"Mermentan Stomp" - Hackberry Ramblers

Starting in 1933, the Hackberry Ramblers played a blend of Cajun music, western swing, Gulf Coast swamp pop, early rock and roll, and classic country. The band was cofounded by fiddler Luderin Darbone and multi-instrumentalist Edwin Duhon, the duo who led the group.  Beyond their remarkably long run, the Hackberry Ramblers are known for several important innovations. They were the first band to combine Cajun music, sung in French, with Anglo-American country music, sung in English; previously the two traditions were separate. Besides country music—especially the jazz-influenced country style known as western swing—the Hackberry Ramblers also played blues, traditional jazz standards, a wide range of miscellaneous popular songs, and novelty material. Whatever the genre, the band’s sole intent was to make people dance.1

Tu m'as quitté à la maison,

Oui, t'en aller, t'en aller,

T'en aller avec un autre,

Mais, ça sa fait pitié.

The Hackberry Ramblers are captured here in full flow giving a good indication of things to come.  Formed by fiddler Luderin Darbon in 1930 and the first Cajun band to use amplification, they favored pop and hillbilly tunes, but could easily knock out a French tune when required such as "Mermentan Stomp" (#2003).2   It was an ode to the small community of Mermentau, located 30 miles east of Hackberry, along the bayou of the same name.   The bayou was a safe haven for smugglers and even pirates along the Gulf.  It was named after an old 18th century Atakapa chief Nementou who sold land to Frenchman in the area.   Recorded for Bluebird records in 1936, the group contained Floyd Rainwater and Lennis Sonnier on guitars with Lennis on vocals, Johnny Puderer on bass, and Luderin Darbone on fiddle.

You have left me headed to your house,

Yeah, you've gone, you've gone,

You've gone away with another,

Well, that makes me pitiful.

1. https://www.knowlouisiana.org/entry/hackberry-ramblers/
2. http://www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/caj_orig.htm

Release Info:
BS 02662-1 Jolie Blonde | Bluebird B-2003-A
BS 02664-1 Mermentan Stomp | Bluebird B-2003-B

Find:
Louisiana Cajun Music Volume 8: The Hackberry Ramblers - Early Recordings 1935-1948 (Old Timey, 1988)
Cajun Origins (Catfish, 2001)
Cajun Early Recordings (JSP, 2004)

"J'ai Pres Parley" - Hackberry Ramblers

The Hackberry Ramblers were founded in 1933 by Luderin Darbone. He was living in the small oilfield town of Hackberry, Louisiana. That's where the band gets its name. They invoke the feeling of a dusty slat floor under your feet, in a little joint in the middle of nowhere on a Saturday night, hot and humid air being stirred by old creaky ceiling fans. The screen door bangs open and shut as the regulars come in to join the party. Just the purest Cajun voice singing patois and the songs passed from generation to generation. The group consisted of members living in various locations, each having to travel.  Luderin Darbone recalls moving:

When I moved to Crowley, I had Lennis. He moved down. Lennis is from Vinton, a little town west of here. We decided if we moved to Crowley it would be more of a central location for us so that's what we did.1

Moi j’ai une fille une t’brin fou,

Cause dans la cuisine avec les pieds dans l'eau,

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Ça fait pas rien quoi te fais.  Hey, petite.

Te voir une fille jamais voir la meme,

Moi, j'ai une fille qui est plus belle que la tienne,

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Ça fait pas rien quoi te fais.

Elle a vendu du whisky, elle vendu du Gin, 

Elle a vendu au juge, elle à vendu a Dieu,

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Luderin Darbone

Ça fait pas rien quoi te fais.

"Jai Pres Parley" (#2013) is the corrupted form of the phrase "j'ai près parler", but closer along the lines of "je vais parler de toi" or "I"m talking about you". While the lady is accused of "vendu a Dieu", it's most probably a reference to a local church leader.  It's a neat bluesy boogie song, very much influenced by the Texas swing coming from the west.  Lennis Sonnier sang alongside Joe Werner on harmonica/guitar and Johnny Puderer on bass with Luderin on fiddle in this 1937 New Orleans piece.

I have a daughter who's slightly crazy,

Stands in the kitchen with her feet in water,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

It's nothing that you've done.  Hey, little one.

You'll never see a girl the same way,

I have a daughter who is more beautiful than yours,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

It's nothing that you've done.

She sold whiskey, she sold gin,

She sold to the judge, she sold to the priest,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

It's nothing that you've done.

1. http://arhoolie.org/hackberry-ramblers/
2. Lyrics by Jerry M, Stephane F, and 'ericajun'

Release Info:
BS 07221-1 Cajun Crawl | Bluebird B-2013-A
BS 07226-1 Jai Pres Parley | Bluebird B-2013-B

Find:
Louisiana Cajun Music Volume 8: The Hackberry Ramblers - Early Recordings 1935-1948 (Old Timey, 1988)
Hackberry Ramblers: Early Recordings 1935-1950 (Arhoolie, 2003)
Cajun Country, Vol. 2, More Hits from the Swamp (JSP, 2005)

"Jolie Blonde" - Hackberry Ramblers

Based on Breaux brother's "Ma Blonde Est Partie", it's the first recording to use the title "Jolie Blonde" with the traditional melody rendition.   It's one of the few, if only, early Cajun recordings with "fiddlesticks"-type percussion occurring midway into the song.

Jolie Blonde, 'gardez donc, quoi t'as fait

Tu m'as quitté pour t'en aller

Pour t'en aller avec un autre, oui, que moi

Quel espoir et quel av'nir mais moi je peux avoir?

Jolie blonde, tu m'as quitté pour tout seul

Pour t'en aller chez ta famille

Si t'aurais pas écouté tous les conseils de les autres

Tu serais ici avec moi aujourd'hui.

Jolie blonde, tu croyais il y avait juste toi

Il y'a pas juste toi dans le pays pour moi aimer

Je va's trouver juste une autre jolie blonde

Bon Dieu sait, moi, j'aime tant.

Floyd Rainwater, Luderin Darbone,
Lonnie Rainwater, Lennis Sonnier

In 1936, the Hackberry Ramblers, consisting of Luderin Darbone, Edwin Duhon, Johnny Puderer and guitarist/vocalist Lennis Sonnier, recorded their hit rendition of the Louisiana classic "Jolie Blonde" (#2003) for Bluebird records. Joined by Sonnier, they began playing at parties. Cajun had been dominated by the accordion so, Darbone said:

"We didn't know how people would react - we were there to play their dance with only a fiddle and two guitars, but to our amazement, we were a smashing success."

Pretty blonde, look at what you've done,

You left me and went away,

You went away with someone else, yeh,

What hope, what future, yeh, can I have?

Pretty blonde, you left me all alone,

To leave with your family,

If you had not listened to the advice of others,

You would be here with me today.

Pretty blonde, you thought you were the only one,

You're not the only one in the countryside for me to love,

I will find another pretty blonde,

God knows, there's a lot out there to love. 

Through live shows and broadcasts, the Ramblers' new string band sound spread across the Cajun community. Darbone bought one of the first sound systems in the region; if he was booked into a rural dancehall with no electricity, he ran it from his car.

By 1940s, the group had disbanded but reformed again under Luderin's leadership in 1946.  Harry Choates had just scored a huge hit with "Jole Blon".   The following year, they were contacted by DeLuxe records where they re-recorded their tune, using Harry's title "Jole Blon" and also performing an English version called "Pretty Blonde".   They would record the tune several times in the following years including "Jolie Blonde" in 1963 for Arhoolie records at Goldband studio in Lake Charles.  They also performed it live at the 8th Univ of California, Berkeley Folk Festival in 1965.  

1. http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/makethemdance/band.html
2. http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/mar/03/obituary-luderin-darbone-world-music

Find:
Louisiana Cajun Music Volume 4: From The 30s To The 50s (Old Timey, 1972)
Louisiana Cajun Music Volume 8: The Hackberry Ramblers - Early Recordings 1935-1948 (Old Timey, 1988)
Le Gran Mamou: A Cajun Music Anthology (Country Music, 1994)
Jole Blon - 23 Artists One Theme (Bear, 2002)
Hackberry Ramblers - Early Recordings: 1935-1950 (Arhoolie, 2003)
Cajun Early Recordings (JSP, 2004)