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Tuesday, February 23, 2021

"Chere Ami Waltz" - Musical Four Plus One

For over ten years, the band Musical Four Plus One enjoyed a period of great popularity.  Their recording is among the most obscure post-war releases in early Cajun music and appears on George Khoury's Lyric label.  The record immediately catches the ear with a fine electric guitar lead which participates throughout, making it unique among any Cajun record of that or probably any period.1  

The original version of the band cut this elusive record, containing "Chere Ami Waltz" (#609), a take on the old Cajun melody "Chere Tout Tout", in late 1950 or very early 1951.  That year, the group consisted of Ellias Thibodeaux on accordion, Eddie Duhon on vocals and fiddle, Cleadis Mott on electric guitar, Charles Delaney on rhythm guitar, Eldridge ‘Coon’ Guidry on bass, and Clifton Newman on drums.  According to Dave Sax, 

Eldridge "Coon" Guidry

Eddie Shuler handled the recording in a makeshift studio in Lake Charles and brought the reliable bassist Eldridge "Coon" Guidry along to augment the band.  The bass lends an unusual flavor here as it weaves with the accordion and Mott's wonderfully supple guitar work and reinforces the brisk tempo that basically takes "Chere Ami Waltz" out of the waltz category altogether.1  

Eh, criminelle, 'tit monde, 
Voir j'va pas, moi j'va faire avec maman
Te m'a quitter, pour t'en aller, chere,
T'en aller dans l'pays, si loin de moi,

Hey, te ma dire, 'tit monde,
Il y a pas longtemps, te peux revenir pour même,
Aujourd'hui mon j'peux voir, 'tit monde,
Mon j'peux voir t'apres partir, pour moi aller.



Musical Four Plus One
Cliff Newman, Eddie Duhon,
Cleadis Mott, Charles Delaney

Courtesy of Lyle Ferbrache

At the beginning they secured a residency at the Blue Moon Club in Lake Charles, which initially sponsored Saturday afternoon appearances for them on KWSL.  With a band name chosen to mimic Nathan Abshire's Musical Five, their versatility and comedy skits helped to endear them to the audience.    Although the label was sold under Khoury's Lyric catalog, on this session, we actually hear Shuler 'producing' here.  Sax explains,
Cleadis began to close the song and Eddie waved his hands above his head for them to continue playing because the record was not long enough.  As a result Cleadis' guitar began to end the piece and then picked it up again!1  
Lake Charles American Press
Jan 19, 1955



Hey, it's terrible, my little everything, 
See, I won't, I won't do that to my mom,
You're leaving me, to go away, dear,
You're going into the countryside, so far away from me,

Hey, you told me, my little everything,
Over there, not long ago, you'll return the same,
Today, I can see, my little everything,
I can see you're leaving, for I'm going now.


William Charles Delaney

They later enjoyed a nine year stint at the Clover Club, 
becoming a string band when Sidney Brown left. Other places they played were the Club 90 in Iowa, the Reno Club in Kaplan, Buddy Little's in Carlyss, and the B.O. Sparkle in Bridge City, TX.2  Cleadis Matt later played for twenty years with the Tune Toppers, recording for both Jin and J.D. Miller's Ringo label.1  Families recalled,

When they played at Lavergne's in Poche Town, they would play one week and a young George Jones would play the next.  The bar was about 100 ft from the hall with a window to allow people to get drinks from the outside. There were only benches in the hall with an elevated bandstand.  It also had a bullpen that was enclosed with chicken wire for the dancers. You could stand and watch from outside the pen but if you wanted to dance, you had to buy a ticket.2  





  1. Cajun Honky Tonk: The Khoury Recordings, Volume 1.  David Sax.  Liner notes.
  2. "Musical Four Plus One: Tran La Ezy" by Lyle Ferbrache. 
  3. Lyrics by Herman M, Stephane F, Jesse L
Release Info:
Chere Ami Waltz (Dear Friend Waltz) | Khoury’s/Lyric KH-609-A
Tran La Ezy (Drag it easy) | Khoury’s/Lyric KH-609-B

Find:
Cajun Honky Tonk: The Khoury Recordings Vol. 2 (Arhoolie, 2013)

Monday, February 8, 2021

"Petite Negress" - Jimmy Choates

Fiddler Jimmie (Jimmy) Choate was born in Bancker, Louisiana, not far from Abbeville.  He grew up playing music at an early age, similar to many of his siblings.  Quick to latch on to the success of famed Texas fiddler Harry Choates, Jimmie and his brother Pete decided to make a music career.  Record producer J.D. Miller of Fais Do Do records saw the opportunity as well, and in 1951, he had Jimmie's band record two songs. 


Moi j'aime cousin et moi j'aime cousine mais j'aime mieux ma 'tite negress,
Samedi, ce soir, moi j'etais au bal, je m'ai saoulé comme un 'tit cochon,
Dimanche matin, c'est tout manière malade,
Passez-moi le verre à limonade.

L'hiver arrive, l'hiver arrive, mon p'tit nég a pas de couverte,
Demain ce soir, il t'etais au bal, il saoulé comme un 'tit cochon,
Lundi matin, il était tout manière malade, 
Passez-lui le verre à limonade.

L'hiver arrive, l'hiver arrive, mon p'tit nég a pas de couverte,
Demain ce soir, il t'etais au bal, il saoulé comme un 'tit cochon,
Lundi matin, il était tout manière malade, 
Passez-lui le verre à limonade.

Moi je bois du vin et moi je mange des dattes, et tout ça, ça me coute pas rien,
Demain ce soir, moi j'etais au bal, je m'ai saoulé comme un 'tit cochon,
Lundi matin, c'est tout manière malade, 
Passez-moi le verre de Hadacol.


Blackie Dartez

Apr 19, 1951

Jimmie's Melody Boys included Ronald Ray "Pee Wee" Lyons on steel guitar and Charles ‘Pete’ Choate on bass guitar, however, Miller had the Melody Boys back up his star studio vocalist and guitarist Blackie Dartez.  Leodis "Blackie" Dartez was a guitarist from Cut Off, Louisiana and made his way to Crowley during the 1940s.  He played alongside Joe Falcon and his Silver String Band and later with Leroy Broussard and his French Serenaders.  There, he taught the accordion player his version of of a 1929 Columbus Fruge recording "Point Clear Blues" and entitled it "Petite Negress" (#1009).   


I appreciate my cousin, appreciate my cousin, but I prefer my woman,
Saturday night, I went to the dance, I got drunk like a big pig,
Sunday morning, I wasn't feeling well,
Pass me a glass of lemonade.

Winter comes, winter comes, my good friend was homeless,
The next night, he was at the dance, he was drunk like a pig,
Monday morning, he was very sick,
Pass him a drink of limonade.

Winter comes, winter comes, my good friend was homeless,
The next night, he was at the dance, he was drunk like a pig,
Monday morning, he was very sick,
Pass him a drink of limonade.


I drank wine and ate dates, and all that, it didn't cost me anything,
Saturday night, I went to the dance, I got drunk like a big pig,
Sunday morning, I wasn't feeling well,
Pass me a glass of Hadacol.



Teche News
Feb 10, 1950

Blackie changed up the lyrics, including the last line as an ode to the popular elixir Hadacol, invented by famed Lafayette salesman Dudley Leblanc.  It was a popular drink in 1949 that was sold by the thousands across the country.  By the time Leroy made his way into the Goldband recording studio in 1956, he re-recorded the song as "Lemonade Song" and it remained that title ever since. 






Release Info:
Chere Meon | Fais-Do-Do F-1009-A
Petite Negress | Fais-Do-Do F-1009-B

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

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

"Nouveau Grand Gueyan" - Leroy "Happy Fats" Leblanc

The popularization began in 1936 with the Hackberry Ramblers string band recording of "Jolie Blonde" for RCA records.  Having been familiar with the Breaux Brothers tune, their string band version found its way across the Cajun prairies of Louisiana and east Texas.  Known as "La Valse de Gueydan" in certain regions, singer and song writer Leroy "Happy Fats" Leblanc fatefully decided to record his under the more inauspicious title of "Nouveau Grand Gueyan" in 1938 (#2024).  Believing it to be a follow up of Leo Soileau's recording, he made the song part of his repertoire with the likes of Roy Romero on steel guitar, Moise Sonnier on fiddle,  Louis Arceneaux on fiddle and Joe Werner on harmonica.  Over time, the melody began to be known by all these names. 

RCA Bluebird producer Eli Oberstein failed to see the song's potential and placed it on the flip-side of Tex-Mex song by fiddler Melquiades Rodríguez.  Although Happy failed to make any waves with the recording, the tune continued to make it's way around other string band and western swing groups in the area including Port Arthur native Harry Choates. Eventually, Choates made his recording debut as fiddler with Happy's band at a 1940 session in Dallas, but the alliance didn't hold together.  According to Happy, working with Harry was difficult.
Harry Choates
Austin, TX 1951


In a way, he just lost his mind.  He was a very bad alcoholic, when he wanted whiskey or a drink, he had to have it.  I've seen him break glass with his elbow, right on Main Street in Lake Charles, and crack it open and reach in and get a fifth, a liquor store on Main Street.  He just had to have it, that's all he took, just one bottle of whiskey.2


Moi j'm'en va, jolie 'tite fille,
À grande Gueydan c'est pour toujours,
Rappelle-toi, mais, malheureuse,
Pour quoi t'as fais pour ton vieux negre.

J'ai pleuré et j'ai prié,,
Pour t'avoir, aye, ma belle,
Moi j'm'en va, jolie 'tite fille,
À grande Gueydan c'est pour toujours.


Rayne Tribune
Sept 3, 1937

Happy ditched Harry and he ended up working as a fiddler for other area string bands. Choates next started playing electric mandolin with Shelly Lee Alley and the Alley Cats. Later in 1941, he was playing guitar with Pancho and the Farmhands over in Beaumont.  Around this time, Choates also played guitar and second fiddle for Leo Soileau’s Aces with Joe and Abe Manuel, and Francis “Red” Fabacher. Harry had been playing with Leo Soileau when he was exposed to their song "La Valse De Gueydan (Jolie Fille)".  According to Happy:
Harry had first performed the tune in Soileau's band but on his Gold Star recording he stepped up the key from G to A.2  

Happy's last pre-war session was in October of 1941.  RCA wouldn't record him again until five years later but it was short lived.  Meanwhile, Choates had just scored a national hit with his western swing version entitled "Jole Blon" in 1946 with independent producer in Houston called Gold Star Records.  A stunned Happy Fats recalled, 
Harry went off to Houston, he left the band and got in with a fellow by the name of Bill Quinn.  And he made 'Jole Blon' and it was a million seller.1,2  


Happy Fats

Not to be outdone, it was about this time when Happy Fats began toying around with the idea of recording the melody as "Jole Blon", making it an official song with his group, the Rayne-Bo Ramblers.  According to author Andrew Brown, Steve Sholes of RCA Victor records told a disappointed Leblanc that the session had to be cancelled, allegedly because of "wartime shellac rationing".


I'm going, pretty little girl,
To big Gueydan forever,
Remember well, miserable woman,
For what you've done to your old man.

I've cried and I've prayed,
In order to see you, aye, my beauty,
I'm going, pretty little girl,
To big Gueydan forever.


By the time Happy managed to record the song as New Jolie Blonde for independent producer J.D. Miller, the song's popularity has already peaked.





  1. Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music By Ryan Andre Brasseaux
  2. South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous By John Broven
  3. Lyrics by Herman M

Release Info:
BS-014016-1 Nouveau Grand Gueyan | Bluebird B-2024-A
BS-014204-1 Les Trois Elviras (Melquiades Rodríguez) | Bluebird B-2024-B 

Find:
Cajun Country, Vol. 2, More Hits from the Swamp (JSP, 2005)