"Creole Stomp" - Pee Wee Broussard

Chester Isaac 'Pee Wee' Broussard was born in Henderson, Louisiana into a musical Cajun family. His father, Sosthène Broussard, played mandolin and clarinet as well as accordion, while his grandfather played accordion and fiddle. Two brothers played guitar: Jules played rhythm and Jim played "4-string guitar".1  

In 1952, a New Iberia DJ arranged Pee Wee to record at J.D. Miller's studio in Crowley along with Walter Guidry on steel guitar, and Nathan Latiolais on drums.1   Popularized by Aldus Roger, "Creole Stomp" (#1051) is one of the most covered post-war Cajun instrumentals.  The group added two Breaux Bridge natives, rhythm guitarist Andy Johnson and fiddler Jean "Kaiser" Perez.   

Kaiser Perez played fiddle with several musicians around the Lafayette and St. Martin area.   His aunt gave family nicknames based on leaders and generals, in this case, naming Jean after Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm.2     

Daily Advertiser
Dec 2, 1952

Teche News

Perez, who had spent time serving in WWII, had stumbled into music quite literally.  According to son Rickey Perez, 

While overseas in Germany, he found two fiddles in a building he was searching.  He took one and shipped it back home.  When he got home, his mother handed him the package she received and he started playing with it until he learned something.2  

Perez spent his time filling in with many bands such as Belton Richard and playing on the TV show Passe Partout.  In the 1970s, he open up Kaiser's Place dance and pool hall in Breaux Bridge. 

1. Acadian Two Step.  Bruce Bastin. Liner notes.
2. Discussions with Rickey P

Release Info:

Chere Tu Tu | Feature F-1051-A

Creole Stomp | Feature F-1051-B

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

"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)

"The Waltz That Carried Me To My Grave" - Pee Wee Broussard

Chester Issac "Pee Wee" Broussard was one of many accordion players in the 1950s who recorded songs in south Louisiana.  Here, he covers Cleoma Breaux classic known as "The Waltz That Carried Me To The Grave" (#1045) during his very first recording session for J.D. Miller's Feature Records in Crowley, Louisiana in 1952.   The song was a tribute to his wife who had recently died.

Hey, mais toi 'tite fille, chère,

Toi t'as quitté de la maison pour t'en aller,

Je peux pas te voir, je vas pas te voir,

Comment tu crois moi je peux faire, mais, moi tout seul?

Hey, moi j'ai pleuré chère,

De te voir t'en aller, mais pour toujours,

Comment tu crois, mais, moi j'vas faire?

J'ai p'us personne à la maison mais pour m'aimer.

Jessie Credeur, Do Doon Benoit,
Pee Wee Broussard, Tony Thibodeaux,
Johnny Credeur

During this recording session, his Melody Boys consisted of Jean "Kaiser" Perez on fiddle, Walter Guidry on steel guitar, Andy Johnson on rhythm guitar, and Nathan Latiolais on drums.

Hey, you see, little girl, dear,

For you left the house, you went away.

I didn't see you, I'm not going to see you anymore,

How do you think I'll do this, well, all by myself?

Hey, I cried, dear,

I've seen you leave, well, everyday,

How do you think, well, I will do this?

I have no one left at home, well, to love me.

He influenced and worked with many musicians later including Leroy Broussard and Marc Savoy.  You can hear a lot of his style in Marc's early recordings.  Pee Wee not only played accordion, but also the fiddle.  During his early life, he cut the tendon on his left middle finger by a knife wielded by his brother, so every time he played fiddle, it seemed he was always flipping people the bird. 

1. Acadian Two Step.  Flyright.  Liner Notes.

Find:

Acadian Two Step (Flyright, 1987)

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

"The Pee Wee Special" - Pee Wee Broussard

Another accordionist that helped usher in the "dancehall era" was Chester Isaac "Pee Wee" Broussard (not to be confused with Joseph "Pee Wee" Broussard, tenor banjo player for Happy Fats and Harry Choates). In 1952, 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. There, he recorded two sessions, one which produced the song "The Pee Wee Special" (#1045) on Feature records.

Pee Wee Broussard

During the 1960s, he played fiddle in Marc Savoy's dancehall band. Eventually, he formed the band The Melody Boys. According to those who knew him, Pee Wee liked to fight when he got drunk. He would try to fight people in the dance hall, and if that failed he tried to fight with his own band members.

For the sessions Pee Wee's Melody Boys comprised himself on accordion, Jean "Kaiser" Perez on fiddle, Walter Guidry on steel guitar, Andy Johnson on rhythm guitar, and Nathan Latiolais on drums. Pee Wee Broussard continued to record, cutting both for George Khoury in Lake Charles and Carol Rachou in Lafayette, while he continued his day job as an automobile mechanic at Charlie Lamar's Mechanic Shop in Lafayette... Although he played the accordion on Miller's releases, he also played fiddle, steel and rhythm guitar, and upright bass.

1. Flyright 610, Acadian Two Step, 1988. Notes by Bruce Bastin
2. http://www.acadianmuseum.com/legends.php?viewID=223

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