A unique window into the world of Cajun music between 1928 and 1965. Compiled histories from websites, books, news articles, liner notes, and interviews. Most come from my personal 78 collection. Also covering Creole, Cajun-Country, and Cajun swing.
Introducing Louisiana-based Cajun music to outsiders was a risky endeavor. It could have gotten you boo-ed off stage or worse. Texas-influenced string band music was all the rage in Louisiana and not much cultural exposure was headed the other way. This didn't stop Lawrence Walker from trying. By 1935 he was recording Cajun tunes like "La Valse De Louisiane" (#2198) for Bluebird records in New Orleans and quite often playing Texas hillbilly music in Dallas. While Walker enjoyed entertaining his Texas audiences with hillbilly music, he was determined to try to introduce Cajun music. He recalls his discussions with his father:
One night as we were packing our instruments to go play for a dance, I told daddy, "You know something. I want to bring my French accordion and play some old French music for those Texans." But daddy was doubtful. "They'll laugh at you" he told me. But I said "Let them laugh".1
Lawrence Walker, 1936
Songs like "La Valse de Louisiane", a simple instrumental of the Cajun favorite "Jolie Blonde", was ideal for Lawrence and his brother Elton Walker to introduce Texans to Cajun music. Backed by his brother, it's possible guitarists Junior Broussard and Norris Mire were at the session. His early stage performance in Texas must have gone over fairly well. He continues:
During Intermission, I announced that at the next dance I would have a "surprise" for them. A big crowd turned out that night and at 10 sharp, I strapped on my accordion and announced "I am going to play a French instrument and if you like it --applaud, and if you don't, I'll just change right back to my fiddle. No hard feelings". Well, they all clapped and clapped and hollered, too. And from then on I played straight French accordion.1
Interview by Mona Mel Mouton. Jan 18, 1968
Release Info:
BS-87612-1 La Valse De Louisiane | Bluebird B-2198-A
BS-87613-1 Pourquois Vous Etes Si Cannai | Bluebird B-2198-B
By the late 1940s, almost all commercially recorded Cajun music was little more than Texas swing music sing in French. But in 1948, Iry Lejeune recorded the "Love Bridge Waltz" and the pendulum began to swing back again. His cousin Angelas Lejeune, who had an accordion, recalled there was no money to buy Iry and accordion, so almost each day, Iry would come. Iry would play all morning while Angelas worked in his fields. His first accordion was a give from his uncle Stephen Lejuene.6 During Eddie Shuler's first session at Iry Lejeune's home, Eddie picked up his guitar and with Milton Vanicor on fiddle, they belted out six tunes in a session that lasted into the night. One of those tunes was "La Valse Du Grande Chemin (Waltz Of The Big Road)" for Shuler's Goldband records in 1952 (#103). The melody is essentially the same tune as "The Waltz That Carried Me To My Grave" recorded by Joe Falcon and Cleoma Breaux in 1928.
Oh, chère.
Dis "bye-bye" à ton pop,
Et ta mom, chère,
Pour t'en revenir à la maison,
Pour me rejoindre,
'Gardez-donc, quoi t'as fait,
Fait souffert, chère,
Un petit cœur qui t'aimaint,
Malheureuse.
Oh, bebe!
'Gardez-donc, chère 'tite fille,
Toi, t'es là, chère,
Après m'espérer,
Dans la porte de ma maison,
Moi, je croyais, chère 'tite fille,
Donc, jamais, chère,
'Garde voir mon cercueil là, après m'espérer.
Oh yé yaie, chère c'est dur, c'est dur.
Asa Vanicor, Iry Lejeune, Milton Vanicor
The husband or lover who has been abandoned is a common figure in Cajun music, and he often uses the image of the empty house to refer to his unhappy state, complaining that he is left alone there, suffering, as he hopes for his wife's return. His request for reconciliation likewise takes the form of asking her to return to his house, as Iry LeJeune suggestion in "La Valse De Grande Chemin". According to Linus Bertrand,
Every Saturday morning, Iry would walk the half-mile from his house out to the gravel road with accordion in a sack. From there, he would catch any ride he could, no matter where it was going., and go play his accordion for whomever would listen. Often he would sit in with Alphee Bergeron and the Veteran Playboys during their dances at the popular Dixie Club in Eunice.6
Milton was one of the Vanicor family members that played with Iry after his success with the Oklahoma Tornados. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Vanicor and his brothers, Ellis and Ivy, along with nephew Orsy Vanicor and brother-in-law Asa Lejeune and Iry Lejeune, performed as the Lacassine Playboys. Vanicor recorded on many of Lejeune’s albums and hits, including "La Valse Du Grande Chemin". According to musician D.L. Menard:
"[Milton's] music and the way he played, it was one-of-a-kind...he played his own style."
Oh, dear.
Say "bye bye" to your dad,
And your mom, dear,
You're coming home,
To join me,
So, look what you've done,
Suffered, dear,
A little sweetheart that love you,
Oh my.
Oh, baby!
So, look, dear little girl,
You, you're there, dear,
Expecting me,
In the door of my home,
I couldn't believe it, dear little girl,
Never, dear,
See my coffin here, waiting for me.
Oh, ye yaille, dear, it's hard, it's hard.
Shuler re-issued the tune on 45RPM twice, once listed as G-1024 and then much later as G-1024-2 in which he labeled the pressing a "Collector's Item". The recording would become "Dis Bye Bye à Ton Pap" by Allie J. Young in 1975 for Gerard Dole. Eddie, who produced almost every recording he ever made, never understood Iry's popularity. He recalled,
He could go out-I've seen him do this-he'd go out there, get drunk, and start cussing all the people out in the club. Of course, it would be late at night and they're all half-looped anyway. They'd all get mad, go home, and threaten that they're never gonna come to his dances again. The next time they came to play, two weeks later, there they all were, right back in there. I didn't understand that at all. But that's the kind of following he had. He was bigger after that than he was before.7
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 15. 2015 Regular Session. Notes to commend Milton Vanicor for his passion, devotion, and his nearly eighty-year commitment to Cajun music.
Release Info: Grande Nuit Especial (Big Night Special) | Goldband G-F103-A La Valse Du Grande Chemin (The Waltz Of The Big Road) | Goldband G-F103-B Find: The Legendary Iry LeJeune (Goldband, 1991) Iry Lejeune: Cajun's Greatest: The Definitive Collection (Ace, 2003)
Les Cajuns Best Of 2002 Les Triomphes De La Country Volume 12 (Habana, 2002) J'ai Ete Au Bal - Vol. 1 (I Went To The Dance) (Arhoolie, 2011)
Murphy "Chuck" Guillory learned to play from his father, Mady Guillory. He first picked up the instrument at the age of seven in the 1930s.3
I picked up his violin when I was 7 and I was too little to tune it. He tuned it for me, and I started playing with one finger--I learned to play it own my own.3
Starting out small, like most Cajun musicians, he played in local establishments, country dances, and local musical contests. According to Guillory,
I'd rather play music than eat.2
Hé, p'tite fille, un jour à venir, mais, malheureuse,
Moi, j'connais tu vas pleurer tu sera trop tard,
Hé, un jour à venir chérie,
Moi, j'connais tu vas venir, mais, malheureuse.
Hé, mais, tu connais, chérie,
Tu connais, t'es jamais dernière* pour ça t'as fait.
Herman Durbin, Jimmy Newman, Chuck Guillory, Curzy "Pork Chop" Roy, R.R. Sagg (emcee), Julius "Papa Cairo" Lamperez
After the breakup of Harry Choates' Melody Boys, Guillory attracted two of his biggest sidemen in the industry, fiddler Curzy "Porkchop" Roy and steel guitar player Julius "Papa Cairo" Lamperez. Porkchop grew up learning from his father, in which he recalls "could play anything, accordion, fiddle, guitar, piano...".1 He explained his nickname from childhood,
When I was a kid, I chewed gum all the time. As soon as the flavor was gone, I'd spit the gum out and pop in another piece. So my father called me "cochon" (pig).1
Daily World May 2, 1950
At sixteen years old, Porkchop cut his teeth early on, playing the drums with Harry Choates and the Melody Boys and by the time Papa was filling in, the band, the two musicians found themselves in Eunice working alongside Guillory's group. Together, in 1950, they recorded a tune called "Chuck's Waltz" (#1015). It's a song most likely introduced to Guillory by his early sideman, Preston Manuel. Preston, who played with Chuck shortly after the war, had helped popularize this tune in the 1930s as "Chere Tu Tu" with J.B. Fuselier. Preston recalled playing with Guillory,
I had quite playing with J.B. for a few years, right after WWII, and we organized a band, me and Chuck, The Rhythm Boys. My main man is Chuck . I like to play with him and he's such a nice guy. He's a good fiddler too!4
Hey, little girl, one day will come, well, oh my,
I know you are going to cry, you'll be too late,
Hey, one day will come, dearie,
I know you're going to return, well, oh my.
Hey, well, you know, dearie,
You know, you'll never last*, for what you've done.
After working in the grocery business in Mamou for years, he brought back Preston and Porkchop for something he called a "re-comeback" in 1982, re-recording many of his old tunes including "Chuck's Waltz". Porkchop reminisced a harrowing night with the band and Papa Cairo,
One night, we played a dance at Tee Maurice. Afterward, we went riding around Bosco with Papa Cairo...just looking around. The fella driving the car jumped a canal and we ended up in the water. I came up with my hair hanging all over my face. Papa Cairo was laughing at me, but he changed his tune when he saw his six string steel-guitar floating down the canal. He started hollering for someone to grab it quick. He didn't mind being in the canal near as much as losing that steel.1
"Cajun Musician Curzey Roy Recalls the Robust Rhythms". Fannie Genin. DW. Sep 1984.
"Guillory Nominated". Candace Riley. VPG. Mar 5, 1989
"Fiddler Stands By Old Time Music". Robin Miller. TT Sep 26, 1993.
Release Info: Chuck's Waltz | Feature F-1015-A Teiyut Two Step | Feature F-1015-B Find: Grand Texas (Arhoolie, 1998) Jimmy C NEWMAN - The Original Cry, Cry, Darling (Jasmine, 2009)
By the late 1940s the Hackberry Ramblers had evolved from a small string band into a large western swing ensemble, complete with a horn section. Edwin Duhon now played acoustic bass, piano, or accordion, as the moment demanded, all the while working in the oilfields. The group made some fine recordings with this configuration for the Deluxe label.1Deluxe had recorded the group at a club across the street from the Silver Star dance hall in Sulphur, Louisiana one night after performing.Luderin Darbone played fiddle and sang while Lennis Sonnier backed him up on rhythm guitar. Hired in 1946, the Silver Star was a place where the Ramblers often outplayed Cliff Bruner's group during battle-of-the-bands competitions. Sometimes they'd win dance contests simply by striking up their French version of local favorite "Jole Blon". Recalling performing opposite a number of popular musicians, including Moon Mullican and T. Texas Tyler, Edwin Duhon stated:
We'd play "Jole Blon". They'd count how many dancers. We'd win every time. Cliff Bruner, same way. We just beat the shit out of him.2,4
Tu m'as quitté pour t'en aller, pour t'en aller avec un autre,
Audjourd'hui, j'apres me braillier,
J'apres me braillier, pour t'en venir, t'en venir avec un nègre,
Audjourd'hui, j'apres me braillier.
Lake Charles American Press Sep 17, 1954
Places like the Silver Star dotted Hwy 90 during the 1940s. The Star's "house band" during the late 1940s, led by guitarist Amos Comeaux, occasionally would broadcast live from the dancehall itself via KWSL. Accordion to author and historian Nola Mae Ross:
Nearly every square foot along a 35 mile strip from Westlake (Louisiana) to Orange (Texas), called the "Silver Strip", was occupied by a dance hall or casino with back rooms where gambling was enjoyed by thousands of area citizens.5
In order to compete with the "big band" crazy in the 1940s, the Hackberry Ramblers changed up their lineup in order to land performances in the same venues as big orchestras. The 1948 tune "Silver Star Stomp" (#6038) is a swinging version of Papa Cairo's "Big Texas" with a brass accompaniment by Gary Major on saxophone and Neil Roberts on trumpet. Throughout the song, Grover Heard fills in with a rocking guitar solo. The remaining band had Edwin Duhon on bass and Lefty Boggs on drums. The whole session for DeLuxe was recorded live at a dance-hall across the street from the Silver Star. According to Luderin:
We started at the Silver Star in 1946 and played until '56. We built our home with the money from the dances I played. Each brick on our home represents one tune I played, during the 10 years of Saturday nights at the Silver Star on old Highway 90.3,7
You've left me to go away, to go away with another,
Today, I'm crying,
I'm crying, for you've come back, you've come back to your man,
Today, I'm crying.
Lake Charles American Press May 20, 1954
By the early 1960s, however, demand for the Ramblers’ sound dwindled, along with general interest in Cajun music. Luderin Darbone considered disbanding the group, but Chris Strachwitz—the guiding force behind Arhoolie Records, who has documented a wealth of Louisiana music—encouraged the Hackberry Ramblers to stay active. Strachwitz recorded the Ramblers in 1963 and also reissued some of their Bluebird classics.1
According to author and Hackberry Ramblers drummer, Ben Sandmel,
I think "Silver Star Stomp" reflects southwest Louisiana's transition from a totally isolated rural agrarian French-speaking area to a far more industrialized (primarily oil) bilingual region where Cajun culture interacted significantly with mainstream America, in the context of vast changes in communication which made that interaction ever more far-reaching. Some of the other DeLuxe sides are weak but this one, to my ear, is a gem. And it really gives a sense of evolving music history.6
The popular Lafayette-based Cajun string band group called the Dixie Ramblers had a large popular following in the mid 1930s. They played in dance halls such as the Four Corners in St. Martin Parish, the O.S.T. and the Wagon Wheel hall in Acadia Parish, Sydney Duhon's hall and Esta Hebert's hall in Lafayette Parish. But by 1935, their accordionist Octa Clark had moved on and the rest converted to a country string band. The group was invited to a recording session for RCA's Bluebird records in New Orleans where they recorded a song written by pianist Lester Lalonde entitled "The Death of Oswald" (#2181). The 1936 English guitar song, recorded by Willie Vincent on guitar and vocals, Jesse Duhon on guitar, Hector Duhon on fiddle, and Hector Stutus on fiddle, was an ode to the murder of a Louisiana man.
The story of Oswald entered into the local repertoire and the song's importance highlights one of the "few event songs" in the early Cajun music era. It seems that in December of 1934, Cecilia native Oswald Devillier Jr. was killed by a beating after attending a dance near his home.1,2 According to records, Oswald was "beaten with posts" by the six accused men.3 Articles tell of the grand jury action which found a true bill against three of the men and a no-true bill against the other three who were allegedly involved in May of 1935. Three men, Eugene Dupuis, Bennett Talley and Simon Guidry were sentenced to hard labor in Angola.3
Teche News Dec 22, 1934
I once had a true pal named Oswald,
A boy with a heart made of gold,
Whenever his honor was at stake,
He fought like a man brave and bold.
One evening he took out his sweetheart,
A wagon club dance was his goal,
But fate had a point in Nina’s Grand Point,
A tragedy cruel and cold.
A mug pulled a long white new saber,
Caused trouble among friends and foes,
He somehow perceived the danger,
For home he decided to go.
Three hostile men prompted by liquor,
They lay in wait for their prey,
I closed my eyes to the slaughter and cried,
Was far too atrocious to say.
For long weeks and cold in deep slumber,
You, neither mother nor friend,
His sweetheart at his bedside kept praying,
Good God, won't you please save my man.
His eyes fast and firmly towards heaven,
His hands became stiffen and cold,
He passed with a sigh to his maker on high,
He fought like a man brave and bold.
What alcohol do to good people,
In pain it will leave you torn,
A good man of fortune may bolster,
And wake up behind prison bars.
Dear Oswald, in your place in heaven,
Down as to where your killers now hide,
May they be forgiven by God and by man,
They were friends of yours and of mine.
Daily Advertiser May 20, 1936
The following year, the Dixie Ramblers began advertising their new song. As Lalonde's song became increasingly popular, word reached the accused murderers upon their release from prison. However, the three inmates didn't take to kindly to the song written about their exploits and any future publicity was quickly extinguished. Fiddler and Rambler front man Hector Duhon explained to folklorist Nicholas Spitzer,
They had got out of the pen and they came to the dance one night and told us, "Don't play that number if you want to stay here tonight!"4
Both Hector Stutes and Lester Lalonde would leave the band and join Clovis Bailey's Southern Serenaders in the late 1930s.
Teche News (St. Martinville, Louisiana) 22 Dec 1934
Teche News (St. Martinville, Louisiana) 10 Oct 1984
The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, Louisiana) 23 May 1935
After the wartime sojourn with Leo Soileau and Harry Choates in Lake Charles, Leroy "Happy Fats" Leblanc had been invited to tour with top singing cowboy star Tex Ritter, playing Mississippi, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and even Hollywood. When he returned home, jobs were hard to find, until he teamed up with Doc Guidry for broadcasting and recording. He recalls:
It got kinda tough playing dances and playing the guitar. Doc Guidry was a very good violin player, very good fiddle player, I thought he would add a little to it so I got Doc.1
Tu fais pitié, mignonne, de quoi t'as fait, chérie,
Un partir, catin mais, au si loin, jolie,
Tu viens pas, mais, dans le platin, mais, pour asteur.
(Tu) m'fais de la peine, chérie, il y a pas longtemps, jolie,
Tu m'a laissé, catin, tu fais pitié, jolie,
De partir, mais, au si loin avec un autre.
Toi vieille femme, chérie mais, t'en vas pas, chère mignonne,
M'a laissé, catin, pour z-un autre, chérie,
Tu m'a laissé pour t'en aller dedans le platin.
Fais de la peine, chérie, de quoi pleurer, mignonne,
(Tu) m'a laissé, chérie, moi tout seul, catin,
Pour t'en aller avec un autre, mais, malheureuse.
Johnny Redlich
In 1947, Happy would record the tune as simply "Dans La Platin" (#1005) on J.D. Miller's Feature records at Miller's brand new studio in Crowley, Louisiana. While some today use the word "platin" to refer to a low lying area, at the turn of the century, Cajuns referred to a "platin" as a small circular pond, of which there were thousands on the prairies.3 It was similar to either a "marrais" or "meche".
The melody evolved from the popular Dennis McGee song "Ma Chere Bebe Creole" recorded in 1929. Joe Falcon would later record it as "La Nuit De Samedi". It featured Johnny Redlich on vocals, brother of Hanks and "Dago" Redlich, the latter better known for having originally owned the Viking and Chamo label in the 1960s. Bradley "Sleepy" Stutes, who had joined Happy's group years earlier, can be heard on steel guitar. Quite possibly it's not Doc Guidry on fiddle for this song but Johnny's brother Hank Redlich on fiddle. While many know Hank from his guitar playing years, Hank's name is called out during the song for his fiddle solo. In fact, his family recalls some of his great talented playing:
Hank Redlich
Around 1948, Hank came in 2nd place in a fiddle contest with Harry Choates. They judges called both of them at least six different times. They couldn't decide who was the winner.2
It's pitiful, cutie, what you've done, dear,
Leaving, little doll, well, so far away, my pretty,
You're going to go, well, to the lowlands, well, now.
(You) made me feel sorry, dear, over there not long ago, my pretty,
You left me, little doll, feeling pitiful, my pretty,
Leaving, well, far away with another.
You, old woman, dear, well, I'm not going, dear cutie,
Left me, little doll, for another, dear,
You left me to go away to the big lowlands.
Felling sorry, dear, I have cried, cutie,
(You) left me, dear, all alone, little doll,
For you went away with another, well, oh my.
In 1949, Virgil Bozman and members of Bennie Hess' Oklahoma Tornadoes covered the tune as "The Cameron Waltz" with Floyd Leblanc on fiddle. Cheese Reed calls it "'Tit Canard Mulet" on his Arhoolie album. The Balfa Brother do it on Cajun Music from the Southwest Prairies on Rounder, field recordings around 1964 for Ralph Rinzler and Newport.
Jimmie Choate was born in Bancker, Louisiana, not far from Abbeville. He grew up playing music at an early age, similar to many of his siblings. Although a distant cousin to the more well known Harry Choates, Jimmy was known to pattern himself after the western swing star during the 1940s.
T'es après m'quitter pour t'en aller, mais, aussi loin, chère,
Moi j'connais, 'tite fille, jour à venir, chérie,
J'vas revenir, pourquoi, pour toi, pour ca t'as fait.
Oh, Mr. Lyons.
Oh, mais, rappelle-toi de ça t'as fais, mais, z-avec moi,
Moi j'connais, il y a pas longtemps, mais, chère mignonne,
Tu connais, chère, moi j'peux plus te revoir,
Tu connais pour ça t'as fais, t'as pas bien fais.
Daily Advertiser Apr 20, 1949
Quick to latch on to the success of Harry, Jimmie and his brother Pete decided to make a music career and they had qualms about marketing their name for their own success. In 1948, Jimmy formed a group with himself on fiddle, his brother Charles "Pete" Choate on bass, Ronald Ray "Pee Wee" Lyons on steel guitar and Blackie Dartez on guitar and vocals. Together, they recorded "Chere Meon" (#1009), an adaptation of the 1929 Joe Falcon recording "Aimer Et Pedre", for J.D. Miller's new record label Fais Do Do Records.
Oh, well, dear cutie, well, so pay good attention, well, of what you're doing,
You're leaving me to go, well, so far away, dear,
I know, little girl, coming back one day, dearie,
I'll return, why are you doing that?
Oh, Mr. Lyons.
Oh, well, remember all that you've done, well, with me,
I know, over there, not long ago, well, dear cutie,
You know, dear I'll never see you again,
You know why you've done that, you've not been good.
Acadian All Star Special - The Pioneering Cajun Recordings Of J.D. Miller. Liner notes.
Lyrics by Stephane F
Release Info: Chere Meon | Fais Do Do F-1009-A Petite Negress | Fais Do Do F-1009-B Find: Acadian All Star Special - The Pioneering Cajun Recordings Of J.D. Miller (Bear, 2011)
