"Iowa Two Step" - Tan Benoit

Cajun accordion player Clifton "Tan" Benoit had frequented the same dance-halls that the Pine Grove Boys with Nathan Abshire were playing at. When record producer Virgil Bozman discovered Nathan, he also found Tan to be a popular artist in his own right and in 1949 decided to record him on his new Hot Rod label.  Certainly, the OT and the Hot Rods were competing with George Khoury's own releases and Bozman was making a pest of himself.   Ten titles of Virgil's Hot Rod label were released out of San Antonio, with two of them credited to Nathan Abshire's band.  Other artists on the label were comprised of Nathan's band mates, guitarist Ernest Thibodeaux and fiddler Wilson Granger.

Ouais, petite, malheureuse,

Comment tu crois moi, j'peux faire, 

Moi, j'peux faire tout seul, 

Seul à la maison.

Eh, 'tite monde, jolie,

(Oh mon Dieu)* il est bonne pour toi,

Ça t'as fais, 'tite monde,

Ouais, il y a pas longtemps.

Clifton "Tan" Benoit

Using the melody of Amede Ardoin's "Eunice Two Step", Tan recorded a tune he entitled "Iowa Two Step".  Iowa was a community established by mid-western Americans between 1880 and 1910, who moved to south Louisiana looking for cheap land for farming and logging.   Over the 30 year period, dozens of families read the advertisements in the mid-west newspapers and migrated south.  Today, the towns around Jeff Davis parish and Calcasieu parish, such as Iowa, Welsh, and Jennings, are populated by the descendants of these turn-of-the-century landowners from Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa.

Benoit, a native of Jennings, who lived near Gueydan, played many instruments including fiddle, guitar, harmonica and even the drums.  According to researcher Lyle Ferbrache:

Benoit played many instruments including the drums and accordion. He lived close to Ernest Thibodeaux and Will Kegley when they lived in Jennings and Ernest remembered playing with Tan.  My best guess is that sometimes Nathan Abshire didn't make the radio shows and Tan would fill in with his accordion.1    

Yeah, little, miserable woman,

How do you believe I can do this?

I can do this all alone,

Alone at home.

Hey, little everything, pretty one,

My God*, it's good for you,

That you did, my little everything,

Yeah, it won't be long.

Daily World
Nov 21, 1967

His two sides were cut with all the usual Abshire band members at their loudest and best at KJEF studio in Jennings although Tan's vocals are less than exceptional.1    He's backed by either Will Kegley or Wilson Granger on fiddle, Atlas Fruge on steel guitar, either Virgel Bozman or Ernest Thibodeaux on guitar, and Sadie ‘Ozide’ Kegley on drums.  He continued to play music in the community throughout the 60s, having participated in music contests in the area.  

1. Cajun Honky Tonk: The Khoury Recordings, Vol. 2.  Liner notes.
2. Lyrics by Smith S

Release Info:
VB-1 Iowa Two Step | Hot Rod HR-101
VB-2 Bayou Chico Waltz (Wilson Granger) | Hot Rod HR-101

Find:

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