"Pine Grove Blues" - Nathan Abshire

Nathan Abshire had a brief recording stint with Happy Fats before he entered WWII training. However, he would make a much stronger impression on the Cajun music scene after the war, creating his signature song in the process.

In 1948, Clobule and Ernest Thibodeaux asked him to join the Pine Grove Boys, house-band of the Pine Grove Inn.  One day, the club owner, Telesphore Esthay, asked Thibodeaux to find an accordion player for the group. Partly due to Iry LeJeune’s success, the accordion was again popular in Louisiana. Esthay felt the addition of an accordion would be good for business.  According to Jerry Esthay,

The Pine Grove Inn was in Acadia Parish on the way to Evangeline it was across Hwy. 97 from the Evangeline Refinery. My dad, Claude Esthay and grandfather Telesphore Esthay owned it. My dad is the one who went to get Nathan to play. My dad would drive them to other club's to play. They had a little house behind the Pine Grove Inn that the band would stay in.9  

 Upon Thibodeaux’s father’s recommendation—who played fiddle with Amédé Ardoin briefly—he approached Abshire. Abshire said he’d love to start playing music again, but unfortunately he didn’t have an accordion, and he couldn’t afford to buy one. The Pine Grove Boys went into their own pockets and bought a broken single row Sterling accordion for $75. No one locally could repair it, so they drove to Houston (possibly to Mrnustik's shop), where the repairs cost them another $150.7  The group played six out of seven days, alternating between both Quincy Davis’ clubs in Lake Charles, the Crystal Grill and the Broken Mirror in the evening, and on KPLC radio for a daily broadcast in the daytime.  

Eddie Shuler, who worked for the station, but was too busy with the promotion of Iry LeJeune, put them in touch with businessman Virgil Bozman.  Virgil, based in Westlake, Louisiana, signed them on his rising O.T. label, partially funded by George Khoury. Oklahoma Tornadoes was the name of the group formed by Virgil as the studio band for the Opera label run by James Bryant and Bennie Hess, based in Houston, Texas. Their fiddler being Floyd LeBlanc, of Mermentau with whom Nathan had played earlier on, probably put Nathan in touch with Bozman.  

Earl DeMary, Wilson Granger,
Eldrige Guidry, unknown on drums,
Nathan Abshire, and Ernest Thibodeaux

The Pine Grove Boys were playing constantly at the Avalon Club. However, due to disputes between club owner, Quincy Davis, and some of the band members, the band was fired and Davis had replaced them with Earl DeMary's Musical Aces.  Wilson Granger, who was already playing with Earl, recalled:

Quincy Davis fired the whole bunch that was playing with Nathan.  He hired us, because they'd get drunk and want to fight.  So, Quincy Davis, on Saturday nights, he'd give us a quart of whiskey. It was on the house. But then, they'd start wanting to fight.  He said, "From now on, you pay for your whiskey if you want to drink some."8  

It would be DeMary's band in which Nathan would record his signature tune. In May of 1949, Virgel gathered them in KPLC studio, located inside the Majestic Hotel in Lake Charles, to cut 8 tracks; the first of which was the legendary "Pine Grove Blues" for the O.T. label (#102).  His Pine Grove Boys band included Roy Broussard and Ernest Thibodeaux on vocals, Earl DeMary or Ernest Thibodeaux on guitar, Atlas Fruge on lap steel, Jim Baker on bass guitar, Oziet Kegley on drums, and either Will Kegley or Wilson Granger on fiddle.  Based on It would be Nathan's defining song in which he would re-record for several different labels and documentaries throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s. 

Hé, négresse!

ayoù toi t'as été hier au soir, ma négresse?

("J'ai été au bal, neg")

Hé, négresse!

ayoù toi t'as été hier au soir, ma négresse?

("J'ai été au bal, neg")

T'arriva à c'matin.

Soleil étais après s'lever, ma négresse.

Hé, négresse!

ayoù toi t'as passé hier au soir, ma négresse?

("par la barrière, neg")

Hé, négresse!

ayoù toi t'as passé hier au soir, ma négresse?

("passé la barrière")

T'arriva à c'matin.

Ta robe était toute déchiré. 

("J'ai passé la barrière")

KPLC, located inside the Majestic Hotel

The singer is taking his girlfriend to task for being out all night... inferring that it's with someone else!   The melody was inspired by Amédée Breaux's "Blues du 'Tit Chien" recorded for Vocalion Records in 1934.  (Author John Broven mistakenly states the song was inspired by Columbus Frugé’s "Tite négresse"; a song Fruge never recorded.)  Nathan's 1935 recording "One Step de Lacassine" clearly anticipates the melody. Author Shane Bernard notices lyrical similarities with a much older Creole tune called "Anons au bal Colinda".  There are some similarities with Bob Wills' "Milk Cow Blues" recorded in 1946 and even a loose similarity with "In The Pines", which some have credited as Nathan's source.  The phrases were shouted more than sung by Nathan, cheered by the interjections Ernest Thibodeaux, the same type of calls to his musicians used by Bob Wills in western swing. The accordion is hypnotic – not that it puts you to sleep, of course – and bewitching, relieved by a weft of fiddle and rhythmic guitar, the whole propelled by a powerful double bass.  According to Eddie Shuler, Bozman’ recording methods were very strange.  He recalls:

He kept the pot boiling by selling cowhorns (the famous Longhorns) and it is how he landed in Lake Charles one day. He discovered fast how I managed to get artists recorded by a third person and he decided to follow my steps. He arrived at the station studio, gave a bottle of booze to the sound engineer, asked him to cut an acetate, left with it and got it pressed somewhere else.

Virgel Bozman

Since most Cajun 78s usually reached a pressing figure of 500, it was a big hit, pressing around 3,200 copies of the single on several labels.  Nathan and his Pine Grove Boys were called everywhere to entertain at dances with their two-steps and waltzes. A happy period of his life, which is reflected in his recordings, exuberant voice, tonic accordion and lively band.

Hey, honey!

Where did you go last night, my honey? 

(I went to the dance, my honey)

Hey, honey!

Where did you go last night, my honey?

(I went to the dance, my honey)

When you came back this morning.

The sun was coming up.

Hey, honey!

Where did pass by last night, my honey?

(I passed by the fence, honey)

Hey, honey!

Where did pass by last night, my honey?

(I passed by the fence)

You came back this morning.

Your robe was all torn. 

George noticing Nathan's popularity, persuaded him to move from O.T. to his new label, Lyric, in which he recorded his songs throughout the 1950s.  In 1951, he tried to recreate his success with the recording "Pine Grove Blues #2" on Khoury's label (#611) to no avail.  Abshire never financially benefited from his song's success.  Floyd Soileau recalls: 

Khoury never registered the song but Nathan had recorded it as "Pine Grove Blues" for J.D. Miller. He registered it at BMI, but wasn’t paying Nathan royalties. I told Nathan that if he signed a publishing contract with me, I get him his writer’s royalties. I took him to a notary and he put his X on a contract. I cleared the song with BMI. J. D. contested it, but I had a contract. J.D. claimed his got burned in fire. But Dewey Balfa, who played on the Miller sessions, said nobody signed anything with J. D.”7

The song appears in 1967 for Swallow, in 1970 for a field recording in New York, in 1972 and in 1978 for LaLouisiane.  In 1979, Swallow released an album with the name "Pine Grove Blues". 

1. South to Louisiana by John Broven
2. Cajun Breakdown : The Emergence of an American-Made Music By Ryan Andre Brasseaux
3. All Music Guide to Country: The Definitive Guide to Country Music edited by Vladimir Bogdanov
4. Swamp Pop: Cajun and Creole Rhythm and Blues By Shane K. Bernard
5. Encyclopedia of Music in the 20th Century edited by Lol Henderson
6. http://www.bopping.org/nathan-abshire-pope-of-cajun-accordion/
7. http://www.offbeat.com/2003/10/01/masters-of-louisiana-music-nathan-abshire/
8. Wilson Granger interview.  Andrew Brown.  2005.
9. Discussions with Jerry Esthay.  2019.
10. Lyrics by 'Ericajun'

Find:
Boppin' Hillbilly 26 (White Label/Collector Records)
Nathan Abshire & the Pine Grove Boys - French Blues (Arhoolie, 1993)
Les Cajuns Best Of 2002 Les Triomphes De La Country Volume 12 (Habana, 2002)

The Beginner's Guide to Cajun Music (Proper/Primo, 2008)
Bayou Two-Step - Cajun Hits From Louisiana 1929-1962 (Jasmine, 2015)

"Jennings Two-Step" - Ernest Thibodeaux

Although Amede Ardoin used the name "Tostape de Jennings" on an early tune, the same name would be used on a different tune recorded around 1949 by a Cajun french band led by Nathan Abshire's guitarist, "Calcasieu" Ernest Thibodeaux (spelled Tipidoe), for Khoury records.  Between 1949 and 1951, he and Nathan recorded the "Jennings Two Step" (#105).  

Owner George Khoury would have the record pressed by an independent label out of San Antonio called Hot Rod Records. (This label is not to be confused with Hot Rod records started by Rob Petersen). After Virgil Bozeman's failed attempt at the Opera label, and then his finances for his O.T. label dried up, he moved back to San Antonio where he started the Hot Rod label with local record man Bob Tanner.  

Hey ! Quoi faire pour toi mais malheureuse ?

Hey y aïe ! Tu me fais mais avec moi ?

Hey y aïe ! Pourquoi mais malheureuse ?

Moi je suis là Catin mais pour moi même

Hey y aïe ! Pourquoi toi mais tu fais ça ?

Tu connais ça me fait mais ça de la peine !

Hey y aïe ! Pourquoi donc mais toi tu fais ?

Que toi mais t'es plus tard après mais sera plus tard !

Hey Catin tu me fais des sentiments !

There are only 7 known records made by this label, including songs by artists Nathan Abshire and Carrol Sammons. According to collector Lyle Ferbrache:

Nathan Abshire and Ernest Thibodeaux

"there was no rock & roll in sight . . . yet. Post-war hot rodding had just begun, so this label art actually was a cutting-edge development, though mostly unseen."

Jennings is a small town in Louisiana located along the interstate between Lafayette and Houston and the location of the band's featured dancehall, The Pine Grove Club.  It's this club where Ernest invited Nathan Abshire in 1948 to join with Will Kegley and Will’s sister Oziet Kegley to make the band called the Pine Grove Boys. After playing with four members until 1949, they took on Atlas Fruge and Jim Baker. The song's sound is rough compared to the quality of other independent labels involved in recording Cajun music.  The instruments are hard to hear with the vocals clipping loudly. 

Ernest started playing guitar at 10 years old and played professionally at the age of 13 with Will Kegley and the Lake Charles Playboys. Nathan often gave up the vocal duties to other singers, such as Ernest, to concentrate on his playing.  Thibodeaux would often sang short stories in French, with delightful funny, good natured lyrics or lamenting about a female cheating.  During this session, Ernest had asked Nathan if he could "take couple of sides".6  Most likely, all the musicians were part of Abshire's Pine Grove Boys band.  

Hey little doll! What can I do with you?  So unfortunate.

Hey, yaille! What are you doing with me?

Hey, yaille! Why? So unfortunate.

I'm here by myself, little doll.

Hey, yaille! Why are you doing that?

You know, it's punishing me.

Hey, yaille! Why are you doing this?

You're going to come back too late, and afterwards, it'll be too late.

Hey little doll! You'll get lonesome.

Tanner would go on to create his own label known as T.N.T (Tanner N Texas) releasing material by Iry Lejune and Aldus Roger.  Ernest would go on to play every Saturday at Fred's Lounge in Mamou, Louisiana alongside musicians such as August Broussard, Don Thibodeaux, Iry Lejeune, and Wilson Granger. Ernest was the last member of the Pine Grove Boys, playing music until the age of 75.

1. http://library.mcneese.edu/depts/archive/SWLAMusicians/encyclosz.htm
2. http://rockindownthehighway.blogspot.com/2006/10/rockin-big-apple.html
3. South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous By John Broven
4. http://www.bopping.org/nathan-abshire/
5. http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/jeffersondavis/obits/2006/t06obit.txt
6. Cajun Honky Tonk: The Khoury Recordings, Vol. 2. Liner notes.

"Iowa Two Step" - Tan Benoit

Cajun accordion player Clifton "Tan" Benoit had frequented the same dance-halls that the Pine Grove Boys with Nathan Abshire were playing at. When record producer Virgil Bozman discovered Nathan, he also found Tan to be a popular artist in his own right and in 1949 decided to record him on his new Hot Rod label.  Certainly, the OT and the Hot Rods were competing with George Khoury's own releases and Bozman was making a pest of himself.   Ten titles of Virgil's Hot Rod label were released out of San Antonio, with two of them credited to Nathan Abshire's band.  Other artists on the label were comprised of Nathan's band mates, guitarist Ernest Thibodeaux and fiddler Wilson Granger.

Ouais, petite, malheureuse,

Comment tu crois moi, j'peux faire, 

Moi, j'peux faire tout seul, 

Seul à la maison.

Eh, 'tite monde, jolie,

(Oh mon Dieu)* il est bonne pour toi,

Ça t'as fais, 'tite monde,

Ouais, il y a pas longtemps.

Clifton "Tan" Benoit

Using the melody of Amede Ardoin's "Eunice Two Step", Tan recorded a tune he entitled "Iowa Two Step".  Iowa was a community established by mid-western Americans between 1880 and 1910, who moved to south Louisiana looking for cheap land for farming and logging.   Over the 30 year period, dozens of families read the advertisements in the mid-west newspapers and migrated south.  Today, the towns around Jeff Davis parish and Calcasieu parish, such as Iowa, Welsh, and Jennings, are populated by the descendants of these turn-of-the-century landowners from Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa.

Benoit, a native of Jennings, who lived near Gueydan, played many instruments including fiddle, guitar, harmonica and even the drums.  According to researcher Lyle Ferbrache:

Benoit played many instruments including the drums and accordion. He lived close to Ernest Thibodeaux and Will Kegley when they lived in Jennings and Ernest remembered playing with Tan.  My best guess is that sometimes Nathan Abshire didn't make the radio shows and Tan would fill in with his accordion.1    

Yeah, little, miserable woman,

How do you believe I can do this?

I can do this all alone,

Alone at home.

Hey, little everything, pretty one,

My God*, it's good for you,

That you did, my little everything,

Yeah, it won't be long.

Daily World
Nov 21, 1967

His two sides were cut with all the usual Abshire band members at their loudest and best at KJEF studio in Jennings although Tan's vocals are less than exceptional.1    He's backed by either Will Kegley or Wilson Granger on fiddle, Atlas Fruge on steel guitar, either Virgel Bozman or Ernest Thibodeaux on guitar, and Sadie ‘Ozide’ Kegley on drums.  He continued to play music in the community throughout the 60s, having participated in music contests in the area.  

1. Cajun Honky Tonk: The Khoury Recordings, Vol. 2.  Liner notes.
2. Lyrics by Smith S

Release Info:
VB-1 Iowa Two Step | Hot Rod HR-101
VB-2 Bayou Chico Waltz (Wilson Granger) | Hot Rod HR-101

Find:

Cajun Honky Tonk: The Khoury Recordings Vol. 2 (Arhoolie, 2013)

The Khoury’s Label: A Cajun Concern (1949-1956)

NOTE: This story was a collaboration between Bopping.Org and ECM.  The article can also be found on the cooperative blog site:  http://www.bopping.org/the-khourys-label-cajun-concern/



The Beginning

The story of Khoury’s Recordings starts in 1949 with a man named John Hardin "Virgel" Bozman. He was a rustic singer/guitarist and part-time comedian who sometimes billed himself, with tongue-in-cheek, as the "The Arkansas Sinatra" He and Harmon "Lee" Boazeman (no relation), were auto mechanics and had apparently been a staple on the San Antonio country and western music scene for some time. By the end of 1945, he was in Houston recording for Bill Quinn's Gold Star label.  While stationed at a San Antonio military base near the end of WWII, Cajun fiddler Floyd Leblanc befriended Bozman. Together, they had joined Bennie Hess’ Oklahoma Tornados country hillbilly band as a guitar player but Virgil also dabbled in his own material as well. In particular, his band waxed an English-French collaborative song called "La Prison", in which Virgil flirted with Cajun music's sound.  In mid 1947, Floyd had helped Iry Lejeune record a two tunes with the band on Hess’ label “Opera” and they had him touring with the group for quite some time in 1948. Cajun music was well on it’s way back and while selling cow horns in Lake Charles, Virgil ended up moving from Texas to Louisiana in order to record it.

The Oklahoma Tornados
Floyd Leblanc, Iry Lejeune, Ben Oldeg,
Bennie Hess and Virgil Bozman

The O.T. Years

Then came George Khoury, a Turkish-American businessman from Lake Charles and record store owner.  In 1947, as an owner of a record shop, he noticed a lack of Cajun music being recorded in south Louisiana and decided to open a business to compete with Ed Shuler’s Goldband Records and J. D. "Jay" Miller’s Fais-Do-Do and Feature labels. His base of operations was just around the corner from Ed’s on Railroad Ave in Lake Charles.


Khoury never had his own studio, however; he would rent out other studios and press the records in other places.  He had his record shop in Lake Charles and many agree he helped Virgil finance his new record label "O.T. Recordings", named after Hess’ band.  Together, Virgil would try to find new talent for producing records and Khoury would sell the records in his shop.   Even his “O.T.” logo resembled a cattle brand.  According to author John Broven:

Khoury was [Virgel’s] sponsor, so to speak, because he didn’t have that much money. He was a good salesman, he had a log of gab because being a cowhorn salesman he had to have a log of gab.2

George Khoury

Virgil kicked off his label with his own recordings, which were a hillbilly tune sung in French "Tell Me If You Love Me" and a Cajun tune "The Cameron Waltz" (#101), but he knew he needed other groups. It would be Eddie that would help Bozman get his first major outside recording artist.  Eddie Shuler, a record producer in Lake Charles, had been approached by Cajun accordion player Nathan Abshire to record on his label after seeing the success Iry Lejeune’s recordings.   Nathan had been playing at the Avalon Club when the owner Quincy Davis thought having Nathan record would be good for business.   Eddie Shuler, who worked for the KPLC radio station, was too busy with the promotion of Iry LeJeune and put Nathan’s band in touch with businessman Virgil Bozman.   Also, Vigil had been familiar with Nathan’s music since Floyd had played in Nathan’s band years before. Virgil had noticed how Eddie Shuler produced his records for Goldband.  According to Eddie Shuler:

He kept the pot boiling by selling cowhorns (the famous Longhorns) and it is how he landed in Lake Charles one day. He discovered fast how I managed to get artists recorded by a third person and he decided to follow my steps. He arrived at the station studio, gave a bottle of booze to the sound engineer, asked him to cut an acetate, left with it and got it pressed somewhere else.2

He sold cow horns.  In fact, I still have one of his cow horns over the entrance to my door there that he gave me back at that time. I let him sing on my radio show. Anyway, he went then and teamed up with George Khoury and then he went out and found Nathan Abshire.1

Pine Grove Blues Success and Aftermath

Earl Demary, Wilson Granger, 

Eldrige Guidry, unknown on drums, 

Nathan Abshire, and Ernest Thibodeaux

In May of 1949, Virgil gathered Nathan Abshire with Earl Demary ‘s backup band in the KPLC studio, located inside the Majestic Hotel in Lake Charles, to cut 8 tracks; the first of which was the legendary "Pine Grove Blues" for the O.T. label (#102).   The melody was his version of Amédée Breaux’s "Blues du ‘Tit Chien" recorded for Vocalion Records in 1934.   Nathan’s 1935 recording "One Step de Lacassine" clearly anticipates the melody. There are some similarities with Bob Wills‘ "Milk Cow Blues" recorded in 1946 and even a loose similarity with "In The Pines", which some have credited as Nathan’s source. His Pine Grove Boys band included Roy Broussard and Ernest Thibodeaux on vocals, Earl Demary or Ernest Thibodeaux on guitar, Atlas Frugé on lap steel, Jim Baker on bass guitar, Oziet Kegley on drums, and either Will Kegley or Wilson Granger on fiddle. The flipside contained a less-than-impressive “Kaplan Waltz” based on Angelas Lejeune’s 1929 recording of “Pointe Noir”.  Since most Cajun 78s usually reached a pressing figure of 500, it was a big hit, pressing around 3,200 copies of the single.  Virgil sold boxfuls of “Pine Grove Blues” from the back of a large hearse.2

Virgil Bozman

Virgil kicked the label off with a string of tunes containing a discography of Cajun songs such as Nathan’s cover of Leo Soileau’s "Grand Mamou" (#106), "Lake Charles Two Step" (#106), “New Orleans Waltz” (# 110), “Hathaway Waltz”  (# 111), a re-recording of his pre-war “French Blues” (# 110), and an improved swingy version of his first hit called “Pine Grove Boogie” (#111).  Lacy Adaway, an upcoming country artist, seems to have added Nathan as his accordionist for the two O.T. recordings that year, one of them entitled, "Sulphur Two Step" (#108).  At one point that year, Virgil and Khoury convinced the hit artist of the area, Harry Choates, to wax a record, trying to capitalize on his fame giving it “Jole Blon’s Gone” (#107) and the obscure "Valse de Lake Charles" (#107). Neither Nathan nor Harry could recreate the success of the Pine Grove Blues O.T. recording.

Other musicians Virgil managed to get were Cleo Harves and Jerry Barlow on his listings. (# 103, # 105). The label would eventually move to San Antonio, run by James Bryant and Bennie Hess (former partners at Bill Qunn’s Gold Star records), however, by the end of 1949, O.T. suddenly dried up.


He released his last 4 recordings he was holding onto, outsourcing the pressings by mailing his masters to Stephen Shaw and George Weitlauf in Cincinatti, OH. The records contained Nathan performing covers of the Breaux tune “Step It Fast” (# 114) and a rendition of Harry Choate’s famous Jole Blon hit called "Jolie Petite Juliette" (# 114).  The other one  labeled as Sandy Austin was the stage name for Abe Manuel when he and his brother Joe played Corpus Christi in 1950. They recorded "Scrambled Eggs" and a Joe Falcon cover called  "Madame Saustin" (# 113).  The O.T. label only produced 14 records that are known to exist.

 

The Khoury/Lyric Years

Meanwhile, realizing Bozman is out of the Cajun music market and with the help of Eddie Shuler, George Khoury decided to continue Virgil’s recordings by creating two labels simultaneously, Lyric and Khoury’s, in 1950.  The reason for both names is unknown, but he set aside the 600 series for Cajun music and 700 series for hillbilly.  It’s also possible he bought out all of Virgil’s material and signed Nathan Abshire exclusively.

NOTE: Keeping track of George’s numbering scheme is confusing and leads to plenty of misinformation when creating a complete discography.  His reasoning for jumping around issue numbers, repeating numbers and missing numbers completely can frustrate anyone researching the label.  Over time, he would have two sets of 700 series, using several different logo styles.  Some numbers are issued only with “Lyric” name and some only with “Khoury’s” with a few issued on both.  He followed up with R&B issues using the 800 and 900 series. However, this didn’t prevent him from using the number “1” once, issuing one “500” once on Khoury’s, issuing a “100” on Lyric, and later issuing a “1000” and “5000” both on the Lyric name.   As far as anyone can tell, there were no session sheets that remain to prove any particular session dates.   Most of the discography work is speculation based on historical recordings and personal interviews with musicians. Dates here are approximates at best. 3

There are a number of batches of records by artists which were probably assigned and then released at intervals.  The location of some of the larger gaps do suggest that the missing numbers could have been deliberately skipped.3

The Early 1950s

During the first year in 1950, he formed a new label called Lyric with the first issue containing Amar Devillier’s “Shoe Pick Waltz” and “Durald Two Step” using number #1 but never continued the series.  He moved on with a new label entitled Khoury's Recordings.  The rest of the year followed up with Lawrence Walker, Horace Lebleau, Crawford Vincent with Will Kegley, and Jimmie Choates.  Walker was a Cajun accordion player who had a history of playing music with his brother Elton, Norris Mire and Aldus Broussard before the war.  He even hosted a group of musicians at the National Folk Festival for the Texas Centennial in 1936.  By 1950, he was back in the studio interested in recording again, this time with Khoury. Lawrence’s songs such as “Mamou Two Step” (# 601), "Country Waltz" (#601), “Wandering Aces Special” which was Joe Falcon’s "A Cowboy Rider" (# 606), "La Valse Kim Fe Du Mal" (# 606),  "Tu Le Du Por La Mam" (#607) which was a Fawvor Brothers original and “Ton Papa Ta Mama Ma Sta Da All” (# 607) first appeared here.

All of these recordings appear on Khoury’s early 600 series as Cajun artists.  It’s possible the Texas Melody Boys with Pee Wee Pitre may have been recorded during this period which was given the only # 500 for “Ain’t No More”, a version of “Step It Fast”, and an old Creole melody they called “Old Time Waltz”.  Jimmy Choates band recorded “Lonesome For You” and “Belle Isle Waltz” and the band also appears on the country 700 series as #705.  Crawford Vincent, who played with Leo Soileau for years, teamed up with Will Kegley of the Pine Grove Boys for two tunes "Chere Petite Blun" (# 605) and the J.B. Fuselier classic "Lawtell Two Step" (# 605).  They were listed as Vincent & Cagley.  Horace "Ricky" Lebleu was a hillbilly musician from the Lake Charles area that teamed up with Nookie Martin of Eddie Shuler’s band for two songs "Korea Blues" and "Basile Girl"  (# 603).

Meanwhile, Virgil was back in San Antonio pressing songs by Cajun musicians he had previously recorded backin 1949; most of them being Nathan Abshire’s band members. While in San Antonio, Bozman and Hess set up the Hot Rod label with local record man Bob Tanner of T.N.T. records. There, between 1950 and 1952, they released a few of Virgil’s artists such as Nathan’s lead singer, Ernest Thibodeaux on “Jennings Two Step” (# 105) and Nathan’s fiddler Wilson Granger on “Bayou Chico Waltz”. He released his last recordings of Nathan himself with "Hathaway Two Step" (# 103) and "Chere Te Mon" (# 103).  Other recordings he had left overs were of Cliff Lemaire and the Kaplan Swingmasters with the songs "Cow Island Special" and "Rou Li Aie" (#104).  The remaining songs were of Tan Benoit performing, "Iowa Two Step" and "Gueydon Waltz". 

Outside a few recordings by Virgil himself, the label did not last long.  The recording quality wasn’t particularly impressive and could have been the reason for their unpopularity.   He and Tanner chose to release some masters that Eddie Shuler had sent previously to their label TNT.   The master recordings consisted of Eddie and his band performing "Grande Mamou" (#103), Iry Lejeune's "Bayou Ponpon Special" and "Waltz of the Mulberry Limb" (#105), Lawrence Fruge's "'T' Mamou" and "Country Boy Waltz" (#104) and Aldus Roger's "Widows Of The Village" and "Lifetime Waltz" (#106).  During this timeframe, Bob had also launched his Allied label, releasing several recordings of Harry Choates. Virgil’s attempt at the recording business was over.  Bob continued his TNT label without him.

Nathan Abshire

In1951, with Nathan no longer working for Virgil’s label, George contracted him to re-record "Pine Grove Blues" as a follow-up. It didn’t sell nearly as well as Virgil’s recording two years earlier, but it produced several titles popular with Nathan’s band such as “Belezere Waltz” ("La valse a Belezere") (# 610) based on the tune "A Precious Jewel" by Roy Acuff and “Choupique Two Step” (#610) based on Amede Ardoin‘s "Amede Two Step" . These were pressed on both the Lyric and Khoury label. Other songs were completed such as, “Valse de Hollybeach” (# 611), "Iota Two Step"  (# 612) and “Valse de Bayou Teche” (# 612), a tune originally recorded by the Segura Brothers in 1929. Nathan’s career with the Pine Grove Boys was taking off.

1951 would round off the year with Lawrence Walker again, this time recording “Johnny Can’t Dance” (# 615), the bluesy "Evangeline Waltz" (# 615), “Bosco Stomp”(# 616), "Waltz Of Sorrow" (# 616), "Creole Waltz" (# 617) and an upbeat version of Joe Falcon’s Lafayette as the “Lafayette Two Step” (#617).   It’s around this point when George began to switch labels from black to blue.

Lawrence Walker

By 1952, George’s label is doing well enough for him to attract other obscure local bands. He invites Lawrence Walker back again for “Reno Waltz” (#623) and an old Joe Falcon song “Madame Sostan” (#624), sung by Man Abshire.  But Lawrence feels the pressure to record some of his English country favorites including "Little Bitty Girl" (# 623), which was a 1946 comical jazz recording by Velma Nelson and "Keep Your Hands Off It" (# 624). Khoury tries his luck with recording two rather unknown groups, one being Clopha "Shuk" Richard with Marie Falcon. Marie was Joe Falcon’s niece and played music in some of the same venues in which Joe had played. She sang her version of “Jole Blon” called “Jole Brun” (#621) and her Cajun version of the Carter's “The Wild Side Of Life” entitled "La Cote Farouche De La Vie" (#621). The group cut "Madam Entelle Two Step" (# 622) and "Chere Vere Naig" (# 622) during the same session.  But it would be Elise Deshotel’s group that would eventually spawn the music career of a rather unknown singer and fiddler known as Dewey Balfa.   Possibly recorded in late 1951 or early 1952, they waxed some of the best known tunes with a young Dewey on vocals such as Leo Soileau‘s “Quand Je Suis Bleu” he called “La Valse de Bon Baurche”, Cleoma Breaux‘s “Crowley Waltz” he called “La Valse de Tepetate (Tamper Tate)”, and “La Valse da Courage” which is very similar to Nathan’s “Bayou Teche”.   The flipsides were instrumentals such as "La Two Step De Villeplatte", "Two Step De Avalon", and "Two Step De Kindergarden" (# 618, 619, 620). However, Khoury failed to latch onto marketing the bluesy vocals and powerful fiddle solos which Dewey would make famous ten years later.

Dewey Balfa and Nathan Abshire

The following year seemed to slow down for Khoury and his recordings.  Jimmy Newman would be George’s brand new artist but his recordings only sold moderately.  Nathan’s group was in turmoil due to band member changes and they were looking for more material to record.  Jimmy recorded his country tune “Darling” which somehow landed on the Cajun 600 series while the 700 hillbilly series seemed to fade away. Nathan recorded “Musical Five Special” (# 631), a cover of Joe Falcon‘s “Fe Fe Ponchaux” and “Avalon Waltz” (# 631) but also recorded some cover tunes, “The New Jole Blon” (# 636) and “Tee Per Coine” (# 636), a version of "Keep A Knocking But You Can’t Come In".  

Crawford Vincent, who had played for years with Leo Soileau and other members, headed to the studio with Cleadis Mott, recording two songs on Khoury's Lyric label, "Tran La Ezy (Drag It Easy)" and "Chere Ami Waltz" (#609).  The group adopted the name Musical Four Plus One as an ode to Nathan's band.  Later, Crawford joined with Albert "Curly" Lebleau on Khoury's label and recorded “Tippy Tee Tippy En” (#640), an old traditional Cajun ballad known as "T’es Petite et T’es Mignonne".

By 1954, things seemed to remain slow.  His 600 series seemed to employ more country music from Cliff Lemaire and Rick Johnson with one record by Nathan containing “Texas Waltz” (# 645), a slightly different version of his "Kaplan Waltz" and "Point De Lou” (# 645), a rendition of “Rabbit Stole The Pumpkin” in which Iry Lejeune had famously made into his “J’ai Ete Au Bal”.  He kicked off his second 700 series again, this time with a leftover recording of Eddie Shuler covering “J’ai Passee Devant Ta Porte” (#700) and re-issuing Floyd Leblanc’s “Louisiana Stomp” (#700), a tune Virgil had recorded previously on O.T.

George reverted back to his original recording artists that he trusted and in 1955, released a string of tunes by Nathan Abshire and at least one by Lawrence Walker such as Nathan’s "Casa Blanca Waltz" and, "Lu lu Boogie" (# 647), "Shamrock Waltz"  (# 652) and "Carolina Blues" (# 649). The unusual songs, "Boora Roomba" (# 649), Dewey and Nathan’s version of “La Cucaracha”, and "Mama Rosin" (#652), also known as “Ay Mama Inez”, were attempts to cash in on the briefly popular Cuban rhumba influence which entered mainstream country music that year. However, George was now pressing his records using different logos and label styles, some in California.  Lawrence followed up with "Waltz of Regret" (# 648) and the "Brunette Two Step", a version of Joe Falcon's "Nonc Hilaire".  One inventory listing by Nathan’s band shows them covering some Happy Fats tunes but it seems to never have been released. The 600 series seemed to be fading away as well.

The Final Years

By the end of 1955, the writing was on the wall.   The influence of rock and roll was taking a toll on Cajun music sales.   R&B and country music was on an up hill swing and Cajun music sales weren’t the same as they were almost 10 years earlier.   Khoury wouldn’t record any Cajun music until about 1956 with Nathan Abshire, both "Crying Pine Grove Blues" (# 701) and "L.S.U. French Waltz" (# 701), and in 1957 Cleveland Crochet with Shorty Leblanc, both on 45RPM and both on his new second 700 series. But by the time Cookie and the Cupcakes released their huge R&B hit “Mathilda”, George wasn’t interested in Cajun music anymore.  He would occasionally issue out a Cajun record to keep sales up.  He released one more Nathan Abshire on 45RPM in 1958 containing “Cannon Ball Special” (# 704) and “Red Rock Waltz” and a 45RPM of Pee Wee Broussard containing Angelas Lejeune’s “Perrodin Two Step” (# 709) and “Jolie Te Brun”.

Eddie Shuler, George Khoury,
Phil Phillips

Between 1956 and 1958, Cajun music recordings across Louisiana were on the decline.   Needing more exposure, Lawrence Walker heard a man named Floyd Soileau was starting up a recording label in Ville Platte.   Having already recorded Austin Pitre and Adam Hebert, the Khoury recording artist was eager to switch over to Floyd’s new Swallow label.   This ended the relationship between George Khoury and Lawrence Walker.   Nathan would eventually follow suit.

The following year, Khoury would land an even bigger R&B hit with Phil Phillips’ “Sea of Love” and yet only released two Cajun records that year, Pee Wee Broussard’s “New Iberia Stomp”   (# 720) with “La Valse De Bons Amies” (# 702). The other one being “La Robe Barre” (# 725) and “Elton Two Step” (# 725) by Lawrence “Blackie”Fruge in 1959.


He would only re-release an earlier Cleveland Crochet “Sha Meon Waltz” in 1961 when he restarted his 1000 series as an R&B label which lasted until 1966.   Finally, in 1966, Wilfred Latour recorded “Bye Bye Cherie” and “Te Julie”, a couple of zydeco based tunes, believed to be George’s last French recordings.

1. http://arhoolie.org/eddie-shuler-goldband-records/
2. South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous By John Broven. P32.
3. Generous amounts of information and guidance by Lyle F.

"Avalon Waltz" - Nathan Abshire

Nathan Abshire lived most of his early life in a small town north of Gueydan called Riceville.   After the war, he was approached by members of the Pine Grove dancehall house band, known as the Pine Grove Boys.   The accordion was back in the limelight and the owner, Quincy Davis, thought the addition would be good for business in his clubs.  By 1949, he was recording in the radio stations in Lake Charles under the direction of Virgel Bozman and George Khoury.  In 1950, Abshire moved to Basile, located on the Louisiana prairie on Highway 190: 

“What brought me here to Basile was music. You see, I came to play seven nights a week at the Avalon Club here in Basile. So my wife and I took this little house, and we’ve lived here ever since. We know lots of people here, and lots of people come from all over to visit.”

Nathan would play most of his nights at this club and adopted the name, the Musical Five.  According to author Lyle Ferbrache, there were other clubs that had a long history in southwest Louisiana, and a few were older, but arguably none of them quite had the Avalon's pedigree. Leo Soileau, Happy Fats, Harry Choates and many others had all be featured at the Avalon during the peak of the string band years.  It was a place owned and managed by a rough and tumble "colorful and bombastic owner", John Quincy Davis.2  

Quincy Davis (right)

Davis served in the navy during WWI but got into trouble, serving a prison term. Legend has it that he escaped from Angola the first time, only to be recaptured after a statewide manhunt.  By 1937, he had converted a large, narrow barn in Basile into the Avalon Club.  Davis was a big man and if a fight broke out, it didn't take long for both parties to be outside.2   According to fiddler Will Kegley's daughter:

If Quincy got real mad, he would grab the troublemakers, knock their heads together, and run or drag them out the door.2

Hé, tite fille, rappelle-toi ça t'as fait,

Ouais z'avec moi, 'tit monde, il y a pas longtemps,

Et tant qu'à toi, 'tit fille, je veux pas de toi.

Hé, 'tite fille, moi j'ai été chez ton papa,

C'est pour demander, catin, ton mariage,

Mais, c'est trop dur, catin, pour toi, te marier.

Nathan's group played six out of seven days, alternating between both Quincy Davis’ clubs in Lake Charles, the Crystal Grill and the Broken Mirror in the evening, and on KPLC radio for a daily broadcast in the daytime.  By the time they recorded "Avalon Waltz" (#631) in 1953, his band contained Ernest Thibodeaux on rhythm guitar, Atlas Fruge steel guitar, Jim Baker on bass guiter, possibly Shelton Manuel or Ozide Kegley on drums, and Will Kegley or Cleveland "Cat" Deshotel on fiddle.  It was a rendition of Joe Falcon's 1934 "Le Valse De Mon Reve".

Pervis Clement, Ronnie Goodreaux, Nathan Abshire
Ernest Thibodeaux (guitar on right, out of sight)

The Avalon was successful partially because Davis had crafted it, and the surrounding buildings, into a tourist attraction in which music was only one aspect.2  According to Bernella Fruge:

He had a zoo by the Avalon.  He had buses coming in. A lot of buses from Opelousas, New Iberia, Mamou.  Buses that would bring people from the country to the Avalon club. And his club had a restaurant, a saloon... the zoo had monkeys, snakes, I think one tiger...right on the side of the building.2 

Hey, little girl, remember what you've done,

Yeh, with me, little everything, not long ago,

And as for you, little girl, I don't want you.

Hey, girl, I've been to your dad's place,

It's to ask, little doll, your hand in marriage,

Well, it's too hard, little doll, for you to get married.

The Clement Brothers, who also recorded for Khoury at the same time as Nathan, loved Nathan's playing and went to the Avalon almost every week-end to hear him play and sit in once in awhile.  His Avalon Waltz can be found in the melody of Austin Pitre's "Redell Waltz".  Ironically, while visiting an inmate at Angola, Davis suffered a massive heart attack and died in the place that once held him captive.2   

1. http://www.offbeat.com/articles/masters-of-louisiana-music-nathan-abshire/
2. Louisiana Music by Lyle Ferbrache and Andrew Brown
3. Lyrics by Stephane F and Phoebe T and Matt D

Release Info:
Musical Five Special | Khoury's KH-631-A
Avalon Waltz | Khoury's KH-631-B

Find:

Nathan Abshire & the Pine Grove Boys - French Blues (Arhoolie, 1993)