"Lu Lu Boogie" - Nathan Abshire

By the mid-1950s, the country found itself absorbed in rock n roll and Cajun accordion players adapted to the new sound in various ways.  In early 1955, Nathan Abshire and his Rhythm Five recorded a jumping, jiving instrumental in which he called the "Lu Lu Boogie" (#647).  His "Five" at the time consisted of Nathan on accordion, possibly Dewey Balfa on fiddle, possibly Jake Miere on lead guitar, possibly Ernest Thibodeaux on rhythm guitar, and possibly Shelton Manuel on drums.  Believed to be named after Leleux's Dance-hall near Estherwood, the club was owned by locally-known fiddle luthier Lionel Leleux's grandfather, Ernest Leleux.   His dance-hall was located in the community of the family's namesake.  

Leleux's Dance-hall, 1938
Russell Lee Collection, LOC

When young Lionel Leleux began playing music in 1927, he teamed up with the young Nathan Abshire.  They rotated between playing at Leleux's Dance-hall and the Martinez Dance Hall in Morse.  Neither had transportation, so one week, Lionel walked the 12 miles to Morse; the following week, Nathan hiked it to the community of Leleux.2   According to a 1941 Louisiana brochure by the Work Projects Administration, "Leleux is little more than a post office, general store, and combination saloon and dance-hall, where fais-dodos, or Cajun “breakdown” dances, are held each Wednesday evening."1   
  

Ernest Leleux, 1938
Russell Lee Collection, LOC

Ernest's dance-hall featured the likes of Dennis McGee and Sady Courville in the earliest days and was the chosen location for U.S. Farm Security Administration's photographer Russell Lee.   In 1938, he took some of the most iconic photos of post-Depression life in the Cajun prairies, including dancers dancing to the popular string band: the Alley Boys of Abbeville.    His photos taken in Leleux's Dance-hall are located today in the Library of Congress. 

Another possible origin for the name could have bee Lulu's Dancehall, located southwest of Gueydan, not far from where Nathan lived.  Lastly, it could have been a reference to local man named Lester "Lu Lu" Faulk that lived in the southwest area of Vermilion Parish; an area which contains the road named Lu Lu Rd. 

1. Louisiana; a guide to the state, compiled by workers of the Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Louisiana ... sponsored by the Louisiana Library Commission at Baton Rouge.
2. The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, Louisiana) 26 Jul 2009

Release Info:
Casa Blanca Waltz | Khoury's KH-647-A
Lu Lu Boogie | Khoury's KH-647-B

Find:
French Blues (Arhoolie, 1993)