I'm starting at the top of my set list and trying to improve them one at a time. Madeleine is first. Gotta find a B part I can put on that thing. I have a couple of videos to take from, just gotta get it under my fingers.

Just got Drunkards Blues, Fais Do Do Bebe, and Mon Chere Bebe Creole under my fingers over the last couple of weeks. Though, on the last one, I usually have to prime the pump by listening to the tune from cd again.

I sure know what ya mean about taking sabatical from playing.... I sometimes will not touch an accordion for what seems ages and then BOOP... pick it up and try to get into matters. I am using this stuff called Blue Goo and/or Icy Hot... It is old goat joint loosening stuff for folks that have a gob of aches and pains in the joints... brother I got em, more and more it seems.

Same song that haunted me a long time ago is the one that still gives me the hee-bee-jeebees to this day... it is a creepy thing that gives me fits, although I like the song.

Mardi Gras Song

j'ai passe devant ta porte...wish i knew more lol next song will be 99 year waltz ala dirk powell :)

I'm a 'ccordeon newbie but I'm getting there. I've been picking out some Christmas tunes (Silent Night, Jingle Bells, Joy To The World). Of course, being the twisted person I am, I'll morph the Christmas tune into a cajun song. Like, 99 Years of Silent Night, Joy To The World out The Back Door. LOL.

I love the Mardi Gras dance. That song teaches you how to play in a minor key on the box.

Amedee two-step... I started it a while back, then stopped playing it. I guess I learned stuff playing other tunes, now it seems easier (of course, still not as fast or elaborate as one would want).

Recently learned La valse de Kaplan and La valse de famille (Balfa).

anyone playing Christmas songs?

Nicole

Hi everyone,

Been working on boozoo's "crying waltz" which is way easier on fiddle. Boozoo had Greely play fiddle on his last recording. It's a way cool waltz or as Boozoo say....Basse bas...(sp?)

I sent Christian the Mp3 today and he is going to help me figure out the lyrics. I should send it to Nic too.
She's french and really good at that stuff.

Another one is "Ossun two step" I found that one to be tricky for me with the timing. There are pauses in it. I think the a part may be 9 measures. Way cool tune.

One I started on fiddle and now doing the accordion part is "catch my hat" Its the first cut on Al Berards' and Jason Frey's CD called "old time cajun" I highly recommend it for clean recordings of some nice tunes. Like "ossun two step" too, which is on the CD and easy to hear without drums and bass.

Also doing "Pa Janvier" on fiddle. The part that goes high with double stops is going to take the rest of the winter to smooth out.

Merry Chrismas
Kirk

"The part that goes high with double stops is going to take the rest of the winter to smooth out."

Watch you don't melt your fillings. I've been trying that one too.

A few weeks ago I was getting ready to drive to San Diego to a gig, and I happened to pull a cassette out to play on the way down. It was an old favorite that I probably had not listened to for 15 years or more - it was the English Beat "I Just Can't Stop It", recorded in the early 80's. I like the whole album, but when the tape got to "Best Friend" I just went nuts! This is a great up tempo dance tune - check the link above for a sample. I must have hit the rewind button 20 times! I started thinking that the tune was amenable to a zydeco treatment: stick a double clutch drum beat in there, and pick up the horn riffs on the triple row - it works!

I have not performed it yet, because the rest of the band doesn't know the tune, but I'm gonna slip it in there sometime.

-David

Are you going to sing this English Beat song in French?!

DP

No, it is staying in English. I don't think it would matter much either way though. I remember loving that tune and I had no idea of most of the words.

And besides, there is little zydeco in French any more. I do WAY more French than is the norm, so an occasional cross-over isn't a problem.

-David

No clips to listen too.

The clips were there when I viewed that page, and I even went back after I posted and the link worked. Must be some strangeness about Amazon.

-David

maybe this will work better.

You're gonna play hell saying Aiiiiyeeeee with a British accent.

Ah, the English Beat. Very cool. David, once you get this tune down you can dust off all your old Specials and Selector LPs - I bet there's loads of ska stuff that'd work with a triple row!

Chris Ardoin's "Turn the Page" CD has got a funky ska break on "Stay in or Stay Out - Pass the Dutchie". I'm not sure what to call Buckwheats "Waitin' for My Ya Ya" except it reminds me of rock steady.

Got Toots right here, and the Specials too...only question is which to put on first :-)

New guy here! Great discussion.

Take a listen to Big Red (from Lake Charles); he mixes in some reggae with his CD as well as Sean Ardoin. My very idle band, The Comealongs, covered Peter Tosh's "Downpressor Man." I think there's a live clip of it on the website. I play triangle and sing it. Not tooooo weird! :D

Bosco Stomp or bust. I'm listening to Octa Clark's and Ray Abshire's versions over and over again. Definitely one of the tougher tunes I've ever attempted. Steve

What keeps me up at night? Monsters keep me up and that equates to ANYTHING on Jimmy Breaux's two solo discs. Those tunes reel through my head when I can't sleep. That guy is a monster.

I am with you Rick, Jimmy Breaux's playing just knocks me out - an utterly amazing player. And such a good natured and unassuming guy too. I spoke to him once after a Beausoleil show, and told him how much I enjoyed his two solo discs. He actually seemed a little surprised that people knew about them, but genuinely pleased.

-David