Early Cajun Music: "Step It Fast" - Nathan Abshire
Nathan Abshire was one of the finest Cajun musicians to emerge in the years following World War II. Deeply influenced by the Creole musician Amede Ardoin, Abshire's best recordings are in the blues idiom. He attempted to write lyrics to this fast-paced tune, creating one of the most difficult Cajun tunes to sing! A frantic tune, it would leave most dancers exhausted.
Early Cajun Music: "Ma Chere Vieux Maison Dan Suet" - J.B. Fuselier
In the mid-1930s, fiddler Jean Batiste “J. B.” Fuselier joined tenor banjoist Beethoven Miller and guitarist Preston Manuel to form Miller's Merrymakers. What many don't know is J. B., who was at the center of the string band movement, always carried his accordion with him to play in case it was called for. However, he never recorded with it until the 1960s.
The April 2011 Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week
