Center for Louisiana Studies Archival Catalog
This searchable database provides information on images, documents, and audio and video recordings, made between 1934 and the present.
Danny Brasseaux and Cajun Express - Commercial Recording
KAJUN -5039
Side A
La special des jours de minuit
Mémoirs de Mama
La valse sans espoir
Marche vite
La valse du Bayou Teche
Side B
Le special du Bayou Noir;
Les larmes cadjines
Arret de trainailles dans mes souliers
Quand j'etais pauvre
Petits yeux noirs
Cliff Newman with Phil Menard - The Louisiana Travlers (sp) - Cajun Smash Hits
Side 1;
1. Introduction
2. The Reno Waltz
3. Tee Mon
4. My Father-in-law's Sorrows
5. The Grand Prairie Waltz
6. The Chatagnier Waltz
7. Jolie Blonde
Side 2
1. D&M Special
2. Alleman Waltz
3. I Went To The Dance
4. The Louisiana Waltz
5. Lacassine Special
6. The Lawtell Waltz
Dewey Balfa and Peter Schwarz Apprenticeship Lessons - 1984
0:00:30 – "Toutes les Soirs”
0:02:30 – Finding corner posts & choosing strings to play on
0:04:35 – Variations of G chord on second fiddle
0:06:16 – Supporting the lead with second fiddle
0:08:16 – Le Bourdon (droning)
0:10:04 – “Les Flammes D’enfer” seconding
0:11:24 – Carrying the beat
0:14:16 – “Perrodin Two Step”
0:21:29 – “Lovebridge Waltz”
0:24:03 – “Quoi Faire”
0:25:04 – Loosening up
0:27:51 – G in an A position & a little grace note
0:30:09 – A chord positions
0:31:02 – E chord positions
0:34:40 – “Madame Sosthene” in A
0:43:27 – Little run
0:44:17 – Don't forget the grace notes
0:48:18 – Moving positions; a double stop
0:55:28 – “Canadian waltz”
1:02:32 – Working on contrasting/complementing leader before rhythm
1:04:27 – Learning to place runs and double stops
1:04:57 – “Love Bridge Waltz”
1:07:55 – Developing individual style
1:08:35 – Carol England playing Dewey’s exact style
1:10:46 – Making sure runs end in the right place (DL’s singing)
1:11:48 – “Love Bridge Waltz”
1:14:20 – Options in A
1:16:02 – “Lake Arthur Stomp"
1:20:16 – “Louisiana Waltz”
1:21:31 – Walk down
1:25:31 – Hearing a harmony
1:28:31 – More grace notes
1:28:43 – Learning a run
1:34:40 – Playing without backup
1:39:32 – “Love Bridge Waltz”
1:44:44 – 1:46:00 – No sound
1:48:07 – “Les Flammes D’enfer”
1:49:20 – Second fiddle changing chords to keep harmony
1:55:19 – Cajun fiddles contradict but harmonize with each other
1:55:39 – “J'étais au Bal”
2:02:13 – Complementing the lead fiddle
2:04:16 – “Louisiana Waltz”
2:06:56 – 2:08:06 – No sound
2:10:44 – Bow work
2:22:07 – “Port Arthur Blues”
2:26:08 – “Fifteen-Year-Old Waltz”
2:33:28 – Cajun bridges
2:33:54 – Second fiddle accent on pulling bow down
2:34:42 – “Perrodin Two Step”
2:40:07 – “Fifteen-Year-Old Waltz”
2:42:48 – 2:43:09 – No sound
2:43:20 – “Fifteen-Year-Old Waltz”
2:44:18 – Watching Dewey’s bow arm
2:45:40 – Adding shuffling part
2:48:31-2:48:50 – No sound
2:52:43 – Seconding practice
2:53:14 – Melody comes in
2:55:32 – Feedback
2:57:34 – “Lovebridge Waltz” w/ Peter on lead fiddle
3:01:51 – Seconding technique w/ more Cajun rhythm
3:04:04 – 3:04:13 – No sound
3:04:13 – Single string seconding
3:12:45 – Contrasting the lead fiddle
3:15:14 – 3:16:00 – No sound
3:16:04 – “Beautiful rosy cheeks”
3:19:10 – Freedom in Cajun music
Presentation to Young Students with Dewey Balfa
00:28 – Asking young students about fiddle vs. violin
02:01 – The bow & rosin
03:04 – “Frère Jacques”
03:34 – The triangle
05:10 – Playing spoons
06:45 – Fiddlesticks
09:43 – The accordion
12:27 – The guitar
14:20 – Bringing it all together (“Quo Faire”)
16:50 – Introducing Peter
17:49 – “Les Flammes D’enfer”
19:58 – “Wagon Wheel Special”
21:02 – “Quo Faire” (again)
22:25 – “Grand Mamou” with triangle
23:28 – “Perrodin Two Step”
24:09 – “J’etais au Bal” with fiddle sticks
28:58 – Accordion mechanics
26:41 – “Chère tout tout”
27:32 – “J’ai Passe Devant Ta Porte”
28:07 – “Lake Arthur Stomp”
29:09 – “Les Flammes D’enfer”
30:18 – “Quo Faire”
Dewey Balfa & Band Gig
00:00 – "Chere Mom”
01:55 – “Louisiana Waltz”
07:25 – “Steppin Fast”
11:43 – "Valse de Bélizaire”
16:47 – “The Back Door”
20:50 – “Faded Love”
24:43 – "Valse de Grand Chemin”
27:33 – “Port Arthur Blues”
30:40 – “J’etais au Bal”
35:42 – “Choupique Two Step”
39:40 – “En Bas du Chêne Vert”
42:59 – "Chere Mom”
Dewey Balfa & Band Gig
0:00:10 – “Blues de Basile”
0:04:13 – "Nobody Wants Me”
0:07:48 – “Zydeco Sont Pas Sale”
0:12:12: - "Mulberry Waltz”
0:16:28 – “Les Veuves De La Coulée”
0:20:24 – “Pine Grove Blues”
0:27:18 – “Lovebridge Waltz”
0:31:29 – “Les Flammes D’enfer”
0:36:14 – “Les Flammes D’enfer” (encore)
0:38:31 – “T’es Si Aisee Pour Aimer”
0:41:39 – “Lovebridge Waltz”
0:44:14 – “Valse de Bélizaire”
0:47:05 – “Balfa Waltz”
0:49:41 – waltz
0:55:56 – “The Back Door”
0:58:08 – two step
0:59:28 – “Le Valse de Grand Bois”
1:02:29 – “Les traces de mon Boghei”
Dewey Balfa, Michael Doucet, & Band Gig
0:00:01: “Lovebridge Waltz”
0:02:37 – “Choupique Two Step”
0:05:32 – “Valse de Bélizaire”
0:10:19 – Duralde Waltz
0:14:10 – “J’etais au Bal”
Silent bit
0:18:54 – Dennis McGee Tune (with Michael Doucet)
0:20:04 – “Flammes D’enfer”
0:23:04 – Saying goodbye
0:24:16 – “Flammes D’enfer”
0:27:57 – “Tits Yeux Noir”
0:31:41 – “Lacassine Special”
0:35:44 – La valse de Grand Bois
0:39:31 – Saturday Night Special
0:43:33 – “Kaplan Waltz”
0:47:51 – “Choupique Two-Step”
0:53:26 – “B.O. Sparkle Waltz”
0:57:48 – “Veuve de la Coulee”
0:58:47-0:59:01 – no sound
0:59:14 – “J’ai Vu le Lou, le Renard, et la Belette”
1:04:08 – “Old Fashion Two Step”
Basile Cajun Hour Excerpt KEUN 1
0:05 – Instrumental two step being played on radio
0:46 – Announcer (French & English)
1:48 – Dewey introduces the band
3:02 – Waltz
06:25 – Announcer
Don Thibodeaux and the Pine Grove Boys Gig
00:01 – “Mulberry Waltz”
03:26 – “Midnight Playboy Special”
05:02 – "La Valse de Tout L’monde”
07:44 – “Les Veuves de la Coulée”
10:26 – “Mamou Two Step”
12:18 – “Faire Attention C’est Mon Coeur Qui Vas Casser”
15:12 – "Mom Je Suis Toujours Ton Petit Garçon”
18:45 – Unnamed Waltz
21:33 – “Laisse-moi parler à ton coeur”
24:36 – “La valse de famille”
Mamou Lundi Gras
0:00:06 – “The Back Door”
0:02:27 – “Cher Bébé Créole”
0:05:40 – “La Danse de Mardi Gras”
0:11:12 – “73 Special”
0:14:03 – “Cherokee Waltz”
0:16:58 – “Pine Grove Blues”
0:20:06 – "Blues Français”
0:24:01 – “Allons a la Queue de Tortue”
0:26:30 – “J’etais au Bal”
0:29:18 – “Grand Prairie Waltz”
0:33:35 – “Bayou Teche Waltz”
0:37:26 – “Hee Haw Breakdown”
0:40:47 – “La valse de 99 ans”
0:44:33 – “Les Flammes D’enfer”
0:46:48 – 0:47:09 No Sound
0:51:05 – “La pistache à Tante Nana”
0:54:01 – “Quo Faire”
0:57:05 – “Touts les deux pour la même”
1:01:15 – “Bosco Stomp”
1:05:33 – “La Danse de Mardi Gras” encore (very low volume)
1:07:57 – “Hicks Wagon Wheel Special”
1:11:10 – “Je Veux Me Marier” (very low volume)
1:13:34 – Peter’s outro
Mark Savoy, D.L. Menard, and Doc Guidry Workshop
00:26 – Playing for a sit-down crowd vs. a dance
01:27 – Mark Savoy’s and D.L. Menard’s manufacturing businesses
04:22 – “C’est dans la Coeur de la Ville”
08:29 – Instruments in newer Cajun music
10:23 – “Perrodin Two-Step”
13:35 – Cajun jigs and reels
15:58 – “Mardi Gras Jig”
18:22 – Southwestern Louisiana Mardi Gras traditions
20:42 – Different Louisiana dialects
22:46 – “Les Traces de Mon Buggy”
27:44 – “Les Zydeco Sont Pas Sale”
32:19 – “Jambalaya”
37:53 – “Wafus Two Step”
40:18 – "Valse de Grand Chemin”
45:06 – Second fiddle before the accordion