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Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

I am always wondering what folks think regarding French Music.

So here is a question I would like to pose to everyone on the bravenet board... why just the board (you may wonder)??
Well I sorta figure if you are brave enough to invest in an accordion and further invest in the time to groom your skills, then you have particular bands and styles that you pattern your learning (sometimes multiple). I am sure you have favorites... I would like to know who they are and why.

Please help me with this poll (I have my reasons) your opinions do matter and it may result in some expansion of opportunity this summer for some of these bands:

Regarding bands (existing) that regularly gig on the forefront of French Music...

1.Who is your favorite Traditional Creole Band?
2.Who is your favorite Traditional Cajun Band?
3.Who is your favorite Zydeco Band (old school and/or neuvo Zydeco)?

Finale question: When you think of a show band (speaking of French music), what band comes to your mind.

Braves I appreciate your help here... this will help me out greatly.

Thanks... Nonc D

Re: Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

Hey Nonc,
I will take a shot at your poll.

1. Preston Frank on the Creole Band. Not for sure if you consider him Trad Creole.

2. Aldus Rogers hands down on the Trad Cajun

3. Geno D on the Zydeco.

French music show band, I think I go for T'Sale

My 2 cents worth
Take care Nonc!
Mark

Re: Re: Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

Nonc,

Although I'm just a beginner without a real accordion "YET" and I'm not sure if this is the correct catagory, but I have to go for Gerard Dole.

Re: Re: Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

1.Who is your favorite Traditional Creole Band?
-- Are there any left performing.. or is this a reference to recordings only? I'd say PRESTON FRANK or even ROY CARRIER could pull the right songs outta their hats.

2.Who is your favorite Traditional Cajun Band?
again.. historically ( NATHAN ABSHIRE)...or performing ( BRUCE DAIGERPONT )


3.Who is your favorite Zydeco Band (old school and/or neuvo Zydeco)? .. performing: CHRIS ARDOIN and ANDRE THIERRY .. past tense: too many greats to mention.

Favotite French Show Band?

STEVE RILEY AND STEVE RILEY .. even better when jamming with GENO.

Re: Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

zydeco band [living]

keith frank
musical genius
accordion, guitar, vocals, songwriting, band
he has it all
if i had to just say one.. keith

curley taylor
wow
what a contender
great vocals, harmonies, songs, band, new ideas
fabulously energetic

geno
fabulous energy, vocals,
great mix of creole/cajun/zydeco/funk/even country
lots of old songs, band
has a totally unique sound, when you dance to
geno, you don;t touch the ground somehow, others
are more rooted and earthy, geno is aerial somehow


brian jack
great energy, vocals, presence, tight band


i could name favorite cajun bands but
am not sure how traditional you want.. usually i
like the more modern guys

steve riley has to be the best for me
they are actually traditional++
superb instrumentalists, singers, songwriters,
performers

lee benoit
emotion, very warm music,
[some of the other bands can seem a
little academic sometimes]
energetic performer, nice guy
tons of french stuff, nice variety

creole, dunno, not enough bands doing it to say


wle.

Re: Re: Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

Current favorite Cajun band who puts on a good show:

Pine Leaf Boys
Balfa Toujours would be great too.
Lost Bayou Ramblers are always good too.
I'd really like to be able to see Chris Miller's band.

Zydeco:

Dunno. Don't much follow this anymore. Andre's great, but I see him all the time out here.

Geno is always too good to be true. Don't know how he gets that sound.



Creole Band:

Don't see many. Lets get Ed Poullard together with a good creole accordion player and see what happens. Or with another creole fiddler. No accordion.

Hell, get Geno and Ed together. Or both of them and D'Jalma Garnier too.

Re: Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

Hi Nonc,

Here's my take on it:
Traditional creole: Creole Cowboys
Traditional Cajun: Jude Moreau & the Bon Temps Playboys
Zydeco:Geno Delafose

Showband:Buckwheat Zydeco (altho I guess they might not really be considered "French" music, so I'd add:)
Steve Riley

Re: Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

It is hard to name one favorite, but...

1. Geno Delafose
2. Balfa Toujours
3. Rosie Ledet
Show band: Pine Leaf Boys

Re: Re: Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

Traditional Cajun: I absolutely love when Courtney Granger sings with Ray Abshire...that's my favorite right now.

Creole: Not original, I know, but I love "T'es Parents Veuelent Plus me Voire" by Canray and Bois Sec. That "Hot Pepper" album gets me goin' every time.

Zydeco: This genre interests me a little less lately. I feel like no one sings in French anymore, the groove is the same, and the singers do more grunts and "huh's!" and "ha's!" than anything else. And then there's all this talk about donkeys, dogs and bones...real lazy metaphors (wait a second...are they talking about sex?).

That said, I love Clifton's first record (where he plays mostly with Cleveland and drummer). Geno's great, but I have a few by his dad that I really love.

Re: Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

Hmmm. So many decisions...

Traditional Cajun - Gotta go with Ray Abshire
Traditional Creole - seems tougher to find nowadays. I like what the Lucky Playboys are doing, even though the Creole is just part of their mix.
Zydeco - I don't listen to a lot of zydeco, but I suppose I like Geno the best.
Show Band - I never worry much about the show. I saw Keith Frank with Kevin Wimmer and everyone in disguise as the Creole Connection one time, and that was a blast. I saw the Savoy Family Band all trade instruments in the middle of a tune, and that was amazing (I hear The Pine Leaf Boys do the same thing).

Re: Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

Nonc;

Living far from the 'source'it is hard to answer based upon so little personal experience. But here goes anyway...

1.Who is your favorite Traditional Creole Band?
Goldman Thibodeau and Mr. Carrier... oh what a feeling!

2.Who is your favorite Traditional Cajun Band?
BIG FAT TIE!! Pine Leaf Boys and Jude Moreau...both offer unexpected musical phrasing that results in shivers from the inside out.

3.Who is your favorite Zydeco Band (old school and/or neuvo Zydeco)? Not much exposure here, though I like everything I have heard

Favotite French Show Band?
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys--they perform the gamut, traditional cajun, modern dancehall cajun, rockin' french, zydeco, rock, and when they do the old Louis Prima and the Louisiana Aces stuff on stage it can't be beat!!

Now, let us in on why all the questions! You never seem to ask something unless you are up to something else! LOL

Peace,
Griff

Re: Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

Ok I'll give it a shot

Creole: Bois Sec Ardoin on Accordion with Ed Poullard or Cedric Watson on Fiddle, and either Dejalma Garnier or JB Adams on Guitar. (Ed also plays amazing accordion). I think I saw Bois Sec, Cedric and JB play together at Festival International one year.

Traditional Cajun
Ray Abshire with Kevin Wimmer and Courtney Granger on Fiddle and Andre Michot on guitar.
(I also have been enjoying Cory McCauley and the Evangeline Aces)

Traditional Zydeco
Curley Taylor or Cory "lil pop" Ledet although they are both really versatile player. (Also Mark St.Mary for old Clifton style playing)

Neovo Zydeco
J Paul and Zydeco Nubreedz or Chris Ardoin and NU-step

Show Band
Lost Bayou Ramblers or Pine Leaf Boys

Re: Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

Jason Frey

Re: Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

1. Creole: Creole Cowboys////

2. Traditional Cajun: Ray Abshire & Friends

3. Zydeco: Buckwheat Zydeco

4. Show Band: Lost Bayou Ramblers

Re: Squeezer Musical Poll - Creole, Cajun, Zydeco & Show Band

Dead or alive?

BEAU JOCQUE A true band man. He was the first to share the limelight on stage and in the studioo. He understood what it took to make 2=chord hell exciting and modulated as it hadn't been done before. I love his single row stuff. I wish he had stuck with it. Gone too soon.

ZYDECO FORCE. Beau Jocque's legacy

WAYNE TOUPS. You can be a white squeezebox player singing in French and not be laughed at. Thanks Wayne.

Never seen but heard traditional/neo traditional

PAUL DAIGLE
JUDE MOREAU

Would have loved to see Iry and Nathan. Oh well...

Thx, everyone... Great feedback .... Isleton will rock this year !

There is good news on the left side (California ..you lucky dogs).

I have the task of putting Isleton back together with a 2006 line up.... (sometimes dreams do come true). It'll be a ton of work in the months ahead for this Nonc (and Edward Poullard as well) regarding logistics ... regardless, it is good for all of French music.

For those who indicated the following:

Ed Poullard - he is my General and he will always be at Isleton as long as there is an event touched by Nonc... as Mark St. Mary says "Case Closed Chere "

Keith Frank - the email has been sent to Keith

Preston Frank and the Frank Family Band - I am hopefull... Spoke with Preston a few weeks back but he had no clue about Isleton cause I had no clue it was gonna happen .. he would be a show stopper for sure.

Goldman Thibideaux - There was no mention of Goldman... however this would have been my pick of the traditional Creole cast members...I would not be complete on the Creole side of matters , if I did not have Goldman Thibideaux in the showcase. Among the finest humans I have ever encountered and a fun old time Creole squeezer that is fast becoming a rare icon within the aging segment of the culture.

Cory Ledet - for years I have admired Cory, truly a super star long over due.... he is a great personality and a fine young man.

So as the story goes:
The dream team concept was a thrill of victory feeling, all said and done. So what next?
I have waited three years to bundle a Creole Cavalcade of Stars (tm) as part of a vision. Ed and I have discussed it and we have much yet to brainstorm. When all is said and done, it should be a freight train loaded with sound (Creole, Cajun and that Zydeco thing). We will see how this thing unfolds and rolls out. I will keep everyone posted as we go.

Thanks again for the feedback, keep it coming.

Nonc D

Re: Thx, everyone... Great feedback .... Isleton will rock this year !

I'd love to see Goldman. Someone did mention him, by the way.

And I know for a fact he'd be thoroughly touched and excited to be asked to come out.

Re: Re: Thx, everyone... Great feedback .... Isleton will rock this year !

Yep, sure as the world ... Griff had mentioned Goldman.

I stay in touch with Goldman and his wife Theresa via phone regulary. They are both a treasure of humanity in my estimation. I had decided (last summer)that if somehow Isleton come back together again for what we know Isleton to be, Goldman would be in the show whether he knew it or not.

Something few may know... they have family ties with Ida Guillry (Queen Ida)... daughter, son or neice married one of Ida's kin etc. anyhow, it would be dandy to get them gathered up over here and watch the fun roll out... but Goldman for sure (Ed and I already discussed him). Bon Ton

Re: Re: Re: Thx, everyone... Great feedback .... Isleton will rock this year !

He does a version of Amedie Two-Step on his latest cd that is just DRIVING. Its not just accordion, its some sort of intertwined syncopation thing going on between the instruments. There's rhythms within rhythms. Wish I could figure out how he's doing it.

Re: Thx, everyone... Great feedback .... Isleton will rock this year !

Nonc,

Just a gentle nudge, re-read my post. I mentioned Mr. Goldman, althoufgh I misspelled his last name.

Peace,
Griff

Re: Re: Thx, everyone... Great feedback .... Isleton will rock this year !

Late Feedback

Traditional Cajun - Jason Frey on accordion with whoever he plays with.

Zydeco - Jeffrey Broussard and Zydeco Force

Creole - Ed Poullared accordion and Cyderic Watson
on Fiddle

Re: Re: Re: Thx, John

John... it is never too late ... thanks.

I agree... Jason is, well just about one of the best real deal musicians going. Jason was one of my Cajun Dream Team must have members 2 years ago... as was Edward, oh what a band of pros that was, I can tell you.

When Jason is on, he is among the funniest guys you'll ever find... his humor is among the best audience grabbers you can hope for when it comes to icebreakers and snagging a crowd, pulling em in, shaking em down and winding em up...besides being a fine fine musician. As for Edward, well there is not an instrument he can not play in this genre, except perhaps pan flute (hell he may wear goat leggins and play a dang pan flute for all I know) Ha. On the Dream Team thing that was, Edward was not only team lead , but he was the primary on drums (he played drums in the Poullard family band as a youngster), also fiddle accordion and guitar... everyone had a rotation on various instruments as part of the dream team band, so as to show the incredible rounded tallent each member posessed. Nothing like it to my knowledge before or after, perhaps there was and I just did not know it... but it was a major happening though, I can tell you brother, hard to top that scene... but we will try.



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