"The Waltz Of Our Little Town" - Adam Trahan

Joe Falcon's breakthrough recording of "Lafayette" for Columbia records in 1928 spawned other players to take up the challenge.  By the time Joe arrived back from his second session, Cow Island native Adam Trahan had challenged Joe Falcon to an accordion contest, convinced he, himself, was a better player.  His denouncement of Joe's abilities at best garnered him the attention of a local furniture store owner and the Columbia executives.  At 19 years old, Adam received a telegram from Columbia Record Company representative, F. Mackey.  It directed him to "hop on the next train to New Orleans" where he would meet with the Columbia record contacts.1

He arrived in New Orleans in December of 1928 where he waxed the song "The Waltz Of Our Little Town" (#40501). The accordion melody has some similarity with Angelas Lejeune's 1929 recording of "Bayou Pon Pon", played as a waltz instead of a one-step, however, the lyrical melody resembles Joe Falcon's 1928 recording of "Osson".  It borrowed some similarities from an old fiddle melody called "Rubber Dolly". By 1934, Amede Ardoin traveled to NYC and recorded the song for Decca with many similarities, giving it the title "Tortope d'Osrun".   After the war, Austin Pitre sped up the tempo and created his "High Point Two Step" and "Janot Special". 

Si 't'avais écouter ton papa et ta maman, 

Aujourd'hui toi tu serais avec moi à la maison, 

J'ai courtaillé, j'ai roulayé, pour essayer, 

De t'avoir, malheureuse, j'ai pas pu.

Tu m'as pris de la maison comme un pauvre orphelin,

Tu m'as promis de t'soigner jusqu'à le jour de ma mort.

Abbeville Meridional
Dec 15, 1928

Sadly, Adam's guitarist and Milton native Edney Broussard, improvised all the chord changes, causing his session to sound terribly dissonant.   Columbia Records invited Trahan back for a second recording session, but he declined, having already sold his accordion.1  But his reputation as an excellent accordion player lingered in the community.  According to the Abbeville Meridional in 1929,

Adam Trahan has made a few records for the Columbia Phonograph Company, and is considered a wicked key snapper.  His ability to coax seductive melodies from the ol' wind box borders on the marvelous.  With the first strains from Adam's accordion the puritanical toe shakes off its solemnity--acquires a new cunning and swings into line with the dictates of nature.2  

If you'd listened to your dad and your mom,

Today, you'd be with me at home,

I had courted, I had ran around, trying,

To have you, miserable one, I just couldn't.

You took me from the house like a poor orphan,

You promised to take care of me until the day I die. 

Crowley Daily Signal
Apr 18, 1929

1. Accordions, fiddles, two step & swing: a Cajun music reader by Ryan A. Brasseaux, Kevin S. Fontenot
2. Abbeville Meridional (Abbeville, Louisiana) 24 Aug 1929
3. Lyrics by Stephane F

Release Info:
W147634-2 The Waltz Of Our Little Town | Columbia 40501-F
W147635-2 The Pretty Girls Don't Want Me | Columbia 40501-F

Find:
Cajun: Rare & Authentic (JSP, 2008)