Cajun Honky Tonk- The Khoury's Recordings Volume 3

In 1994 and 2012, there were two volumes released documenting Cajun music recorded on the Khoury's label. Both sets cover output from the label from the late 1940's into the it's final years in the late 1950's. But some songs didn't make it on the sets due to scarcity or lack of good copies. Here is a mix covering material that should be on a Cajun Honky Tonk Volume 3.

Horace LeBleau- Basile Girl (Khoury's 603) 
Pee Wee Broussard- New Iberia Stomp (Khoury's 720) 
Crawford Vincent-  Tippy Tee Tippy En (Khoury's 640)  
Pee Wee Broussard-La Valse De Bons Amies (Khoury's 720) 
Nathan Abshire- Casa Blanca Waltz (Khoury's 647) 
Cliff LeMaire- Along the Bayou (Khoury's 642) 
Pee Wee Broussard- Perradin Twoster (Khoury's 709) 
Horace LeBleau- Korea Blues (Khoury's 603) 
Lawrence Walker- Johnnie Can't Dance (Khoury's 615)
Pee Wee Broussard-Jolie Te Blun (Khoury's 709) 
Nathan Abshire- Carolina Blues (Khoury's 649)

*All Selections from the original 78 rpm and 45 rpm records.

Down Home Cajun Music- Last Years Waltz

Jake Mier- Cajun Playboys Special (Swallow 21029)
Charlie Broussard- Big Train (Cora B 0001)
Ervin LeJeune and Danny Cormier- Lewisburg Special (Swallow 21030)
T Denise- Iberia Two Step (Acadian Artists 102)
Rufus Thibodeaux- Sauce Piquant (D 1064)
Lionel Cormier- Last Years Waltz (Swallow 21005)
Pee Wee Broussard- French Accordion Mambo (Staggs 101)
Leeman Prejean- Accordion Two Step (Swallow 1003)
August Broussard- Broussard Two Step (Swallow 21031)
Belton Richard- Big Texas (Swallow 10182)

*All selections from the original 45 rpm records.

Down Home Cajun Music- Dewey Balfa

Being his birthday is March 20th, this episode is celebrating the music of Dewey Balfa.  
While Dewey was a in demand session in the late 1940's and 1950's, he came into his own in 1960's. This mix is of some his recordings from 1964 and 1985.

1.Dewey and his Musical Brothers- Drunkards Sorrow Walts (Swallow 10172) 1964 
2.Dewey and his Musical Brothers- Valse De Balfa (Swallow 10185) 1964
3.The Balfa Freres- Hackberry Hop (Rounder 6001) 1966
4.The Balfa Freres- Lake Arthur Stomp (Rounder 6001) 1966
5.The Balfa Brothers- J'etais au bal (ES43) 1972
6.Balfa Brothers Orchestra with Nathan Abshire- Acadian Two Step (Sonnet 643) 1972
7.Balfa Brothers with Bill Keith and Nathan Abshire- Hicks Wagon Wheel Special (RR 4504)
8.Balfa Brothers and Nathan Abshire- Coeur Criminel (Swallow 10267) 1979
9.Les Quatre Vieux Garcons- Easy Rider (FA 2626A) 1984
10.Dewey Balfa and Friends- Quand j'etais pauvre (Swallow 6056) 1985

Down Home Cajun Music- Delma Lachney and Blind Uncle Gaspard Complete Recordings Part Two

We continue on with Lachney and Gaspard's recorded output on this episode. With the first two songs we complete their first session in Chicago. "Marksville Blues" is one of the most compelling numbers Gaspard recorded along with "Sur Le Borde De L' Eau".  The duo travelled to New Orleans for their second session. After this session the Depression hit and they didn't record again sadly. But by the time labels started recording Cajun music again in 1934, it seems we lost much of the originality of early Cajun music. These recordings offer us a window into a time when this music existed.

January 26 1929 Chicago, IL
Marksville Blues Vo 5320 Jan 29
Baltimore Waltz Vocalion 5320

March 5, 1929 New Orleans, La
Avoyelles Vocalion 5314
Je M'En Vas Dans Le Chemin Vocalion 5314
Natchitoches Vo 5333 March 5 29
Sur Le Borde De L'Eau Vocalion 5333 March 5 29
L'Aurevoir D' Une Mere Vocalion 5347
Je Me Trouve Une Jolie Fille Vocalion 5347

Down Home Cajun Music- Delma Lachney and Blind Uncle Gaspard: Complete Recordings Part One

One of the most fascinating duos to record in the early era of Cajun recordings was Delma Lachney and Blind Uncle Gaspard. Their recordings sound out of this world; archaic and raw. Their music is of a earlier tradition of dance and ballad songs that was older than the music we get from the other Cajun music recorded in 1928 and 1929. They were from the Marksville area, which consisted of early colonial French settlers. They recorded two sessions in 1929, before the depression hit. Their music gained interest after "La Danseuse" was included on the highly influential collection from Harry Smith called the Anthology of American Folk Music. This first set documents their first recordings in Chicago in 1929.

January 26 1929 Chicago, IL

Assi Dans La Fenetre De Ma Chambre (Vocalion 5280)
Baoille (Vocalion 5280) 
Mercredi Soir Passe (Vocalion 5281)
River Rouge (Vocalion 5281)
Cher Ami Ma Vie Est Ruini (Vocalion 5302)
La Louisianne (Vocalion 5302)
La Danseuse (Vocalion 5303)
Le Bebe Et Le Gambleur (Vocalion 5303)

By 1950, it had been 15 years since Lawrence Walker had been in a recording studio. While the major labels were no longer interested in recording Cajun music, many independent labels started recording it. One of the independent labels that formed in 1950 was Khoury's. Here is some of the great recordings Lawrence Walker made on the Khoury's label.

Down Home Cajun Music- Lawrence Walker and his Wandering Aces on Khoury's Part 1

1. Country Waltz (Khoury's 601) 1950 
2. Mamou Two Step (Khoury's 601) 1950 
3. Tu Le Du Po La Mam (Khoury's 607) 1950 
4. Ton Papa Ta Mama Ma Sta Da All (Khoury's 607) 1950 
5. Evangeline Waltz (Khoury's 615) 1951 
6. Johnny Can't Dance (Khoury's 615) 1951 
7. Waltz of Sorrow (Khoury's 616) 1951 
8. Bosco Stomp (Khoury's 616) 1951
9. Creole Waltz (Khoury's 617) 1952 
10. Lafayette Two Step (Khoury's 617) 1952 

*All selections from the original 78 rpm records.

Down Home Cajun Music- KAJUN Records Part Two

KAJUN Records returned in 1973. But J.D. Miller served only as advisor to these recordings, with his son Mark Miller handling the recording process during these years. KAJUN records continued releasing 45's well into the late 80's. As compact discs made their way into the 90's the label ceased vinyl releases. From this era we get early recordings of Wayne Toups with Camey Doucet, great recordings from Joe Bonsall, Blackie Foriester, Nolan Cormier and recording with him since the beginning; Happy Fats. As for the legacy of J.D. Miller; he released Cajun music for over 40 years out of Crowley. 


Camey Doucet with Wayne Toups and the Crowley Aces- Me And My Cousin (KAJUN 1000)
Camey Doucet with Wayne Toups and the Crowley Aces- Une Pomme Par Jour (KAJUN 1001)
Joe Bonsall- Lacassine Special (KAJUN 1006)
Blackie Foriester- Ca Prend Tante De Couers Casses's (KAJUN 1009)
Joe Broussard- Paule Fruge- Cajun Outlaws Special (KAJUN 1019)
Chunk Cormier and the Acadian Cajuns- Hilda Rose Two Step (KAJUN 1064)
Preston Venerable with Happy Fats- Love Bridge Waltz (KAJUN 1020)
Nolan Cormier and the Cajun Hee Haws- My Rope and Spurs (KAJUN 1022)
Pat Savant and the Louisiana Playboys- Duson Waltz (KAJUN 1028)
Hadley J Castile- Basile Waltz (KAJUN 1030)

*All Selections from the original 45 rpm records.

Down Home Cajun Music- Iry LeJeune

Iry LeJeune grew up learning to play accordion from a family member; Angelas LeJeune. He used the same bluesy, soulful style that Amede Ardoin had used in the 1920's. The following mix is selections from the original 78 rpm records. Of interest is the first release of "Grand Nuit Especial" with the unedited ending. Also on this mix is version one of "Duraldo Waltz".

1."Love Bridge Waltz" with Oklahoma Tornadoes (Opera 105) 1947
2."Evangeline Special" with Oklahoma Tornadoes (Opera 105) 1947
3."Lacassine Special" (Folk Star 100) 1950
4."Grand Nuit Especial" (Goldband 103) 1952
5."La Valse Du Grande" Chemin (Goldband 103) 1952
6."I Went To The Dance" (Goldband 1041) 1954
7."Duraldo Waltz" (Goldband 1041) 1954 *Version One
8."I Made A Big Mistake" (Goldband 1057) 1954
9."Come and Get Me" (Goldband 1057) 1954
10."Don't Get Married" (Folk Star 1195) 1954
11."Convict Waltz" (Folk Star 1195) 1954

* All selections from the original 78 rpm records.

After a brief haitus, the 1970's found new labels emerging out of Crowley. In 1973, Bayou Classics followed the Cajun Classics and KAJUN labels. Some of the artists that recorded for this Miller label had recorded previously with him, such as Bobby Leger and Happy Fats. The Bayou Classics label also featured the first solo recordings of Wayne Toups. We also get one of the last recordings of Will Kegley.

1.Bobby Leger- Trouble's Two Step (Bayou Classics 3000) 
2.Ronald Fruge- Cherokee Waltz (Bayou Classics 3001)
3.Bobby Leger- Ranger's Waltz (Bayou Classics 3005) 
4.Tim Broussard- Willie's Two Step (Bayou Classics 3006)
5.Wayne Toups- Lafayette Playboys Waltz ( Bayou Classics 3007)
6.Happy Fats and Joe Turner- La Music De La Louisianne (Bayou Classics 3009)
7. Lawrence Deshotel and Cyril Crichot- Midland Two Step (Bayou Classics 3010)
8.Shorty Sonnier and Will Kegley- The Will Kegley Waltz (Bayou Classics 3012)

*ALl selections from the original 45 rpm records

DHCM- Unreleased Cajun Classics

There were a handful of great recordings from JD Miller's Cajun Classics that didn't get issued on 45 rpm at the time. Luckily we get some of them on a rare Cajun Classics lp that Miller released in the late 1960's. Also Flyrite Records released a lp some years later with some outtakes and alternate takes. From these recordings we hear Floyd LeBlanc do his take on "Jole Blon", some unreleased Robert Bertrand, Moise Robin makes a recording appearance after serving jailtime and we get some Nathan Abshire outtakes.

Nathan Absire- Lyons Point Waltz 1959
Floyd LeBlanc- Jolie Blon 1967
Bobby Leger and Robert Bertrand- Caroline, Caroline 1959
Louis Alleman- Car Keeps Rollin 1961
Moise Robin- Hey Mon 1970
Nathan Abshire- Nathan's Two Step 1959
Floyd LeBlanc- Floyd's Waltz 1967
Robert Bertrand- Prison Waltz 1959
Louis Alleman- Te Petite Te Meon 1961
Dunice Theriot- Breaux Bridge Waltz 1960's