"M&S Special" - Pee Wee Broussard

Joseph Denton "Jay" Miller, owner of M & S Music Store of Crowley got his start as a store owner early on. In 1945, while associated with his father in electrical contracting, he began selling records as a side line.  Around 1946, he traveled to New Orleans with Happy Fats and got introduced to the world of music recording first hand by none other than record producer Cosimo Matassa.  By 1948, he converted his shop into a music store and had two new labels which attracted the attention of Cajun musicians. 

Miller's Cajun label called Feature Records was gaining ground in the early 1950s.  During this period, Cajun music was just holding its own on Feature with occasional releases from Chester "Pee Wee" Broussard and his Melody Boys. Ned Guilbeau, a DJ on a New Iberia radio station, arranged Pee Wee's first session at J.D. Miller's studio at the old M&S Electrical Shop on North Parkerson Street in Crowley, as he liked Pee Wee's playing.1  

Crowley Post Signal
 Jan 14, 1947

Eh, petite, moi j’connais j’ai pris ça dur,

Quoi faire tu m’as dit que tu pouvais, mais, p’us m’aimer?

Eh, bébé, quand t'en quitté, pour t'en aller,

Eh, si loin, z-avec un autre, mais, quelq'un pas mieux*.

Daily Advertiser
Dec 19, 1952

Pee Wee recorded two sessions with Miller during the 1950s.  The second session, which showed that the first two 78s must have sold well enough to please both Miller and Pee Wee, produced "La Valse du Bayou Blanc" and a tribute to Miller's little shop/studio, "M&S Special" (#1064).  For this 1952 session, Pee Wee's Melody Boys comprised of himself on accordion, Jean "Kaiser" Perez on fiddle, Walter Guidry on steel guitar, Andy Johnson on rhythm guitar, and Nathan Latiolais on drums.1  

Hey, little girl, I know I took it hard,

Why did you tell me that you could, well, love me better?

Hey, baby, when you left, to go away,

Hey, so far with another, well, who's not much better.

Located at 218 N. Parkerson, Miller converted his entire business into a music shop. He quickly outgrew his M&S warehouse and over the next several decades, moved his business into bigger and better locations downtown. 

Joseph Denton "Jay" Miller
M&S Music Shop, 1953

1. Flyright 610, Acadian Two Step, 1988. Notes by Bruce Bastin
2. Lyrics by Smith S

Release Info:
La Valse De Bayou Blanc | Feature F-1064-A
M&S Special | Feature F-1064-B

Find: 
Acadian Two Step (Flyright, 1987)
Acadian All Star Special - The Pioneering Cajun Recordings Of J.D. Miller (Bear, 2011)