Roddie Romero "State of Louisiana"

Today, I found a used copy of a early Roddie Romero CD from 1995. I really like this CD. It's pretty much a ZydeCajun style of music, but it's very danceable, including West Coast Swing. I'm always looking for new and different music from Louisiana, and this was an excellent find. Thanks Roddie, you even signed it.

1. Allons A Lafayette
2. Zydeco Son Pas Sa Les
3. Baton Rouge
4. Went to the Dance
5. Tired of Going Nowhere
   
6. State of Louisiana
7. Big Big Love
8. Don't Sleep Tonight
9. Rock 'N' Roll Wedding
10. Everything To Me
11. Promised Land
12. One More Night
13. Kansas City
14. Talking to this Heart Of Mine

Louisiana Visits the Halftime Rec

HALFTIME REC, 1013 Front St., St Paul, MN (651) 488-8245

HALFTIME CAJUN & ZYDECO MUSIC & DANCE, www.halftimecajun.com
Supported & Sponsored by the Krewe de Walleye, www.krewedewalleye.org
Dance lessons start at 7pm, Dance music 8-11pm, $5

CAJUN HOT SOLES
The Hot Soles are a Cajun/Creole style band from the Twin Cities (and Iowa) that have very solid connections in Louisiana. Recently, one Cajun & one Creole came to the midwest with their wives. They visited John (Hot Soles Fiddler) in Iowa, to help John pick apples. Larry & Jackie Miller, and Goldman & Theresa Thibodeaux came up to visit for a little more than a week, and made it up to the Twin Cities on Sunday Oct 1, to sit in with the band.

CAJUN COWBOY JITTERBUG
To help make this more of an event, I decided to offer a free Cajun Cowboy Jitterbug lesson before the band started. It was a last minute (day before) announcement via email, but there were a few people there to learn a few steps.

GETTING STARTED
The Cajun Hot Soles got things started with the addition of Kevin Anthony (TC Playboys) while I met with Mr. Thibodeaux, and Mr. Miller for interviews.

CAJUN & CREOLE STYLES
Larry Miller sat in with the band first, bringing his style of Cajun accordion to the mix. He also got my attention while he was up, demonstrating the left hand technique I had asked about in the interview just before taking the stage.

After a while, Mr. Thibodeaux took the stage, and brought the Creole style of accordion to the stage. In the interview Mr. Thibodeaux said that the Creole style is a bit more bluesy, than Cajun. And that was very true. I found myself enjoying the tempo of his songs, very much. They were much easier to dance to. When the evening ended, he said that he was just getting started, that he could play for 2 more hours. And that's for sure. That's the way it is in Louisiana. Quite often, artists & bands play continuously for hours, without taking a break. One artists said that "If we take a break, the people will start to leave, and we don't want that, so we keep playing."

LARRY MILLER, Cajun Accordion Maker (Bon Cajun Accordions)
Mr. Miller is one of the Standard Bearers of genuine Cajun Accordions. Before making accordions, Mr. Miller was a teacher & principle. Before retiring from that vocation, he started making accrodions. Take a look at his 'Cajun Accordion Story' from his website.

GOLDMAN THIBODEAUX, and the Lawtell Playboys, Creole Accordion Player. Mr. Thibodeaux played with the Hot Soles after Mr. Miller.

Status of the Krewe De Walleye

PREFACE
In the near future I will add my comments about recent events regarding the Krewe De Walleye. Over the years there's been mutterings about this organization closing, but we all knew it wouldn't happen because this commnunity has a strong passion for Louisiana culture, music & dance. Recently there's been a more serious concern, even by previous board members and community leaders. I will add more comments on this subject, here, with background info, my opinions and hope for the Krewe...

Go ahead and add your comments here now, if you'd like. We all need to speak up.

THE KREWE'S WEBSITE
Yes, the Krewe's website is now 1 page. It used to be several pages, but it's been reduced. I would imagine to simplify things.

Walker CajunFest 2006

Another year of the Northern Lights Casino CajunFest has come and gone. August 17-20, 2006, many people I talked to showed or talked about how nice this festival is, and about their regular attendance. So everyone knows, this festival is a thank you to their patrons, and cost nothing to those who attend.

Check out their Myspace page. www.myspace.com/walkercajunfest

THE LINE UP
The 2006 lineup was a repeat of last year. The premier Cajun group, the Basin Brothers, featuring Al Berard was first in the schedule. Their twin fiddles is always a wonder full sound. Combined with the Cajun tonal qualities & modes, the Basin Brothers sound is truely a treat. And for the dancers, every song is can't help but get us on our feet, moving around the dance floor.

Saw Dust Days '06, Oshkosh, WI

THE FESTIVAL
This festival is a multi-cultural, multi-event, happening hosted by the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Most of the events & festivities happen in Menominee Park, right next to Lake Winnebago. The area is rich with Native American Historical significance.


ANTICIPATION
This year I was really looking forward to the Saw Dust Days festival in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Tom Stephany, who organizes the Louisiana Hot Sauce stage with his wife Lynn, had ask my opinion on what Louisiana artists to bring up to this years (2006) festival. Every year Tom & Lynn seem to do a better job at making the next year's Louisiana Hot Sauce stage, better than the last.

PREVIOUS ARTISTS
The artists from the 2005 festival were Jamie Bergeron & the Kickin Cajuns, Dora & the Zydeco Bad Boys, Lost Bayou Ramblers, and a couple regional bands from Chicago & Milwaukee areas.


THIS YEARS ARTISTS
More to come.

DANCING & ATMOSPHERE
More to come.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS
More to come.

THE FIREWORKS
More to come.

San Diego's Gator By The Bay Zydeco & Blues Festival

THE FESTIVAL
San Diego's "Gator by the Bay" Zydeco & Blues Festival
May 13, 14, 2006 (Saturday & Sunday)
www.sandiegofestival.com/

MY PILGRIMAGE
Well, I finally made it out to the Gator by the Bay Zydeco & Blues festival. It was great. It also happened to be a trip back to my old stomping grounds. I was raised, from the ages of 2-19 right across the bay, in Coronado, California. Very significant years.

FLIGHT & ACCOMMODATIONS
My dance & instructing partner, Deb Clark & I found, made a non-stop flight into San Diego on Friday, the 12th of May. Since we decided to cough up the cash to stay right there at the Sheraton Inn, all we had to do was take the shuttle across the freeway from the airport, and we were there. We had just enough time to get something to eat, find our rooms and get ready for the Friday night dance with Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble.

FRIDAY NIGHT DANCE
The the dance with Curley was great, though I didn't know very many people, I did recognized a few. Some of the dancers that travel from around the country were there. And some I would come to know over the course of the weekend. The dance was held in one of the Sheraton's conference halls, and had a wooden dance floor brought in for it. I thought it was great fun, seeing all sorts of different dancers, from all over the country, try to identify where they're from by their dance style. And, many were or could've been from Louisiana, by their dance style. It was the first time I met and danced with Johnny, from Baton Rouge, and excellent dancer, and sweet person as well.

FESTIVAL / SATURDAY
As with all festival situations, the dilemma was deciding on who to see and when. Those of you who know the mental if not group discussion " X is playing over here at this time, but I've heard them recently, and I haven't heard Y. But, Y isn't as fun to dance to, and then there might be a bigger crowd over at Z, but I really really like X..."

SATURDAY NIGHT DANCE
After the festival wrapped up Saturday afternoon/evening, there was just enough time to eat, freshen up and/or change, and get down to the 'ballroom' for another zydeco dance featuring Brian Jack & the Zydeco Gamblers. This time they opened up the space to it's full size, and added more fans. That's wind stirring, dancer cooling, blowing fans. It felt so nice stepping right off the dance floor, in front of one of the floor drying fans, that it almost seem sacrilegious to be so accommodated. But hey, I wasn't about to say anything.

ZYDECO LESSON ADVANCED
Early Saturday morning I was up figuring what was I going to teach. I had a veritable laundry list, with the usual debate "people have been asking for this, but I'll need to start with some basics, but people don't know my basics. That's okay, just assume these people know the basics, but people will be walking up not really knowing zydeco very well and will get frustrated. But, I won't have much time, I'll need to get right into the advanced stuff, yet it'd be nice if people could following along well enough."

Cajun/Creole Week, Folklore Village, Dodgeville,WI

THE GATHERING
Out in the countryside of central Wisconsin, a gathering of Cajun & Creole musicians & dancers converge at what used to be a dairy farm. The Folklore Village is a renovated barn (very beautifully I might add), complete with farm house. and is dedicated to remembering and indulging our American Folk heritage. This includes heritage for other parts of the country, in this case, Louisiana.

THE LOCATION
more to come...

THE INSTRUCTORS & WORKSHOPS
more to come...

THE CAJUN COWBOY JITTERBUG
more to come...

THE DANCE
more to come.

THE COMMUNITY
more to come.

Sonny Landreth "The Road We're On"

I just picked up another Sonny Landreth CD, and a few of the songs are gems. Sonny has put together another solid CD. Not all of it suits my fancy, but the songs are tight, and mixed well. The thing is with Sonny's music, is that it begins to all sound the same. Of course you could say that with a lot of music, but this CD, as a whole, lacks some creative flavor. Since I'm a dancer, dancable songs tend to catch my attention, but not only. If the lyrics say something true, and the music has some creative tecture and/or flavor, I can get into any tune, especially if the breaks come from the sole.
List of songs:

1. True Blue
2. Hell at Home
3. All About You
4. A World Away
5. Gone Pecan
6. Natural World
7. The Promise Land
8. Fallin' For You
9. Ol' Lady Luck
10. Gemini Blues
11. The Road We're On
12. Juke Box Mama

Beale Street Zydeco Festival 2006, Memphis, TN

THE FESTIVAL
The merchants of Beale Street in Memphis have gotten together and indulged a cousin of the Blues, and put together a zydeco festival every year. It's one night, with a usual dance the night before by one of the bands.

THE WEATHER
This year, the weather was the worst. Penni & Don, who happen to live in Memphis, were very gracious hosts, and my 'before hand' contacts regarding the festival. Penni had said that they usually only get one bad storm for the season, and that the one the weekend before should have been it. Unfortunately, the weather from Minnesota seemed to follow us down, because the weekend of the Zydeco festival the weather was cold and icy. Many people didn't come because of the weather. My dance partner (Deb) & I were pretty amused when we heard how local folks reacted to such weather, and I have to say they even made fun of themselves about it. We heard that some folks brought extra clothes and overnight stuff with them in the car in case they got stuck somewhere, and couldn't get back home. Being from Minnesota, we chuckled since weather like this was familiar, and not something we'd worry about getting stuck. First of all, in all fairness, I didn't see many cars stuck or in the ditches. And, since Memphis doesn't get this kind of weather very often, of course folks won't be familiar with how to drive in it. Heck, many Minnesotans still have trouble driving in winter weather, to the dismay of others.

THE NIGHT BEFORE DANCE
The night before the Beale Street festivities, at least one dance is held at a local venue. This dance seems to be for all those that are anticipating all the zydeco on Beale Street, and for those coming into town a day or so early. This year Thomas 'Big Hat' Fields and his Foot Stompin Zydeco Band played. I forget the venue, but I think it was in a nearby town, and in an official room at that. The room was carpeted, wood paneled, and the Seal of the City was in the background, behind the band.

BEALE STREET ZYDECO 2006
Here is a list of the bands.

• Roy Carrier & the Night Rockers
• Thomas Fields & his Foot Stompin Zydeco Band
• Dora & the Zydeco Bad Boys
• Willis Prudhomme & Zydeco Express
• T Broussard & the Zydeco Hotsteppers
• Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble
• Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Cha's
• Corey Ledet & Zydeco Embrace
• Terry & the Zydeco Bad Boys

"Sweat" by Chris Ardoin & NuStep

Once again Chris and his band has put out a zydeco CD that is full of talent, beat, dedication, and creativity.