The Pine Leaf Boys and the Lost Bayou Ramblers! Love both these bands, and love the traditional style music as well as when they step out of the boundaries and swing it. In addition, they are all very nice young men, and I for one am glad the future of Cajun music is,in part,in hands like these. Looking forward to hearing them for many years to come. To all on the forum: HOPE THAT ALL OF YOUR CELEBRATIONS ARE GOOD ONES, and that YOUR NEW YEAR IS FULL OF HEALTH AND PROSPERITY.

definetly agree on the pine leaf boys!

I have to echo Sabra. I saw the Pine leaf boys at the Liberty in November and now cant wait for their new cd to arrive. I havent heard the Lost Bayou Ramblers yet. My new years wish is for Horace Trahan to return to traditional cajun music.

Je souhaite que vous autre tout passer un joyeaux Noël.

Cajun Honky Tonk

Since I moved back to Lousiana, Opelousas to be exact, I got heavy into Cajun music. One of FAVORITE CDs is the Arhoolie Cajun Honky Tonk. This is the Khoury's records compilation from 1949-late 50s. There's alot of familiar favorites, early Lawrence Walker (including the crying Evangeline Waltz), early Nathan Abshire (Crying Pine Grove Blues, he bawls after every chorus). But there's some early Dewey Balfa, Harry Choates (eh ha ha), Marie Falcon (she sings a French version of Wild Side Of Life in a June Carter-like voice). The real gems were two songs by The Texas Melody Boys. These guys sound like they drank a pot of Mellow Joy coffee each and it shows. They run through their two songs like a runaway train with various "a-eee"'s and "eh haha"'s. The most interesting sound is the accordion. I have NO idea what he's playing other than it's a wet-tuned box that's out of tune.

Another great CD is Floyd's Early Singles on ACE. This picks up in the late 50s in the beginning of the good dancehall band sound. There's some Lawrence, Aldus Roger, lots of Austin Pitre and a bunch from the Rambling Aces . Now THAT's music.

Dear Swallow Records, please put out a Joe Bonsall and the Orange Playboys compilation? Pretty please with a cherry on top?

Forgot to mention Wayne Toups's Little Wooden Box CD. ROCKIN'

Someone just lent me a home compilation. One track is by 'Captain Gumbo' The title is given here as 'Cajun Rock', but that may well be the title of the album it comes from, as it's a rockin' version of Diggy Liggy Lo. Anybody know this band? They strike me as a good intro to Cajun for folks who think rock is the only music.

BJ

Both great albums!

On Cajun Honkty Tonk I especially like Will Kegley doing Lawtell Two Step and Shuk Richard with Marie Falcon doing Madame Entelle (Give Her to Me)! Best versions I have heard.

Neal, do you happen to have the Old-Timey LP, The Early Cajun Years (or something like that)? It has the comedy record "Mayor Of Bayou Pom Pom" sides 1 & 2. I heard this a long time ago and I'm trying to find it again.

Thanks.

This year a whole lot of my inspiration has come from the most wonderful person I know. She plays classical and Irish fiddle, she makes me laugh, she's intelligent, beautiful and more.

So close, yet so far.

Two artist... Mr. Walter Mouton and Mr. Jimmy Breaux. They are clearly a standard to measure by.

I discovered Gerard Dole's Francadian songs lately on:

http://gerarddole.free.fr

I love them all

Dennis

Who could tell me more about Mr Dole ? Where can I buy his records ?

Gerard Dole is from France. He recorded five LPs for Folkways. If I'm not mistaken, the original Folkways was owned by Moses Asch. Somewhere along the way, he donated his entire collection to the Smithsonian with the provision that all of the recordings, no matter how limited, would be available for purchase from Smithsonian Folkways.

I believe that Gerard Dole was also involved with a number of additional Cajun recordings for Folkways. They are really quite good. You can order all of them from Folkways. They may cost a little more (not too much more) because for most of them, they have to make you copies; but they are of very good quality.

Gerard Dole also made a field recording with Moise Robin that I'm pretty sure that you can purchase from somewhere in Europe. I was looking for it a couple of years ago and could not find it anywhere; so I contacted him. He told me where I could purchase it in Europe, and I did.

If you are interested in other kind of music, Smithsonian Folkways also has more great recordings. I just bought a recording by Tommy Jarrell, Frank Bode, and Paul Brown (You can listen to him on NPR most every day after Pete Bergeron's radio program on KRVS.) that is terrific. I also bought another CD by the late Gordon Tanner, the son of Gid Tanner (One of the original Skillet Lickers). Really rare stuff!

Anyway, I gave the Folkways website above.

Good luck.

Jack Bond