"Round Up Hop" - Miller's Merrymakers

As the recording industry began to abandon the accordion-led sound in 1937 for the more palatable and marketable string-band sound, fiddle players like J.B. Fuselier arrived on the scene eager to record their stomps, hops, breakdowns and waltzes.  His opportunities increased when he decided to leave his childhood home town and move further south to where dance-halls dominated HWY 90. 

Bethoven Miller was born in the Jennings area near Lake Arthur and picked up the banjo as his primary instrument.   Fuselier was discovered by Miller when J.B. moved from Oberlin to the area in the mid 1930s.   Still in grade school, the sixteen-year-old banjo player invited J.B. to play in his Merrymakers band.  Together, they traveled to New Orleans with Preston Manuel to record their string band rendition of the Angelas Lejune song "Perrodin Two Step" entitled "Round-Up Hop" (#2014).  Their recording closely resembled the fiddle-led melody most apparent in Happy Fats recording of "Rayne Breakdown" and the Jolly Boys' self-entitled "Jolly Boys Breakdown". 

Not much is known about Bethoven after the Bluebird recording sessions.  As soon as he was eligible, he left his residence in Elton, Louisiana and joined the US Army.  By 1940, he was stationed at Fort Jay.  He served throughout WWII and decided to remain in the New York area.  He re-enlisted in 1945 manufacturing "electrical machinery and accessories".  After his military career, he retired in New York. 

Release Info:

BS-07236-1 Ma Jolie Noir So | Bluebird B-2014-A

BS-07235-1 Round-Up Hop | Bluebird B-2014-B

Find:
Cajun String Bands 1930's: Cajun Breakdown (Arhoolie, 1997)

"Ponce A Moi" - J.B. Fuselier

"Think Of Me!"  In the 1930s, Cajun fiddler Jean Baptiste "J.B." Fuselier was generally overshadowed by the less traditional players such as Leo Soileau and Luderin Darbone – both of whom had their brands of Cajun string band music.2  Having moved near the Lake Arthur area, he worked with people such as banjoist Bethoven miller and fiddler Varise Conner.  Varise, who played with J.B. for years, recalled why he left and how tough it was after the Depression:

For three musicians you'd get fifteen, maybe twenty dollars per night.  Then when the Depression of the 30's came, you were only guarantee half or maybe sixty percent of what was collected at the door.  The people would come but they didn't even have enough money to pay to enter the dance hall.  Things were serious.1  

Quand même tu m'as oublie,

Oui, pense à moi,

Quand même une fois par jour,

Et moi je t'ai pas oublie.

Quand même tu m'as quitte,

Pourquoi tu voulais,

Oui, j'aime voir ma chere,

Comment tu crois je vas faire?

Crowley Daily Signal
Jan 29, 1952

During a 1938 recording session in New Orleans, Fuselier recorded "Ponce A Moi" (#2055) with Preston Manuel and Mathius Joseph "M.J." Achten on guitars and possibly Bethoven Miller on banjo. By 1962, J.B. had dusted off his accordion, one which he had played in the earliest years, and recorded at least four more songs for Eddie Shuler's Goldband Records. One of the songs, pressed on 45 RPM, was "Think Of Me". 

Even though you forget me,

Yeah, think of me,

Even if it's once a day,

And I won't forget you.

Even though you have left, 

Why did you want to?

Yeah, I'd like to see my dear woman,

How do you think I'll handle this?

1. Ye Yaille Chere by Raymond Francois
2. http://blogs.lib.unc.edu/sfc/index.php/2013/11/11/rivers-studio-dispatch/
3. Lyrics by Stephane F and Smith S

Release Info:
BS-027847-1 Valse De Rebot | Bluebird B-2055-A
BS-027848-1 Ponce A Moi (Think Of Me) | Bluebird B-2055-B

Find:
Louisiana Cajun Music, Vol. 3: The String Bands of the 1930's (Old Timey, 1971)
Cajun String Bands 1930's: Cajun Breakdown (Arhoolie, 1997)

"La Valse De Rebot" - J.B. Fuselier

J.B. Fuselier was a slender and probably fairly shy man, who had joined young guitarist, Beethoven Miller by the mid-1930s, in the band known as Miller's Merrymakers.   Fuselier never gained the wide popularity of Leo Soileau or Luderin Darbone (of the Hackberry Ramblers) but his classic way of playing Cajun fiddle and his emotional singing style made him locally well liked. J.B. Fuselier influenced many of the musicians who followed him and he continued to play and record until after World War II.1  

Hier au soir, j'ai bu du bon whisky, 

J'ai bu du bon tout(e) la nuit, oui, ça fait de la peine.

Oh jolie, mais, donnez (premier*-donc), chere coeur,

L’était criminelle, mais, (quant meilleur)* pour moi-même.

Oh, aujourd'hui, m'en vais la captiver, 

Écoute, viens voir ton nég, malheureux.

Daily World
Oct 8, 1944

"La Valse de Rebot" (#2055), sometimes referred to as the "Drunkard's Waltz", seems to be an alternate take to Joe Falcon's "Madame Sosthene".  While Preston Manuel filled in on rhythm guitar, Beethoven Miller's banjo can be heard quite distinctly, filling out the melody in the same manner.  Preston recalls:

We made four recordings per session. Bluebird record's Eli Oberstein from New York would call us.  Then we'd go to the St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans.  We'd make records there.2   

A ribote (mis-spelled here as "Rebot") is a drunken spree.   In Cajun French, the common words used for "drunkard" are usually either soûlard or bambocheur, however, a habitual drunkard is referred to as a riboteur.

Last night, I drank good whiskey,

I drank well all night, yes, it's been painful.

Oh, pretty girl, well, give me the best, dear sweetheart,

It was criminal, well, saving the best for myself.

Oh, today, I'm going to charm her,

Listen, come see your man, oh miserable one.

1. Arhoolie 7014 Liner notes
2. Ye Yaille Chere by Raymond Francois
3. Lyrics by Stephane F

Release Info:
BS-027847-1 La Valse De Rebot | Bluebird B-2055-A
BS-027848-1 Ponce A Moi | Bluebird B-2055-B

Find:

Cajun String Bands 1930's: Cajun Breakdown (Arhoolie, 1997)

"Merrymaker's Hop" - Miller's Merrymakers

During the 1930s, a tenor banjo player named Beethoven Miller created the band called Miller's Merrymakers and they recorded in New Orleans. After Beethoven left the group, a Cajun fiddle player named Jean Baptiste Fuselier took over as bandleader and changed it's name to J.B. and the Merrymakers. He included guitarist Preston Manuel.

Fuselier began playing the fiddle when he was five. He claimed that when he started violin, he was too small to pick it up to play. He had to lie on the bed.  His cousin suggested that they sit him in a chair so he could hold the fiddle.  His fingers were so short at the time, he learned to play with only three finders and never learned to use his fourth finger during his career.  He recalls:

All that money I made, I made it with three fingers. I played my first dance for fifty cents.  The violin by myself.  A country dance in a house.  I was so hot.  The sweat was pouring in my shoes.  I was not quite ten years old.  That's the first time I got money to play.1   

J.B. Fuselier (fiddle)

Eh, chère, tu m'as quitté, bébé,

Oh, s'en aller avec un autre,

Comment j'vas faire, moi tout seul, à ma maison, jolie monde.

Eh, cher joli 'tit monde, catin,

Moi, je m'en vas chez moi, tout seul, jolie.

His first recording at this very first session in 1936 was ""Merrymaker's Hop" for Bluebird (#B-2004).  It's a slower version of Leo Soileau's "Le Blues De Port Arthur" with a different twist during the song's bridge.  His most covered tune is one about his daughter Myrtle named "Chere Tout Tout", recorded in 1937. However, their signature tune would be recorded in 1938 entitled "Ma Cher Bassett" in New Orleans for Bluebird.

Hey, dear, you have left me, baby,

Oh, going away with another,

How will I handle this, I'm all alone, at my house, my pretty everything.

Hey, dear pretty little everything, pretty doll,

I'm going home, all alone, pretty girl.

1. Cajun Dancehall Heyday by Ron Yule
2. Lyrics by Stephane F and Jordy A

Release Info:
BS-02674-1 Merrymakers' Hop | Bluebird B-2004-A
BS-02677-1 Lake Arthur Waltz | Bluebird B-2004-B

Find:
CAJUN-Rare & Authentic (JSP, 2008)

"Elton Two Step" - J.B. Fuselier

Jean Baptiste "J.B." Fuselier was a popular and innovative musician, recording a number of popular Cajun hits in the 1930s and 1940s, adding drums and steel guitar to his traditional Cajun ensemble.1  Fuselier was generally overshadowed by the less traditional Leo Soileau and Luderin Darbone – both of whom had their brands of Cajun string band music.1,2  In 1937, himself along with Preston Manuel and Beethoven Miller left for New Orleans to record "Elton Two Step" (#2016) for Bluebird records.

Eh, cherie

Moi, je m'en vas toujours, mais, moi tout seul,

Tu m'as quitte personne mais pour m'aimer,

Comment tu crois que moi je peux faire, jolie,

Toujours tout seul a ma maison.

He, petite mom, quoi moi je vas faire,

M'en aller si loin de toi, jolie,

Mais tu cois plus ces beaux yeux noirs, catin,

Comment t'aime ca, tu sais que moi j'aime tant.

J.B. Fuselier

The same melody appears even earlier in Amede Ardoin's 1929 recording "Two Step de Mama", not to be confused with Ardoin's "Two Step De Elton".    Eventually, in 1948, Iry Lejeune would make this into his well known "Lacassine Special".   Both Elton and Lacassine are small towns in the southwestern part of the state.

I'm going forver, well, all alone,

You left me, noone to love me,

How do you think that I will handle this, cutie,

Always alone at my home.

Hey, little moma, what will I do,

Went away so far from you, cutie,

But you want to see these pretty black eyes again, doll,

How do you like that, you know that I love you so.

In the late 1950s, Lawrence "Blackie" Fruge re-titled the Chester Pee Wee Broussard's "Creole Stomp" on Khoury's recordings as "Elton Two Step".  After WWII, Fuselier joined with Iry LeJeune and the Calcasieu Playboys and the two ruled the dance hall circuit until 1955 when LeJeune was killed and Fuselier severely injured when hit by a car while changing a tire at night on a dangerous South Louisiana highway. Despite his injuries, Fuselier never stopped playing and recorded a number of sides for Goldband in the 1960s.1

1. http://blogs.lib.unc.edu/sfc/index.php/2013/11/11/rivers-studio-dispatch/
2. http://www.downhomemusic.com/product/cajun-string-bands-the-1930s-various-artists/

Find:
Louisiana Cajun Music, Vol. 3: The String Bands of the 1930's (Old Timey, 1971)
Cajun String Bands 1930's: Cajun Breakdown (Arhoolie, 1997)

"Pine Island" - Miller's Merrymakers

The Merrymakers were a string band led by Beethoven Miller, fiddler Jean Baptiste Fuselier and guitarist Preston Manuel.  They band didn't live far from the area known as Pine Island.  Pine Island is a small community west in southwest Louisiana where dancehalls such as Forestier's would dot the region catering to Cajun musicians of the 1930s.  This farm community was settled in the middle of a prairie around a hill thick with pine and oak trees. Pine Island became the home to many in the late-1920's after the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. The many people that lost their homes and livelihoods moved west and settled in Pine Island.2 According to Preston Manuel, his guitarist:

When I first playing, I was about eighteen or nineteen years old, my first dance was in Iota, Louisiana.  I started playing with J.B. Fuselier and the Merrymakers, just a little group. We played in Pine Island there, so we made "Pine Island Two Step".1 

Eh, chère p'tite fille,

Me quitter ma chere mignonne pour toi.

Il y a pas jamais pleurer tout seul,

Quoi te faire avec ton nègre aujourd'hui.

Eh, moi j'm'en va la-bas, dans la maison,

Oh, toujour li mon tout seul, chérie, (aw, chère),

Eh, personne, pour mamay, chere belle,

Pour ma yeh chere blonde (....).

J.B. Fuselier

In 1936, they recorded the tune "Pine Island Two Step" (#2006) with either Manuel or Miller on guitar.  His line "Il y a pas jamais pleurer tout seul" maybe heard as "je croyais pas jamais t'aurais tout ça" meaning "I never thought you would do that".   It resembled a slowed down version of "Abbeville" by the Jolly Boys of Lafayette.  Given that Cleoma Breaux used a slightly different version of the melody for her "Pin Solitaire (Lonesome Pine)", it's not surprising the same melody was chosen for his Pine Island.

Hey, dear little girl,

I've left my dear cutie for you,

There, you'll never cry alone,

Why have you gone done this to your old man today.

Hey, I'm going over there to the house,

Oh, I'm always alone, dear (aw dear),

Hey, no one, for my mom, dear beautiful,

For my dear blonde girl (.....).

Like many pre-war Cajun tunes, the melody was used in other recordings, including Fuselier's own "Lake Arthur Waltz".  Other notable tunes of the era was Happy Fats' "Gran Prairie" with Harry Choates on fiddle and Papa Cairo's "Allons Kooche Kooche" and "Big Texas".   All of these tunes would eventually become Hank William's "Jambalaya" in 1952.  Slow versions, such as Fuselier's, became known better as "Quelle Etoile"

The town of Pine Island also had a general store, a Catholic church, and a big dance hall where the Merrymakers and Hackberry Ramblers often played in the late 1930’s. In a PBS documentary, Independent Lens, Make 'Em Dance, Edwin Duhon remembered playing in the dance hall in Pine Island where they first used an amplifier.2,3

1. Louisiana Fiddlers By Ron Yule, Bill Burge
2. http://hathawayhistory.blogspot.com/2007/02/pine-island.html
3. http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/makethemdance/
4. Lyrics by Stephane F

Find:
The Cajuns: Songs, Waltzes, & Two-Steps (Folkways, 1971)
Gran Prairie: Cajun Music Anthology, Vol. 3: The Historic Victor Bluebird Sessions (Country Music, 1994)
Cajun Louisiane 1928-1939 (Fremeaux, 2003)
Cajun Country, Vol. 2, More Hits from the Swamp (JSP, 2005)
Cajun Capers: Cajun Music 1928-1954 (Proper, 2005)