.
I started playing it again a bit, but I wanted to hear some other versions, particularly versions with fiddle. That's when I found the Nathan Abshire/Balfa Brothers version on YouTube. It's definitely one of the better versions I was able to find.
It's on the CD "Nathan Abshire, The Great Accordionist" (Ace Records) that gathers two old vinyl albums:
1. NATHAN ABSHIRE, La Louisianne Records LL-139, 1973 (with Merlin Fontenot, Bessyl Duhon, Rufus Thibodeaux, Joe Thibodeaux, Carol Rachou).
2. NATHAN ABSHIRE, La Louisianne, LL-144, 1978
"Le Two-Step De L'Acadien" was on the first album (track #6 on the CD)
Re: Recording of Acadian Two Step with Nathan Abshire.
Thanks!
It really is a great version.
I listened to a whole bunch of versions on YouTube, etc., and this one really stood out from the crowd.
One thing that helps, is that the recording quality is very good. It's an unfortunate fact of life that so many of the older recordings of great Cajun musicians are marred by the poor quality of the recording equipment available at the time. I try to listen, but after a while it becomes painful. I know they were doing the best they could with what they had, but I can only take it in small doses. It gets in the way and is just not enjoyable.
Re: Recording of Acadian Two Step with Nathan Abshire.
The YouTube video I heard is from an lp done by the Sonet label, The Cajuns - Vol.1: Balfa Brothers Orchestra With Nathan Abshire, Ardoin Brothers with Canray Fontenot (SNTF 643 Sonet, 1973). It was a studio recording done in La Louisianne records' studio, if I recall. This version has Dewey Balfa and Merlin Fontenot on fiddles, a drummer, etc. Full band. You could probably find a used lp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCG80XPHs-M
Nathan did it earlier on Arhoolie Cajun Fais Do Do. A stripped down version with Dewey Balfa on fiddle, Rodney Balfa on guitar, and a triangle player. That's still available on CD. The album also includes Adam and Cyprien Landrenau, Isom Fontenot, and the Breaux Brothers. Great liner notes by Revon Reed.