Thursday, February 9, 2017

"Teiyut Two Step" - Chuck Guillory

A great post-war Cajun swing instrumental called Teiyut found it's roots in pre-war string band songs.  Old tunes which post-war musicians made into new songs helped launch J.D. Miller's Feature label throughout the local scene.  By 1937, J.D. Miller began realizing the interest in local Cajun music.  Miller recalls:
It was the first time I'd heard Cajun music and I loved it.  I mostly filled in with bands, playing guitar.2
Miller created his business in 1946 and his Feature label in 1947-148.  Having a passion for hillbilly music, it was no surprise that musician like Murphy "Chuck" Guillory would end up being recorded by Miller. Leaning heavily in the country direction was fiddler Chuck, who once beat both Harry Choates and Leo Soileau in a fiddling contest.  Born in Mamou, Guillory recorded with accordionist Milton Molitor.  Later Guillory founded and headed up a popular seven-piece Cajun country band, the Rhythm Boys, which included at various points Jimmy Newman and George Jones.1
Chuck Guillory

By 1949, Chuck recorded an instrumental version of the Leo Soileau classic "Blues de Port Arthur", naming it "Teiyut Two Step" (#1015), after a Cajun hound dog holler, taïaut. The recording was done with the unknown Jimmy Newman on guitar.  By this time, Papa Cairo had formed his own band and his friend Francis "Red" Fabacher, who played with Harry Choates for awhile, filled in on steel guitar.  The rest of the lineup was most likely Herman Durbin on piano, Pete Duhon or Howard Thibodeaux on bass, and Curzey Roy on drums. 







  1. Louisiana Music: A Journey From R&b To Zydeco, Jazz To Country, Blues To ... By Rick Koster
  2. Interview with J.D. Miller. By Stacey Courville. Crowley Post Signal. 1983.
Find:
Chuck Guillory ‎– Grand Texas (Arhoolie, 1998)
Jimmy C NEWMAN - The Original Cry, Cry, Darling (Jasmine, 2009)
Acadian All Star Special - The Pioneering Cajun Recordings Of J.D. Miller (Bear, 2011)

No comments:

Post a Comment

Got info? Pics? Feel free to submit.