"Paroi Acadia Breakdown" - Leo Soileau

Leo Soileau was one of the giant figures in Cajun music history. His early recordings from the late 1920s are both powerful and emotive, and rank among the all-time classics of Cajun music. Great contributions to his music were made by legendary Cajun musicians and singers Mayeus LaFleur and Moise Robin.2  The bandleader prided himself on his diverse repertoire that catered to the ethnically diverse audience between southwest Louisiana and east Texas.1 Acknowledging the difference between country and Cajun:

It's more music to it--to me. You can play in different keys. That French music, it's just the one...just like that rock n roll.1

In the 1935 recording was done in Chicago, IL as his Four Aces Leo with Bill ‘Dewey’ Landry on guitar, Floyd Shreve on guitar, and possibly O.P. Shreve and Johnny Roberts on either drums, bass, or rhythm guitar.  The instrumental is a slower version of the Breaux recording of "Vas Y Carrement", better known "Step It Fast". 

For unknown reasons, Decca chose to market this for the French speaking market as well as the English speakers as well.   On their original release, the song is listed as "Pario Acadia Breakdown" (a mixture of French-English title referring to Acadia Parish) and on the re-issue, they gave it a new catalog number, renaming it to "Arcadia County Breakdown".  Oddly enough, the word parish is replaced with county and Acadia is misspelled. The same was done with the records flip-side recording: "Les Blues De La Louisiane" or "Louisiana Blues" respectively. 

Rayne Tribune
Oct 29, 1937

1. Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music By Ryan Andre Brasseaux
2. Leo Soileau - The Early Recordings of Leo Soileau CD.  Liner notes.

Release Info:

C-9975-A Les Blues De La Louisiane - Decca 17009 A Montgomery Ward M-4485

C-9988-A Paroi Acadia Breakdown - Decca 17009 B Montgomery Ward M-4485

C-9975-A Louisiana Blues - Decca 5116 A Montgomery Ward M-4485

C-9988-A Arcadia Country Breakdown - Decca 5116 B Montgomery Ward M-4485

Find:

Leo Soileau & The Four Aces (BACM, 2020)

"Les Blues De La Louisiane (Louisiana Blues)" - Leo Soileau

Recorded in Chicago, IL, "Les Blues De La Louisiane" (#17009) has to be the bluesiest song Leo Soileau had during his decade of recording.   The instrumental allowed Leo to sit back and let his fiddle shine only accompanied by a simple guitar rhythm. 

For unknown reasons, Decca chose to market this for the French speaking market as well as the English speakers as well.   On their original 1935 release, the song is listed as "Les Blues De La Louisiane" and on the re-issue, they gave it a new catalog number, renaming it to "Louisiana Blues".  The same was done with the records flip-side recording: "Pario Acadia Breakdown" or "Arcadia County Breakdown" respectively.  While Leo played the fiddle, his backup guitarist could have been either Bill "Dewey" Landry, Floyd Shreve, or Floyd's uncle Olaf Perry "O.P." Shreve or Johnny Roberts, all who have played guitar with Leo at some point during this time.

Rayne Tribune
Sep 17, 1937

By the late 1930s, Leo had quite recording his group and took work playing in bars along the silver strip of Highway 90 playing in several dancehalls.  He even joined a group called the Daylight Creepers lead by Papa Cairo and backed by Bill Redlich, Erby Thibodeaux, and featured a guitar-playing new-comer to the Cajun music scene: J.D. Miller.   Miller would go onto be a key figure in the resurgence of Cajun music recordings after the war. 

Find:
Leo Soileau: Louisiana Cajun Music Vol. 7 (Old Timey, 1982)
Cajun Early Recordings (JSP, 2004)

Leo Soileau & The Four Aces (BACM, 2020)

"Quand Je Suis Bleu (When I Am Blue)" - Leo Soileau

After his attempt at Cajun music in the late 20s, Leo Soileau changed his style to fit the more popular Cajun swing music being influenced by Texas swing players.  Having a mix of people playing with him at different times, he renamed his Three Aces to Four Aces. Leo recalled learning the tune as a little boy from his fiddling father, Fabius Soileau.

Chère maman, quand je rêve,

Malheureuse, à toi c'est toi.

A l'âge de 15 ans, j'ai roulé,

Manche à manche, malheureuse.

J'connais, père et mère,

Plus personne pour m'aimer,

Plus ma femme pour m'ennuyer.

Toi tu m'as dit,

De t'espérer,

De père et mère, oui j'ai quitté.

Toi malheureuse,

Depuis à l'âge de 15 ans,

J'ai roulé manche à manche,

J'ai roulé ma bouteille.

Leo Soileau

By May of 1935, his drummer, Tony Gonzales, had left.  So, Leo picked up Floyd Perry's uncle, Olaf Perry "O.P." Shreve and Johnny Roberts on drums and bass, and the group headed to Chicago for a marathon recording session with Decca where they recorded "Quand Je Suis Bleu" (#17010). Quite possibly, Leo was inspired by the lyrics of Dennis McGee in his song "Les Blues Du Texas", although his melody is a direct copy of McGee's "La Valse Pènitentiaire". 

 However, it seems the Balfas may have used this melody for their recording of "La Valse Du Bambocheur" around 1951.  In Dewey's earliest days recording alongside Elise Deshotel, you can hear traces of the melody in his recording of "La Valse De Bon Baurche".  Tracy Schwarz mentions this is a very old tune, definately rare in modern day Cajun music. It's rich modal notes take it even one step farther back than many Appalachian mountain melodies that have become known all over the country.  It was this song that got the Balfas their recording contract with Swallow records.

Daily Advertiser
May 17, 1947

Dear mom, when I dream,

Oh my! It's you.

At age 15, I drove around,

Round and round, oh my!

I know this, father and mother,

There's noone to lover me,

My wife is bored of me.

You told me to wait for you,

Father and mother, I left.

You're miserable,

Since the age of 15,

I travelled round and round,

I travelled with my bottle. 

Lake Charles American Press
May 16, 1947

The band showed up in Chicago two months before New Orleans pianist Richard M Jones was recording his latest jazz tunes with Jones' Chicago Cosmopolitans in the same studio.  By August, Decca had fiddler and Shreveport native Leon "Lonnie" Hall travel to Chicago and do the same thing.   Louisiana music was hot and there was an interest in more of it.

By 1951, Joe Manuel and his boys re-recorded the tune with a string band sound entitled "Since The Age of 14". 

1. Louisiana Fiddlers By Ron Yule
2. Smithsonian Folkways. Dewey Balfa.  Liner notes.
3. Lyrics by Stephane F, Marc C, Jerry M, and Bryan L

Find:
Leo Soileau: Louisiana Cajun Music Vol. 7 (Old Timey, 1982)
Various Artists - Cajun String Bands (Arhoolie, 2000)
Cajun Early Recordings (JSP, 2004)
The Best Of Cajun & Zydeco (Not Now, 2010)
The Cajun And Zydeco Collection, Vol. 1 (Rapier, 2014)
The Best Of Cajun And Zydeco (Doppal, 2015)