"What's The Matter Now?" - Walker Brothers

The pre-war Cajun recording era had a surprising set of artists that many rarely consider today.  Accordionist Lawrence Walker, more known for his honky-tonk post-war career, had formed a small group in the late 1920s to bring his mixture of American blues and French music to the surrounding parishes.  As a teenager he formed the Walker Brothers group with his brother Elton. Featuring accordion, fiddle and guitar, the band played both Cajun and hillbilly music.  Soon, they were invited to record for both Brunswick and RCA.   In 1935, Walker waxed a pair of bluesy English compositions at RCA Bluebird's mobile recording facility in New Orleans.2  

With guitarists Junior and Aldus "Popeye" Broussard added to the group, their professional sound has been preserved on Bluebird recordings like "What's The Matter Now" (#2199).  The droning guitar strum with simple accordion riffs gave the traditional Cajun sound an added dimension.1   It arrived on the heels of similar recordings of the era, such as the Breaux Brothers' "Le Blues De Petit Chien".

Lawrence Walker

Tell me now, pretty baby, baby,

What's the matter now?

(You) stayed out late last night,

You don't need no papa, no how, Lord, Lord.

Let me tell you something, baby,

I got up on my mind,

Let me tell you something, baby,

That's keeps me worried all the time.

Oh, baby, what's the matter now?

You got me worried now,

But I won't be worried long.

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

Release Info:

BS-87614-1 Alberta | Bluebird B-2199-A

BS-87615-1 What's The Matter Now? | Bluebird B-2199-B

BS-87614-1 Alberta | Montgomery Ward M-4882-A 

BS-87615-1 What's The Matter Now? | Montgomery Ward M-4882-B

Find:

Cajun Early Recordings (JSP, 2004)

"Tortope D'Osrun (Tortope of Osrun)" - Amede Ardoin

Cajun and Zydeco music would not be what it is today without Amédé Ardoin and his musical recordings of the late 1920s and early 30s. His fortés include his uniquely eloquent lyrics his resonating voice and his driving accordion virtuosity. The equanimity in which this slight black French-speaker composed performed and recorded his songs attests to the high regard held by those who knew him. Amédé lived the blues and injected his spirit into our music.2 

Oh, oh, quoi faire, je m'en va,

Tu m'abandonnes, yé yaille, tu m'abandonnes,

Ayoù je vas aller, chére, n'importe quel bord qu'il va,

T'es pas là, yé yaille, ça me fait de la peine.

Oh, yé yaille, ça me fait de la peine à mon,

Ayoù je vas aller, pour être capable te voir,

Quand tu me passes, toi, tu reviens jamais,

Avant samedi au soir, après midi.

Oh, yé yaille, comment je vas faire?

Comment je vas faire, yé yaille?

J'suis après partir, tous les samedis au soir,

Ta mom veut pas,

Que mon je t'emmene en nulle part,

Comment je vas faire?

Amede Ardoin

Based on a Joe Falcon recording entitled "Osson", Ardoin's 1934 "Tortope D'Osrun" (#17007) was an ode to the small community of Osson and contained the same lyrical theme he used in much of his other recordings.  Left to his own devices, Ardoin's solo work for Decca Records in New York City that December became the last creative pieces he ever recorded.  Melodies such as the one borrowed from the American standard "Rubber Dolly", which inspired other Cajun songs such as Adam Trahan's "The Waltz Of Our Little Town", Angelas Lejeune's "Bayou Pon Pon" and Austin Pitre's "High Point Two Step".  Musician Moise Robin recalls meeting Amede Ardoin,

When I was young, Amédé Ardoin was playing with Leo Soileau at my brother-in-law dance hall and he would bring crowds that the people couldn't come in.  He was a good singer. And that's what the people were [there] for.1

Oh, oh, what's been done, i'm going,

You abandoned me, ye yaille, you abandoned me,

Where am I going to go, dear, no matter which side that I go,

You aren't there, ye yaille, that hurts me.

Oh, ye yaille, that makes it painful to me,

Where am I going to go, in order to be able to see you,

When you passed by me, you never returned,

Before Saturday evening, that afternoon.

Oh, ye yaille, how will I handle this?

How will I handle this, ye yaille?

I am leaving, every Saturday night,

You mom doesn't want,

That I bring you anywhere,

How will I do this?

1. http://arhoolie.org/moise-robin/
2. http://www.downhomemusic.com/product/amede-ardoin-im-never-comin-back/

Release Info:

39198-A Valse Brunette (Brunette Waltz) | Decca 17007 A

39199-A Tortope D'Osrun (Tortope of Osrun) | Decca 17007 B

Find:

Amadé Ardoin – Louisiana Cajun Music Vol. 6 : Amadé Ardoin – The First Black Zydeco Recording Artist (1928–1938) (Old Timey)

I'm Never Comin' Back: The Roots of Zydeco (Arhoolie, 1995)

CAJUN-Rare & Authentic (JSP, 2008)

Mama, I'll Be Long Gone : The Complete Recordings of Amede Ardoin, 1929-1934 (Tompkins Square, 2011)

"La Valse De Jennings" - John Oliver

One of the more obscure Cajun accordion players of the post-war honky-tonk era was John Oliver.  Born north of Crowley, he spent his time playing house dances with his brothers around the area.  Soon, afterwards, he formed his own band, the Louisiana Playboys.

Although originally from Jennings, he played in places east of Jeff Davis Parish such as Fruge's Bar in Midland, the Welcome Club in Crowley and the Martinez Bar in Morse.    His performing career lasted from 1949 to 1952, which during this time, he traveled to New Orleans to recording for Meladee Records with the song "La Valse De Jennings" (#116).  The melody caries some similarities to Nathan Abshire's "New Orleans Waltz".  The Meladee label was owned and operated by Mel and Lou Mallory in New Orleans, where the famous Cosimo Matassa served as his studio producer.

Crowley Daily Signal
Oct 6, 1949

His band consisted of several musicians throughout the years, including Buddy Myles on fiddle, Jake Mier on steel guitar, and Thomas Langley on drums. Soon after, band members such as Jake and Thomas joined the Pine Grove Boys with Nathan Abshire and his guitarist August Broussard left to form his own accordion-led band.   By the 1970s, John eventually made his way to Eddie Shuler's Goldband studios in Lake Charles and continued his recording career alongside Robert Bertrand.

1. "Cajun Dancehall Heyday" by Ron Yule

Release Info:

John Oliver Special | Meladee DB115

La Valse de Jennings | Meladee DB116

"One Step Des McGee" - Dennis McGee & Ernest Fruge

Fiddler Dennis McGee was born in Bayou Marron to John McGee, of Irish descent, and Amelia Lafleur, of French and Seminole Indian ancestry.2  Dennis first began learning the fiddle from his father, his favorite tune being "Valse de Pop."  In his youth, he went to live with his grandmother, where he was surrounded by fiddle players. As with many other rural fiddlers, music was a family affair with Dennis--listening to the playing of his uncles, Ulysses and Joseph McGee, and a cousin, Oscar McGee.1   

Ler-der-de-de-da-da-ler-der-der,

De-ler-der-der-de-der-de-ler-der-der,

'Garde-le mourir, c'est trop dur, 

Eh, moi tout seul, eh, malheureuse la belle,

Eh, 'gardez-donc, oh, mais, ça t'as fais,

Moi, j'connais t'as fais, malheureuse.

Malheureuse, jolie 'tit cœur,

Regarde (ce que) t'as fais dés (que) tu passes la porte, 

T’étais là bas, c’est tout t’as fait,

Mais, malheureuse, mais, malheureuse.

Ler-der-de, 'garde-donc, r'garde belle,

Mais, 'tit galop pour aller (à) la maison,

Mais, cours toujours, mais, t'en aller,

Mais, nous tous seul, mais-là, gallop.

Theodore McGee

After working with a cousin, Ben Courville on his farm, he moved and began living with another cousin, Theodore McGee.   Theodore took him to Ville Platte to buy a fiddle and withing six months he was attracting the attention of neighbors who would come to hear him play.1  He received his first shiny red fiddle when he was 15 years old.4  According to Dennis, 

I stayed with Theodore McGee and one day he said, "Well Mac, I believe I'll buy a violin for you.  I'm going to Ville Platte."  No strings!  There was nothing on it. He bought some strings and the pegs. He knew how to play a little. He tuned it up and played "Tout Les Deux Pour La Meme".  He said, "Now, you're on your own."3  

He started out playing for square dances with eight or ten couples in country homes for the grand sum of $1 a night.4   By 1929, he scored a contract to record with Vocalion records with Sady Courville and later, with Amede Ardoin with Colombia records.  By 1930, he and fiddler Ernest Fruge teamed up and headed to New Orleans where they recorded "One Step Des McGee" (#590) for Brunswick records, in honor of his McGee musical family.  Similar to his "One Step De Chupic", Dennis introduces the verses with nonsensical phrasing.  This style of singing could be used to evoke emotions or even memories in listeners that couldn't be put into words or ones that weren't terribly specific. It allows the listener's mind to wander where it will, guided by the singer, but not forced into a specific narrative. 

Ler-der-de-de-da-da-ler-der-der,

De-ler-der-der-de-der-de-ler-der-der,

Look at him dying, it's too hard,

Hey, i'm all alone, hey, naughty beauty,

Hey, so look, oh, well, at that you've done,

I know what you've done, naughty woman.

Naughty woman, pretty little sweetheart,

Look what you did as soon as you walked through the door,

You were there, it's all due to you,

Well, naughty woman, well, naughty woman.

Ler-der-de, so look, look at that beauty,

Well, galloping to the house,

Well, always running, well, I'm going,

Well, we're all alone, well there, (let's) gallop.

1. Louisiana Fiddlers By Ron Yule, Bill Burge
2. https://64parishes.org/entry/dennis-mcgee
3. Ye Yaille Chere by Raymond Francois
4. The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, Louisiana) 12 Sep 1982
5. Lyrics by Stephane F and Herman M

Release Info:

NO-6731 La Valse De Rosalie | Brunswick 590

NO-6732 One Step Des McGee | Brunswick 590

Find:

Dennis McGee ‎– The Complete Early Recordings (Yazoo, 2006)

"Eunice Waltz" - Veteran Playboys

When the Second World War finally came to a close, the returning veterans of southwest Louisiana wanted to hear the music of their youth.  One of the leading bands of that era was Alphée Bergeron and the Original Veteran Playboys.  They played traditional Cajun music every night of the week for three years straight.  Alphée was a sharecropper by day and accordion player by night. He was from the community of Pointe Noir, near Church Point in Acadia Parish.1  

Moi j'm'en va d'la maison, 

J’suis parti en larme, mais, tu vas voir encore,

Toi, 'tite fille, toi, tes ma pardonné, 

C'est de la peine que j'ai (pour) toi pour toujours.

J’suis parti en larme, mais, tu vas voir encore,

J'suis condamné par les paroles de ma catin

Te condamné pour quatre-vingt-dix neuf ans,

Dans les bals*, chere-là, m'joindre pas jamais.

T'as jonglé tout mes parents,

(Je) pense à toi, c'est des mauvaises paroles, catin,

Faudra je prends mes chagrin pour mourir,

Toi, tite fille, t’es peut remercier ton papa et ta maman.

Shirley and Alphee Bergeron

At the age of eight he, he started playing the accordion and at the age of twelve, he was playing house dances.  He played his first house dance with Joe Cormier in the Tasso community.  He was a close neighbor with accordion player Angelas Lejeune.4 

Alphée son, Shirley, was a quick study and soon joined his father’s band while still in school.  Shirley was eager to learn and soon began singing in his father’s band.  He also learned to play the electric steel guitar—his favorite instrument.  The typical week would start Tuesday nights with a short performance at KSLO radio, then to the Deuce Club in Lewisburg.  Shirley recalled,

"The second night, Wednesday, was the Rose Garden Club in Nuba. Thursday night, we'd perform at the Side Inn in Church Point.  Friday night's performance was at Jake's Place in Church Point, and on Saturday night....man, there's so many places. I was going through high school at the time. Man it was rough. "2  

In 1948, Alphée and fiddler/vocalist Adam Hebert formed a band called the Veteran Playboys because of two of the group members were veterans.3  They recorded one pressing on J.D. Miller's Fais Do Do label including song "Eunice Waltz" (#1012), a version of Amede Ardoin's 1929 recording "La Valse Ah Abe".  The rest of band included Raymond Lafleur on guitar, Wallace Lafleur on guitar, Bill Matt on drums and possibly Willard Matt.

Daily World
Mar 23, 1951

I'm going back home,

I left in tears, well, you will eventually see,

You, little girl, you've forgiven me,

It's because of the pain that you've given me forever.

I left in tears, well, you will eventually see,

I'm condemned by the words you said, pretty doll?

You've condemned me for ninety-nine years,

Good riddance, dearest, never join me again.

I'm reminiscing about all my parents,

Thinking of you, because of the terrible words, my pretty doll,

I have to keep my sorrows until I die,

You, little girl, you can thank your father and your mother. 

Shirley Ray Bergeron became one of the best singer-songwriters of Cajun Music.  Adam Hebert would continue on, forming a group called the Country Playboys. 

 

1.  J’AI FAIT MON IDEE (I MADE-UP MY MIND) By William Thibodeaux 11/12/2013
2. Daily World (Opelousas, Louisiana )12 Apr 1991
3. The Ville Platte Gazette (Ville Platte, Louisiana) 10 Jun 1993
4. https://www.cajunfrenchmusic.org/documents/8AlpheeBergeron.pdf
5. Lyrics by Herman M and Stephane F

Release Info:

Eunice Waltz | Fais Do Do F-1012-A

Chinaball Special | Fais Do Do F-1012-B

Find:

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

"La Valse De La Rosa" - Leo Soileau

Leo Soileau was one of the dominant Cajun musicians of the 1930s and early '40s. His more than 100 recordings included such influential tunes as "Hackberry Hop," "La Gran Mamou," La Valse De Gueydan," and his greatest hit, "Jolie Blonde." Taught the fiddle by influential Cajun fiddlers Dennis McGee and Sady Courville, Soileau made his recording debut, in 1928, when he joined with accordionist Mayeus Lafleur to record the second Cajun record ever, "He Mon." Following Lafleur's death, nine days later, he teamed with accordionist Moise Robin. He also recorded, in the late '20s, with the Soileau Couzens.2  

Oh chère, promets moi, mais, juste pour moi, jolie fille,

Jusqu'à jour de ta mort, bébé.

Oh chère, moi, j'connais, mais, toi pas venir jusqu'à moi,

Toi pas venir, mais, tu t'sauve* de ton nègre*, bébé.

Oh chère, promets moi de pas m'quitter jusqu'à la mort,

Jolie cœur, pour ton nègre, chère.

Oh chère, moi, j'connais, mais, moi, j'm'en va,

C'est pour te rejoindre, jolie cœur,

Pourquoi-donc tu veux pas d'moi, jolie?

Port Arthur News
Sep 20, 1946

Forming his own band, the Three Aces, with rhythm guitarists Floyd Shreve or Dewey Landry and bassist/drummer Tony Gonzalez in the early '30s, Soileau expanded the group into a quartet, the Four Aces, in 1934. They later became the Rhythm Boys by 1937, backed by piano player Harold "Popeye" Broussard and steel guitarist Julius ‘Papa Cairo’ Lamperez.2  In his last session with the Four Aces, Leo recorded a version of Joe Falcon's "Aimer Et Perdre" entitled "La Valse De La Rosa" (#17047), a melody he had reworked earlier in his career as "Ce Pas La Pienne Tu Pleur".   It would be his last recorded Cajun piece ever.  Although this marked the end of Leo's recording career, he claimed the reason was because of the onset of WWII.

When the war declared, that's when my contract expired with Decca.1   

Oh dear, promise me, well, (you're) just for me, pretty girl,

Until the day you die, baby.

Oh dear, I know, well, you didn't come to me,

You didn't come, well, you stayed away from your man, baby.

Oh dear, promise me not to leave me until death,

Pretty sweetheart, for your man, dear.

Oh dear, I know, well, I'm leaving,

It's to join you, pretty sweetheart,

So, why do you not want me, pretty girl?

The group continued to perform at the Silver Star Club in Lake Charles for eight years. Shifting to the Showboat Club in Orange, TX and other places like the Harvest Club, the band continued to play together for another two years. Although Soileau and the group appeared frequently on the radio, they never recorded again. In the late '40s, Soileau left music to work with his brothers in a general contracting firm in Ville Platte. He died in August 1980.2  

1. http://arhoolie.org/leo-soileau-interview/
2. https://www.pandora.com/artist/full-bio/leo-soileau/ARZbKjv4drvdfqc 
3. Lyrics by Martin S

Release Info:

63070-A Chere Liza | Decca 17047 A

63070-A La Valse De La Rosa | Decca 17047 B

Find:
Leo Soileau: Louisiana Cajun Music Vol. 7 (Old Timey, 1982)

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

"Ain't No More" - Texas Melody Boys

Robert William "Pee Wee" Pitre was one of the single session Cajun recording artist of the early 1950s.  A native of Kinder, Louisiana, he was a radio entertainer and accordion player in Eunice.  He moved to Texas at some point after WWII and formed a group he referred to as the Texas Melody Boys. 

His "group" recorded a popular Amede Breaux tune called "Vas Y Carrement", more commonly referred to as "Step It Fast".   In 1949, Nathan Abshire tied lyrics to the song which Pitre borrowed for his title "Ain't No More" (#500).  It's about The recording is quite fast paced and a bit confusing aurally.  While some hear multiple musicians, researcher and author Lyle Ferbrache believes we're hearing the sounds of a one-man-band.  He explains:

It seems the Texas Melody Boys were just Pee Wee singing and playing the accordion and a drum! I love the record and play it often and that’s all I hear.1  

Eunice News
Nov 29, 1946

Sadly, not much is known about Pee Wee.  He moved to Pasadena Texas in 1954 shortly after the recording and died in 1960. 

 

1. Post War Cajun 78 RPM Nuggets - Blues & Rhythm. 2014

Release Info:

Ain’t No More | Khoury's 500 A

Old Time Waltz | Khoury's 500 B

Find:

Cajun Honky Tonk: The Khoury Recordings, Volume 1 (Arhoolie, 1995)