(Think of this of this as Viewers Choice Awards ;)

The criteria is, in your opinion, to choose the top 5 Cajun accordion players that are still alive today. This can be based on skill, sound, speed, creativity... whatever. The players do not have to be Cajun people but must play the Cajun single row diatonic Cajun accordion we all know and love.

Also, let's limit this to Cajun music and Zydeco music since other genres use this type of accordion as well.

I'll post the results when it seems many forum regulars like urselfs have voted.

WF

1. Wayne Toups
2. Steve Riley
3. Belton Richard
4. Damon Troy
5. Johnny Sonnier

I'm going to throw in only the best four that I know, most of whom I have seen play live:

Marc Savoy
Steve Riley
Jo-El Sonnier
Lawrence Ardoin
Charles Thibodeaux

Mark Savoy
Jesse Lege
Paul Diagle
Ray Abshire
Wayne Toups

Joe, those are some stellar players!

I think we gotta ask ourselves *what* makes someone tops on our lists? Is it because they stick to the roots and traditional formulas -- or do they originate? Is it how fast they can play or is it how they arrange? Is it because of the band that backs them or is it their live performance personas?

Maybe it's a combination of all of these characteristics?

Someone who makes my top list is someone who plays with superb rhythm and utilizes all 10 buttons. They use unexpected blends and insert some tasty syncopation, punches, and ornamentation. They aren't all over [the one] and they can lay back on the beat where necessary -- and they leave "holes" to emphasize phrasing.

My top Cajun & zydeco single-row players:

1. Marc Savoy
2. Jimmy Breaux
3. Walter Mouton
4. Andre Thierry
5. Step Rideau

It's a challenge to narrow it to just 5. There's some equally stellar monsters missing from this list!

R!CK

R!CK

Marc Savoy
Steve Riley
Jo El Sonnier
Kevin Naquin
Paul Daigle

1. Steve Riley
2. Mark Savoy
3. Cris Ardoin
4. Geno Delafose
5. Keith Frank

Among many others, in reverse alpha order:

Marc Savoy
Steve Riley
Jason Frey
Paul Daigle
Ray Abshire

It's their traditional way of playing make me choose them.
Ray Abshire
Errol Jenkins (Thanks for the movie)
Jesse Lege
Cory McCauley
Marc Savoy

There are a lot more very very good accordion players !!!!

Personally, I think it's a mistake to make this kind of list (music shouldn't be a competition)...but it can be fun. I think I'm really making a list of who I would like to be able to play like. It don't mean much but here goes:

Horace Trahan
Steve Riley
Ray Abshire
Robert Jardell
Marc Savoy (I like his work much better ensemble than solo.)

If we were including zydeco I'd include Jeffrey Broussard, Chris Ardoin, and Geno Delafose...

Duh, we are including zydeco...here's my second attempt:

Horace Trahan
Jeffrey Broussard
Steve Riley
Ray Abshire
Marc Savoy (I like his work much better ensemble than solo.)

There are so many fine musicians that I hate giving all this attention to just a few.

And the winner is .................... ?

Zack Huval
Paul Daigle
Jeason Frey
Ray Abshire
Robert LeBlanc

and one extra:

Marc Savoy

1.Ray Abshire
2.Jason Frey
3.Danny Shuff
4.Walter Mouton
5.Terry Cormier

1.Walter Mouton
2. Jimmy Breaux
3. Jesse Lege
4. Steve Riley
5. Marc Savoy

ca c'est vrai!

peace,
Griff

1. Bruce Daigrepont (I can't BELIEVE no one mentioned him - he's my favorite)
2. Sheryl Cormier
3. Johnny Sonnier
4. Jimmy Breaux
5. Marc Savoy

A few regulars to this forum haven't submitted. We should wait for them. Sunday night sound good?

Lets make it so. Poll closes Sunday night.

WF

Poll closes Sunday night. As of Fri night, the tally follows:

Top 5 (so far)

10 Marc Savoy
7 Steve Riley
6 Ray Abshire
4 Paul Daigle
4 Walter Mouton

The rest of the list
3 Jesse Lege
3 Jason Frey
2 Wayne Toups
2 Johnny Sonnier
2 Jo-El Sonnier
2 Jimmy Breaux
1 Belton Richard
1 Damon Troy
1 Lawrence Ardoin
1 Charles Thibodeaux
1 Andre Thierry
1 Step Rideau
1 Kevin Naquin
1 Cris Ardoin
1 Geno Delafose
1 Keith Frank
1 Errol Jenkins
1 Cory McCauley
1 Horace Trahan
1 Jeffrey Broussard
1 Zack Huval
1 Robert LeBlanc
1 Danny Shuff
1 Terry Cormier
1 Bruce Daigrepont
1 Sheryl Cormier

WF

1. Steve Riley
2. Wayne Toups
3. Marc Savoy
4. Ray Abshire
5. Jason Frey

and a close six (Joey Guillory)lol...definitely a joke...

I have WAY too many favorites and friends to list just 5, and so many have already been named, but please add these to the list so that they at least get mentioned:

Brett Denais
Joe Hall
Kristi Guillory
Ed Poullard
Andre Michot

This is very hard.....

I`ve decided to keep it close to the forum.

Cory McCauley
Chris Miller
Rusty Sanner
Jim Pettijohn
Ganey Arsement

the last three, for having very nice clips on Youtube

Wilfred

by nice clips I mean clips that can help me learn
to play better

On all the lists I see players that I should have write down too. In a football competition there's a team with more points then all the others, but with musicians it's different. I can't sleep with this accordionplayers compettion. The next step is to put the players in a major league and and other partitions.

Before you know it we have a war going on between the hooligans.

It is easier for me to make the `bottom five`

Gus

I can't believe I left Horace Trahan off of my original list...how could I have forgotten him?! Immediately realized my omission when I saw his name on someone else's subsequent list. However, I just can't remove any of my previous list of 5 so I MUST have 6 on my list! Way too many favorites to be limited to 5, so please add another mark for Horace.

Don't worry, Dale, we'll put him on 5,5, ok? then he is still on the top 5 list.

On my list will be (Not particulary based on the whole oevre, can be also because some outstanding moments!): Marc Savoy, Wayne Toups, Robert LeBlanc, Tracy Schwartz, Bas van der Poll.

Gus

In no particular order:

Marc Savoy
Steve Riley
Kevin Naquin
Ray Abshire
Jason Frey

I've gotta add Horace Trahan and Joe Hall as honorable mentions.

What a great question... what a dynamic list of players folks have identified!

If you placed Jason Frey into the mix, kudos.

How about Preston Frank (old school)ten button Creole style zydeco? He had to have been a dynamic influence on Keith.

One of my favs. Chris Miller... no joke, this guy can rock a ten button and that big blue p.a. to boot, in many styles that just sends me.

Ed Poullard is a pretty driving player on accordion. Ed stands out for his un-stumpable knowledge of the old tunes and the more contemporary stuff as well.

Cory Ledet is a 10 in my book.

steve riley
andre thierry
chris ardoin
mark savoy
nonc allie young [not his fault he;s, well, passed away]

wle.

Not an easy choice.

Top five living (as of 2nd December 2007)

Steve Riley
Jimmy Breaux
Jesse Lege
Marc Savoy
Gavin Lewery

Top five dead (as of 2nd December 2007)

Aldus Roger
Lawrence Walker
Iry Lejeune
Nathan Abshire
Joseph Falcon


Andy W

this are my top 5
1.iry lejeune
2.marc savoy
3.felix richard
4.ammadee ardoin
5.horace trahan
sorry but yall cant top this

Here are the results. Notice the 4 way tie for 5th place. Comments?

15 Marc Savoy
11 Steve Riley
8 Ray Abshire
6 Jason Frey
4 Paul Daigle
4 Walter Mouton
4 Jesse Lege
4 Wayne Toups

The rest of the list
3 Jimmy Breaux
2 Johnny Sonnier
2 Jo-El Sonnier
2 Kevin Naquin
2 Cris Ardoin
2 Cory McCauley
2 Robert LeBlanc
2 Ed Poullard
2 Chris Miller
1 Belton Richard
1 Damon Troy
1 Lawrence Ardoin
1 Charles Thibodeaux
1 Andre Thierry
1 Step Rideau
1 Geno Delafose
1 Keith Frank
1 Errol Jenkins
1 Horace Trahan
1 Jeffrey Broussard
1 Zack Huval
1 Danny Shuff
1 Terry Cormier
1 Bruce Daigrepont
1 Sheryl Cormier
1 Brett Denais
1 Joe Hall
1 Kristi Guillory
1 Andre Michot
1 Rusty Sanner
1 Jim Pettijohn
1 Ganey Arsement
1 Tracy Schwartz
1 Bas van der Poll
1 Preston Frank
1 Cory Ledet
1 andre thierry
1 Gavin Lewery

andre thierry actually got 2 votes for what that's
worth

wle.

y, i caught that after i posted. fixed it in the above re-post. Thanks

WF

I'd just like to say Horace Trahan has recorded some of the best traditional cajun accordion music I have ever heard and I listen to alot. For anyone who is a fan of traditional cajun music pick up Horace's album "Ossun Blues" its a MUST have, trust me.

#1 MARC SAVOY