"Prison Two Step" - Austin Pitre

Born in Ville Platte, Louisiana, Austin Pitre, he was surrounded by house parties and the emerging dance-hall scene.  All of the area's musicians had a profound influence on Austin's sound, just as his life of hard work added a unique rough edge to his style.  Austin's fiddle-playing father gave him an accordion in hopes that his six-year-old son would learn to accompany him at the local house dances.1  


"Prison Two Step" (#500) was Pitre's version of Amede Ardoin's "Les Blues De La Prison", originally recorded in 1934.   Austin was known to have several of Ardoin's original 78 RPM records and there's little doubt he learned the song from endless days of listening to them.  His group between 1954 and 1956 is possibly Cliff Fontenot on fiddle, Floyd Fontenot and Pee Wee McCoullough on guitar.  The session, recorded in Crowley, would be his last one with J.D. Miller.   From that point on, he would work almost exclusively with a new up-and-coming local record giant, Floyd Soileau. 

In 1956, Dr. Harry Oster recorded Austin again during a field session, this time calling the tune "Prison Song".  Later in life, Austin was invited to travel and play for the Library of Congress in 1973.   Guitarist Preston Manuel recalled,

A group I played with a long time ago was Austin Pitre.  Yes, we played many dances--me, and Austin, his son, Jimmy, [James Williams] "J.W." Pelsia, the steel player, and Roy Tate. We went to Washington, D.C. for nine days. We played in Arlington, Virginia, for that big fair.2  

1. Austin Pitre "Opelousas Waltz".  Liner notes.
2. Ye Yaille Chere by Raymond Francois

Release Info:
Prison Two Step | French Hits F-500
La Valse De Chagrin | French Hits F-500

Find:
Louisiana Cajun Music Volume 4: From The 30s To The 50s (Old Timey, 1972)
Acadian All Star Special - The Pioneering Cajun Recordings Of J.D. Miller (Bear, 2011)

"La Valse De Chagrin" - Austin Pitre

Austin Pitre was the front man for "Austin Pitre & the Evangline Playboys" for many years and played dance halls around the South Louisiana area. His unique style of playing included standing up to play the accordion without the aid of a shoulder strap, as well as playing the accordion behind his head and between his legs. Besides being a talented musician, Pitre was also a highly regarded mechanic and had his own automotive repair shop near Ville Platte, Louisiana

Yeah, catin, comment j'vas faire,

Ton popa veut pas me voir chez toi, 

Ta moman, tu connais, elle est contre moi,

Quel espoir,moi j'peux avoir, aussi longtemps.

...

unknown, Claney Perron, Clifton Fontenot,
Austin Pitre, Floyd Fontenot, 
Pee Wee McCauley (sitting)
Shoe store in Ville Platte, LA

It's a rendition of Lawrence Walker's "Waltz of Sorrow".  Austin would later turn this song into "Jungle Club Waltz", named after a popular dance hall in New Iberia.  French "Hits" was a later J.D. Miller release.

Yeah, little doll, how I'm gonna do this?

Your poppa doesn't want to see me at his home,

Your momma, you know, she is against me,

What hope can I have, for so long?

...

Austin and his band toured the U.S. over the years and were recognized with several awards. In 1973, Austin was even invited to perform and entertain fans in Washington, D.C. at the Smithsonian Festival in American Folk Life. He returned for that same festival in 1976 for the bi-centennial celebration. In 1980, the Louisiana Freedom Festival in Elton, Louisiana, presented Austin an award in appreciation for 50 years of contribution to and promotion of Cajun music. 

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Pitre
2. http://www.flattownmusic.com/Austin-Pitre.aspx
3. Discussion with Neal P
4. Lyrics by Stephane F

Find: 

Louisiana Cajun Music Volume 4: From The 30s To The 50s (Old Timey, 1972)
Acadian All Star Special - The Pioneering Cajun Recordings Of J.D. Miller (Bear, 2011)

"Janot Special" - Austin Pitre

In Austin Pitre's later recordings with J.D. Miller, he formed the LA. Rhythmaires and recorded a few tunes, one of them called the "Janot Special" on a vanity label called French "Hits" (#503). It contains elements of Aldus Roger's "Lafayette Two Step" melody and almost a direct copy of his High Point Two Step.  The melody has a vague similarity to the an older tune by Joe Falcon called "Osson Two Step" recorded in 1929 and Amede Ardoin's "Tortope d'Osrun".

Hé, comment ça s'fait, jolie,

Tu vien pas a ton neg',

Quand meme un fois avant d'mourir.

J't'aurai voulu bébé t'en r'venir, catin,

Quand même une fois avant d'mourir,

J'te pardonerrai pour tout ça tout m'as fait.

Z’au jour d’hui, bebe, je prend ça dur, malheureuse.

Johnny Janot

The song is possibly an ode to John Remie Janot (better known as Johnny Jano), a radio broadcast DJ at KEUN in Eunice, LA, then at KPAC in Port Arthur, TX and again at KPLC in Lake Charles, LA where he placed rockabilly music in south Louisiana. He worked with, and later married, Lee Parsley as a duo at KLOU. The couple were known as "Mr & Mrs Radio" and were popular around the 1950s and 1960s. 

Hey, how did that happen, pretty one,

You won't come to your man,

Even once before dying.

I would have wanted you to come back, pretty doll,

Even if one time before dying,

I would forgive you for all you did.

Today, baby, it's hard on me, unfortunately.

In the 1950s, he changed his name to Johnny Jano and became a rockabilly singer and performer. He also recorded for J. D. Miller in Crowley, LA, releasing his music on Excello Records, and with Eddie Shuler at Goldband Records in Lake Charles. In 1970, Johnny was in the pursuit of a new career as a Cajun/country music singer. In Beaumont, he teamed up with Cajun fiddler Manson Manuel and they formed a band and played the clubs and honky-tonks of southeast Texas. Johnny even opened his own club on Hwy 90, on Beaumont's west side. He performed at Gilley’s in Houston and made several appearances on Mickey Gilley's television show in Houston. He recorded songs such as "I'm Proud To Be A Cajun" and a french version of "A Closer Walk with Thee".

In 1978, he started the Sunday morning radio show called "Cajun Bandstand". With the powerful signal of KLVI Radio, Johnny Jano was a Sunday morning ritual through out bayous of South Louisiana, the plains of Southeast Texas and to piney woods near Lufkin. Johnny was being heard playing Cajun music and serving up "Dark Roast" Community Coffee to friends and listeners who would drop in to visit and chat. 

1. Discussions with Milton Allen Graves 
2. Lyrics by Jerry M and Bryan L

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