Times Square Irish bar hosts zydeco

Here’s a story from the New York Times about zydeco music in New York City.  One of the main venues for zydeco in NYC is an Irish bar near Times Square, Connolly’s.  A long-time New Orleans resident who’s moved to New York confirmed Connolly’s to me earlier this year as the best place to hear zydeco in the city.  Their schedule shows Terrence Simien, Curley Taylor and C.J. Chenier during summer 2013.  Somebody raise a glass for me!

 

Cajun Revival in Mamou, LA from PRI’s The World

PRI (formerly Public Radio International) produces a one-hour weekday news program called “The World.”  One of their writers attending the Festival International hopped up to Mamou for a piece on Fred’s Lounge.  It’s called “Cajun Revival in Mamou, LA.”  It’s affectionate and gives a bit of background on the Cajuns and how they got to Louisiana as well as the down-home, hell raising atmosphere of Fred’s.  (By the way, if you search “Fred’s Lounge” on Google, pay no attention to the first item that shows up.  Tante Sue doesn’t look like that!)  Esquire’s profile of Fred’s.

 

2013 Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival is on!

The 2013 Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival is set for Saturday June 8th through Sunday June 9th.  It’s on three stages in and around the Old Mint and French Market.  Here’s the lineup and see you there!

Saturday, June 8
Esplanade Avenue Stage
11:30 am to 1:00 pm      Mary Broussard & Sweet La La
1:30 pm to 3:00 pm        Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band
3:30 pm to 5:00 pm        T-Broussard & the Zydeco Steppers
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm        Rosie Ledet

Barracks Street Stage
11:00 am to 12:30 pm   Dikki Du & the Zydeco Krewe
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm       Les Freres Michot
3:15 pm to 4:45 pm       Bruce Daigrepont
5:15 pm to 6:45 pm       Corey Ledet & His Zydeco Band

French Market’s Creole Tomato Festival Ursulines Street Stage
10:30 am to 12:00 pm   Jonno
12:30 pm to 2:00 pm     The Babineaux Sisters
2:30 pm to 4:00 pm       Ganey Arsement
4:30 pm to 6:00 pm       Sean Ardoin

Sunday, June 9
Esplanade Avenue Stage
11:30 am to 1:00 pm     Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic
1:15 pm to 2:45 pm      Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie
3:30 pm to 5:00 pm      Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm      Sunpie & the La. Sunspots

Barracks Street Stage
11:00 am to 12:30 pm   Li’l Nathan & the Zydeco Big Timers
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm      Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers
3:15 pm to 4:45 pm      Beausoleil
5:15 pm to 6:45 pm      Lost Bayou Ramblers

 

Friday video: Boozoo Chavis ‘Johnny billy goat’

Here’s the late, great, inimitable Boozoo Chavis doing Johnny ma cabri (or Johnny billy goat).  The poster behind him means that he was at the Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival, but there’s no date.  This was one of his most-recorded songs.  Here is one version of the lyrics and a discussion onthe correct grammar to use.  Here are some recordings:

1. Billy goat number three. Boozoo Chavis & [and] the Majic Sounds. Boozoo, that’s who!. Rounder Records. CD 2126. 1993. CD.
2. Billy goat number three. Various artists. Zydeco barnyard. EasyDisc. ED 12136-7070-2. 1998. CD.
3. Johnnie Billie Goat. Boozoo Chavis. Boozoo Chavis. Elektra Nonesuch. 9 61146-2. 1991. CD.
4. Johnnie billie goat. Boozoo Chavis. Zydeco homebrew. Maison de Soul. 1028-2. 1992. CD.
5. Johnnie billy goat. Boozoo Chavis and the Majic Sounds. Live! At the Habibi Temple, Lake Charles, Louisiana. Rounder Records. CD 2130. 1994. CD.

 

Friday video: Walter Mouton and the Scott Playboys

The one, the only Walter Mouton and the Scott Playboys, with a lovely waltz, whose title eludes me.  This is from the GrassRoots Festival of Music Dance, held in July in Trumansburg, New York.  Beautiful! 

 

Friday video: C.J. Chenier ‘Bow-legged woman’

The son of the late, great Clifton Chenier, C. J. Chenier plays his song “Bow-legged woman” live at the German Club, Pawtucket RI, in February, 2006.  Just the band playing, no dancers or locale, but with playing like this, that’s all you need!  Although the poster says this is a Clifton song, I cannot find it on any of his recordings, but you can find it on C. J.’s 1992 Arhoolie release My baby don’t wear no shoes. 

 

Documentary filmmaker Les Blank dies April 8, 2013

A champion of life at the margins and other oddities, Les Blank died on Monday, April 8, 2013.  Besides his films on garlic, beer and gap-toothed women, Blank made films about south Louisiana folklife.  His film Dry Wood is available online.  Blank attended Tulane University in New Orleans, perhaps where he learned about Cajun and Creole music.  In his later years he resided in California.  I spoke to him at the library convention booth where he was selling his films.  When I said I enjoyed his films, he asked “Which ones?”

Dry Wood (1973) is about Creole music and includes Alphonse “Bois Sec” (“Dry Wood”) Ardoin and Canray Fontenot.  J’ai Été Au Bal / I Went to the Dance (1989) covers the history of Cajun, Creole and zydeco music.  (Soundtrack CDs  volume 1 and volume 2 with listening online!) With involvement by Chris Strachwitz, founder of Arhoolie Records.   Marc and Ann Savoy are the subjects of Marc & Ann (1991).  Cajuns in general are the subject of Spend It All (1971) with Nathan Abshire and the Balfa Brothers.   Yum, Yum, Yum! A Taste of Cajun and Creole Cooking (1990) is about cooking.