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Re: Confessions of an Accordion Hitman

Jerry, behave now. LOL, I was just starting to want to have you come back and participate again. Maybe throw handfuls of crap at each other every once in a while, then shoot the bull. I missed you.

Tommy Quinn, you seem to be stuck in a conundrum my friend. You want to be a Cajun style accordion player. You say it's a small part of your life. But evidently that is an incorrect statement. According to you, you purchased at least "half a dozen" Cajun accordions brother. That, to me is a pretty significant part of your life. You want to learn my music, my language, my customs and traditions and lifestyle, yet you seem to not like me, what I stand for, nor what I'm doing on this "CAJUN ACCORDION DISCUSSION FORUM"?? And that goes for every last one of you other hypocrites turning against me for whatever reason, I'm sure I don't know! While some of the more intelligent folks that come here remain kind and understanding. I know what it is Tommy. You're too liberal maybe. Must be that California air you breathe. I'm starting to rub you the wrong way because of my inherent lifestyle and mannerisms. My "Cajun" life style and mannerisms. Brother, you need to ask yourself a question. "Are you really sure the Cajun genre is right for you?" Because my soul purpose here is to give you guys the "inside scoop". No holds barred.

Let me tell you a little story about the elder male relatives that have come and gone in my life. Come supper time, they were either showering or shaving, or sitting on the recliner watching TV, or maybe even playing their accordion and having a BEER!. "The Wife"...would call out to them and say supper's ready. These men would rise from whatever they were doing and go and sit at the HEAD OF THE TABLE! At that point, "the wife" would lay a plate full of hot food in front of them. (They dared not lay a plate of cold food) After the plate was placed on the table, then came a fork, spoon, or knife according to the meal. Then, "the wife" would ask, "What do you want to drink, and then she'd go and get it and bring it and place it on the table in front of his plate for him to take a drink in order to taste it. Then she'd wait for him to taste the food and....hope for the best possible outcome. With his approval, she would turn and serve each and every kid pretty much the same way, but didn't always wait for their approval. Then, after all that, she'd serve herself. Oh, it goes on, and probably in your opinion, it gets worse! Is this starting to get to you Tommy? Is it bothering you brother? Because it was a Cajun custom and understood by every one in the house and done in every house in the got dammed community! I'm not even going to waste my time telling you why this was done on a daily basis. I'll leave you like this wiggling around with your liberal lifestyle feelings about it. I didn't ask for you to attack me, but you did. You and a few others that I won't forget. Your words were the harshest. Now that you've attacked me...., in true Cajun fashion, I want to attack you back 10 fold until you yield and every one around watches you yield. But I don't really want to do that. Want to know why Tommy? Because in my house, I serve my wife's plate often. I do that for a reason. To let her know that I didn't like the way some things used to be. Incedently, we had another custom in Cajun land that bothered me. That custom was to reject outsiders first and foremost until they proved themselves worthy of respect. You could literally taste the venom on the Cajun's words when some outsider from as close as Lafayette came to my neighborhood. After all, it was outsiders and their invasion that helped to nearly destroy our Cajun language, and the culture and quality of accordion playing is following right behind slowly but surely along with many other things. Work with me here brother. Same goes for the rest of you folks that got the red ass with me. There's no need to go to the dark side here. We're all adults, and we're all accordion players, except maybe for Dr. Gene. You play the upright base right Gene?

Re: Confessions of an Accordion Hitman

Here ya go Tommy, here's a video that might help you to understand and maybe calm down and see the light. On the video, you will be represented by the guy playing guitar, the Cajun people will be represented by the old dancing man and the whistling man. I will be represented by the guy hiding behind the porch swing that actually playing the banjo. You would do well to watch and pay attention patiently to all of it.



And here's another video that clears it up even farther.


And yet another. I liked what this guy had to say in that it related to accordion players. But I didn't like his finalli song where the kids came up on stage to dance. They were absolutely robotic and could not feel the music what so ever.



Still think I'm bull sh**ing everyone Tommy? How bout you Gene? And you Nedro? And you Mr Guy? Let's see, did I forget anyone? Oh yeah, and you too Marc. There's one thing you should all understand, I don't lie. You get into trouble when you lie because all the stories don't tie together well when you lie.

Re: Confessions of an Accordion Hitman

Remind me some welknown fact reports !

Re: Confessions of an Accordion Hitman

I see banjo players, I don't see you Baloney Slinger. Liberal? California? Not about 80 percent of the state, the largest agricultural area in the world. Not in my county where there are more than 3,000 CCW holders including myself. Not in the IDPA group I shoot with.

Why not shut up and show us what you got? Six or seven accordions? Hells bells blowhard, I had 47 vintage guitars back then, still got bunch but they don't compare to my gun collection or my Harleys.

Put up or shut up fatso...

Re: Confessions of an Accordion Hitman

>

Re: Confessions of an Accordion Hitman

Sorry. Been away a bit. I do play accordion - seriously average. I also play guitar and bass. I don't post much because I don't want to get the pile of b.s.any higher. Professor (of everything) does that well. I. E. Keep the pile high.

Re: Is this the preferred habitat for Les Flammes D'enfer?

My favorite version is what Cory does, which is pretty close to Austin's version. I'm not crazy about almost any other version, including Steve's or Aldus'. That song has become almost like La Portes d'en Arriere to me, it's so over played I almost don't like it anymore, especially since most folks start it the same way. I think I like Cory's version because it sounds different that most people's version, and he really gets lively when he plays it. I've never really spent much time on it, but no, I can't play it like Cory. May study it more one day.

Re: Is this the preferred habitat for Les Flammes D'enfer?

I feel the same way about it too Bryan. It's that "common" beginning that repels me. So many people start Flammes d'enfer like that, ie: the second video with Riley, Toups, and Savoy. The way Austin Pitre starts it makes it fun to learn all over again. And when you can play it, people will notice, and you will be happier with it I think.

As far as La Port d'en Arriere, no one hardly ever gets that right either. People play it out of sequence and most often too fast without any attitude to the tempo. I've never heard anyone ever come close to replicating that song as it was done in its original version. That Elias Badeaux (accordion player) for La Port d'en Arriere really had some skills and awesome timing and rhythm. The only modern accordion player I've ever heard come close was Roddie Romero when he was a lot younger. So...I sat and studied on the original version for a long time and forced myself to learn the exact licks. Finally getting to the point of being able to do it at will, but it really does take a conscious effort to correct wrong licks that have become habit from practicing or playing incorrectly. Any song can be learned correctly and even changed to be better, it just takes "want to" and will power to reboot the muscle memory of our hands and fingers if we've been playing it a certain way for a long time.

Re: Is this the preferred habitat for Les Flammes D'enfer?

That was daft of me explaining how to post youtube vids on here Greezy seeing that you post em all the time! I'm sure there was a statement behind your last medley but please- no banjos, no mandos, no ukes. Paahhahha

Anyway here is a version that inspires me, with that beginning-you can hang your hat on it;

Re: Is this the preferred habitat for Les Flammes D'enfer?

Ha, you're right AJ. That banjo is one scary and worrisome instrument. Feel that way every time I hear one go off. It makes me feel as if some back woods mountain folks will start walking out of the trees to git me! They are definitely a mystery culture to most of us Americans. Very much like the Cajuns.

But even though I have the ability to scare the **** out of my own toilet, the mountain folk and their banjos still scrare it out of me! Haha, right Christophe? Good work with your post and altered pic...and with a good sense of levity very much needed.

Re: One more thing AJ?

Who is that accordion player with Sarah Savoy? I get the feeling he's from France, but his singing is close to Cajun. He made a good effort to make it sound and feel Cajun. Do you know this guy's name and if he's from France? He has some Eddie Lejeune undertones in his singing from what I hear. Eddie Lejeune was a good singer. I've adopted his singing style for when I play "La Valse Cajin" and "Jolie Blond".

That Sarah Savoy. I wonder if she likes it in France? I remember seeing her setting or squirming around on the floor as an innocent little kid while the older folks jammed at the Savoy's Music Center. Now she's off way over there in La France doing God knows what them crazy French do!

Re: One more thing AJ?

David Bolland. An excellent musician, playing accordion, fiddle, and other strings. If I'm not mistaken he's an American from the midwest apparently living in France.

When I first saw this video, I though the modulation was to F. When I tried to do it I realized that it was to G. Tricky, huh?

Re: One more thing AJ?

Hello Nedro. He's not American. David Rolland is a Parisian Cajun.

http://countryfr.com/Artists/stompin.htm#P

David Rolland started out as a guitarist with cajun band Vilaines Manières back in 1990 before switching to accordion with Stompin' Crawfish a few years later, and then joining the Cajun Roots trio and Doc Zydeco. Today he's best known as a member of Sarah Savoy's Francadians.
http://bristolcajunfestival.com/bands--performers-2011.html

Re: Les Flammes D'en France

Ha! So he is from La Fronce. There were three things that tipped me off and got me suspecting.
The way he was singing the words to the song sounded like Parisianne French.
Then there was the hat.
And he was hairy. LOL
Ah Viva la Fronce.
But he did a good job with the song. Started it the usual overplayed way, but good enough. Good enough tempo and rhythm.

Not long from now, it will be very hard to pick out if the musicians are Cajun or not. They are getting closer and closer to the real deal because they are making a conscious effort to do just that. All the while, the Cajuns are turning more and more into non Cajun Americans. But hey...
"You Can't Go Wrong If You Play it Right." Octave Clark.

Well Mr. Octa, how do you play it right? Well...Greasy.....you jus play it right! Oh ok Mr. Octa, that clears it up a whole lot more for me. LOL

Re: One more thing AJ?

Christophe, thanks for the correction. I have viewed this artist with interest, and your information is the most complete I've found.

OMG!

Oops! I have revealed my identity!

Anyone else?

Re: One more thing AJ?

Sarah, pretending to be male, used to troll here in defense of her brother's lack-luster playing.

Re: One more thing AJ?

Unnecessary that. They're all decent musicians them Savoys.

Re: One more thing AJ?

Hole up wait a minute! M Effeil. Can you elaborate on that just a bit more? You're point of view sort of caught my eye. Is it that you think I am Sarah Savoy? Or did she used to come to the bravenet under a male accordion player's identity? Under what name? I'd like to go back and have a look at what she said. Interesting. You know, not to stir up the pot of crap, but for my own purposes. LOL @ "my own purposes".
Nedro, I wonder why my real identity is so important? Does not the information I type about sound legitimate? Look man, I'm not anyone's hero over here except for maybe 1 or 2 people in this whole world, and maybe not even that. I am definitely NOT anyone's accordion hero, because nobody sees me play the accordion much. Not anymore. This was going to be explained in the story I began with, but I sort of got sidetracked. I don't know if I want to be an "Accordion Hero", "Accordion King", or even "Accordion Cool" like Steve Riley LOL. That's a big responsibility and one hell of a hard reputation to maintain. I wonder, by the time I'm dead and gone if people will still be making hero's out of other people that stand out? Will the people still be saying "He's the best" or "Man! He was the best!" or "No, this other guy was better."
"The Best and the Better" John Trahan, accordionist.<

Re: One more thing AJ?

Greezy, it's not so much that anyone gives a s***t who you are - we just want you to play us a tune.

Your concealed identity digs your hole a bit deeper, because a mere audio recording would not reveal the performer's identity. So, we need a video or some verifiable record of your artistry to credibly establish you as the folk icon you have described to us.

This festering situation was created by G. McGill, not by the forum or its members.

Re: One more thing AJ?

Wasn't my "point of view" ..I was simply relating an experience here on Bravenet 21..

A couple years back.. someone posted that young Savoy was in a group that had just performed (and or recorded) and that his playing was the weak link in the group.. There were many people who posted and agreed as well as commending another band member for his excellent performance and that he was so far superior in his skills he would do himself a favor to part with the group and go out on his own.

Sarah,in the guise of a male, came on and ripped everyone for their observations/opinions.. it was evident by the writing it was that of a female and it was also evident, given the details of the post, that she was related to Savoy . It was later pointed out this was sister Sarah.. ergo busted.

I shared the opinion that the one musician was way above and out of the league of the others and should go on his own path.. coincidentally.. he did just that within a very few months.

I had no opinion on Savoy Jr's expertise. He seems a very good player to me.

Greezy.. I don't think you have the right equipment to be Sarah : )

Re: One more thing AJ?

I remember the event.

Does this sound familiar?

Check this out on this forum: Wilson Savoy, Dec 2, 2007 - 9:19PM

If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....

"Elle à pleurer pour revenir" a song by Percy Babineaux and Bixy Guidry recorded in the 1920's is the same melody as the "Les Flammes D'enfer" tune we are all familiar with today. In my opinion, the 1920's version (as well as many other 1920 era cajun songs) is played with more heart and soul than the "modern" version. Have a listen through this link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmgkAB60sBk

Re: If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....

The basis of Bixy's song borrows from an old Afro-Creole melody entitled "Adieu Rosa", one that Douglas Bellard captures even more closely in my opinion during this 1929 Vocalion session. In his version his lyrics discuss the "flammes d'enfer" and the reasons why he's going to hell, even crying out "priez pour moi". A shame the instruments clash during this session.

http://earlycajunmusic.blogspot.com/2014/10/mon-camon-la-case-que-je-suis-cordane.html

WF

Re: If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....

Thanks for sharing! I love chasing back the origins of these tunes. Your website is a wealth of information.

Re: If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....

Listening to Percy and Bixby that first part is reincarnated in the current Madame Entelle and possibly other tunes. And boys, thanks for bringing music into this conversation!!

Re: If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....

Amen to that too! It should be always about the music. But there are so many nuances and details that give Cajun music it's differences. I once read Marc Savoy refer to different styles of accordion play as "regional styles". Of course, there could also be "regional styles according to time period". I sure wish he would have gone into detail and actually named these "regional styles" and examples of each. Then, all of us could hear examples of each regional style, or pick a time period style and decide which we liked best or which suited us the most, and learn to play that style and be able to tell and teach everything about it. But would the different regional styles always compete and argue on which is the best and who plays the best of each style?

It is a fact that Savoy recognized that there were different regional styles and he wrote about them briefly...very briefly. Do these regional styles continue to set themselves apart today? Do they still exist?

I think they still exist in older recordings, but most of us modern Cajun accordion players have failed to recognize the regional style and started recognizing the style of a few modern individual players. In doing that, we've jumbled up all these unique styles that once existed into that of a few accordion players that would be the "KINGs", and we are losing the variety of choices that are actually available.
Thus the majority of accordion playing may seem to "all sound the same". This is not good for the players, or the listeners!

This can be fixed, by going back to the old recordings. If you can't pick out the best regional style, then pick out the time period you like best and study the players of those times. Maybe even study a modern day player for one of their songs that stands out as authentic. You will find that you will be more satisfied with your playing, because it will help you to be more of a unique player. You won't be just another one of the 1000's of players noodling around out there all playing the same songs the very same and boring way because everybody learned from the same Youtube instruction video. You might just be the breath of fresh air much needed. Ever heard the phrase, "It's so old it's new again"?

Believe you this! Once a beginner moves into the intermediate stages, he or she will begin to reflect on his or her own style that may be starting to develop. If it sounds the same as everyone else, and you are happy with that, then you probably won't be going on to be considered a unique and talented master. If you are not happy with sounding like everyone else, then you will either quit playing, or you shall begin to take steps toward better understanding and eventual mastery of Cajun accordion music. Good luck with this Gents, for it is seldom talked about, and much less even realized or understood.

Re: If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....

Greezy, you can't leave us just like that, after teasing us about the Austin Pete way of playing les Flum d'en Faire ;)

Myself, I've been trying to play it just like on the record and slowed it down to various speeds without any success. It seems like Austin just plays a long slur of notes, like a gigantic phrase that is too long to break down into memorizable patterns. Therefore, I just play the "standard" version of the tune, which lacks the wild bouncy coolness of Austin's version.

Greezy, if you have any hint about this tune, I'd gladly take it.

OB


PS. Great job Wade about analyzing the origins of the song. That schematic you drawn of the various versions is precious. Geekiness at its best LOL!

Re: If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....

Hey Orville, remember that band that was featured under the topic "The Lost Style Makes a Comeback"? They were called Plaquemine Brulee? The accordion player plays Les Flammes D'enfer right at the beginning. Well, you can see his fingers in that video. That's the first step to learning it like Austin Pitre. Listen to it and watch it over and over and attempt with your "C" accordion. Combine that video with listening to the Austin Pitre version posted by THE BLUE MAX on the very first post of this very thread. The sound of both videos matches up to a "C" accordion very well. I like to set the Austin Pitre video to "Loop" and play along over and over again while I sit back in my chair with my feet up, then fall asleep listening to it as it loops all night long in my ear. LOL, I started learning Pitre's version when BLUE MAX posted Plaquemine Brulee playing it and Bryan pointed out their version of Les Flammes as being good. All together, it feels like I've put about 5 hours into it. I try to play it at least twice every time I pick up my accordions and I'll keep doing this until the song haunts me in my sleep! That is the secret to learning every song in the Cajun genre. You have to want to learn it. And you have to know the tune by heart. Oh yeah,....you also have to know your key board and the multiple button combinations hiding therein to copy songs and also pin your own style to it. Remember, playing a song at different speeds from the original is NOT A CRIME! It is the road to find your very own rhythm. And that keyboard....play the whole keyboard every chance you get even though it may sound wrong. Do it until you can make it sound right.

Re: If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....

Dam Orville, I had to come back for a repost because the "edit" option timed out on me.

Austin Pitre is doing a little trick right after the intro and base melody line of Les Flammes D'enfer. You can hear it if you listen close. Its a quick little shuffle and he keeps doing it through out the whole song. That will be the hardest part to learn for most accordion players.

I became more aware of that little shuffle and others similar to it when I started listening very closely to Nathan Abshire two steps and those got dam nearly impossible turns or (B parts) he'd throw on them. To name two "Fee Fee Poncho" and "Domino Two Step". Nathan Abshire and Austin Pitre are tied to one another with these secret quick shuffles. "These Shuffles" first entered my conscious a long time ago when I'd watched two old men play "regional" versions of "The Crowley Two Step", "T'en As Eu T'en Auras Plus", and "Johnny Can't Dance". Now, these unique versions cannot be found anywhere because they've died with the men who played them and unfortunately, they were not recorded. The only place they exist are in the memories of a few people. I'm one of those people thank god!. Good news though, those little "shuffles" can be found here and there on youtube and old recordings of Nathan Abshire, Austin Pitre, Aldus Roger, and others. And in some cases, they can be slowed down on the video to be heard and learned. Hell, even Iry Lejeune uses some of these same "shuffles" in that very ornate and mystic playing style of his. They're there, if you listen for them. Even better if you can watch them being done by an accordion player, but that wont happen anymore unless you can find a master that can still do it.>>greezy mcgill<<. LOL, I hope I don't have to live up to that claim and show you guys. I'd rather see others do it on their own, just like I did just by learning that IT IS POSSIBLE!

Here is something for you Boudreaux. I was able to learn Nathan Abshire's Domino Two Step (hicks wagon wheel) because I learned the turn of "The Rabbit Stole the Pumpkin" by Blind Uncle Gaspard back in my novice years. Try and make sense of that tid bit of information. I'm still trying to make sense of it. But for some reason, it worked for me! Through my own mishaps and cultivation of my own style of playing, those two songs and their "turns" came together for me by the way they sounded to my ear and felt to my hands on the accordion, and probably no one else on Earth had the same experience. Often times, one song will help you find another. Listen to many and try them all! Like I've said many times before, "You have your whole life to learn." And hopefully, my friends, that will be enough time.

Re: If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....

Great stuff Greezy McSkill!

You're inspiring me to get back trying to learn this cool ol stuff.

Playing the accordion behind your head is fun too!

Re: If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....

Ha! AJ I played the accordion behind my head once. I found I couldn't play too well. I knew two people, they were brothers. They grew up as young boys with one accordion in the household. Very competitive they were. Before you knew it they were double teaming that one accordion. One man would stand in front and either play the base or treble side with one hand. The other would stand behind him and hold on to the back of his belt with one hand and reach through and play whatever side of the accordion his brother in the front wasn't playing. Yes, this is a well known parlor trick now a days. But these guys were doing it in the 1930's. It has since evolved into the two accordion players sitting side by side and playing on one accordion. Either way, it takes great knowledge of the accordion and the music being played and a good sense of feel for the instrument and it's rhythms, but I never really wanted to try doing it. It just seemed like an attention getting stunt to me. These two men lived right down the road from Jesse Lege, or he lived right down the road from them. I know for a fact that Jesse would visit with at least one of these old men in the old days. Jesse Leger is a fine example of the "regional style" these two old men played. We'll call it the Highway 14 regional style. These two brothers were steeped in the HWY 14 style. They influenced a few musicians in their community. If I'm not mistaken, Jesse Leger can be seen playing two man accordion with Walter Mouton on YouTube. Jesse became aware of two man accordion because of these two brothers.
It is most certainly a very small world. And it all happened just off of HWY 14.

Re: If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....

It's a really interesting thread.
This is the way I learned les Flammes.







Still some homework to do before I can play it like Austin Pete.

Re: If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....

Looks like Gainey Arsement. Sounds like Gainey Arsement. Is it Gainey, or is it Orville, or both?

Re: If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....

Nedro it's 100% Ganey.

Re: If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....

Sounds a bit like fe fe poncho that version.

Re: If only the Les Flammes D'enfer melody was still played this way....


(And lots of great suggestions in the right column, particularly Blind Uncle Gaspard's beautiful songs, some I had never heard).



Jamey Hall's most excellent Cajun Accordion Music Theory

Brett's all new Cajun Accordion Music Theory for all keys!

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