| Center for Louisiana Studies

Interview with Steve Riley

01:00 - The Walker Medley by Steve Reilly and the Mamou Playboys
05:10 - Interview
- Grew up in Mamou, Louisiana
- Started playing the accordion
- Grandfather, Burk Guillory, taught him to sing and play triangle
- Great uncle, Bobby Guillory, taught him to play accordion when he was 7 years old
- Got an accordion for his thirteenth birthday
09:50 - Je suis orphelin by the Balfa Brothers
12:24 - Interview
- Easily learned the accordion by ear
- Picked up the guitar at fourteen years old and fiddle at fifteen years old

Interview with Richard Burgess

01:10 - La prairie ronde by T-Sale
04:12 - Interview
- Grew up in Pineville, Louisiana
- Father played country music
06:40 - Dear Old Sunny South By The Sea by Jimmie Rodgers
09:32 - Red Headed Stranger by Willie Nelson
13:27 - Interview
- Started playing rock n’ roll guitar
- Played in the jazz band in school
16:46 - Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting by Charles Mingus
22:29 - Frankie by Mississippi John Hurt
25:50 - Interview
- Went to Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi and majored in history

Interview with Ray Abshire

01:10 - Dancehall Special by Ray Abshire
04:40 - Interview
- Talks about recording his latest album
- Originally from Gueydan, Louisiana
- Grew up going to dance halls and jams
- Nathan Abshire was his cousin
- His first accordion was given to him by Nathan Abshire
13:11 - Choupique Two Step by Nathan Abshire
16:00 - Interview
- Played some of his first gigs with Lionel Leleux
- Talks about fiddler Will Kegley
- Would sit in with the Balfa Brothers and Nathan Abshire
24:04 - Tit Galop by The Balfa Brothers

Interview with Rafe Stefanini

01:12 - Brushy Fork of John’s Creek by Rafe Stefanini
04:17 - Interview
- Originally from a small village in Northern Italy
- Was a big fan of the TV show Bonanza as a kid and learned the songs from the show
08:00 - Bonanza Theme Song
08:40 - Interview
- Was a big fan of Crosby, Stills, and Nash
- Got into bluegrass music after listening to the album “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”
- Through bluegrass, he began to delve into old time music and started playing banjo and guitar

Interview with Caroline Helm, Christaan Mader, and Dirk Powell

01:00 - Interview with Caroline Helm
- Talks about the 4th annual Nue Moon Revue, which is a live showcase event featuring different songwriters
- House band for the show is Joel Savoy, Chris Stafford, Danny Devillier, and Cal Stevenson
- Talks about starting the Nue Moon Revue
- The presenting songwriters are Dirk Powell, David Greely, Alison Bohl, Melissa Stevenson, Megan Berard, and Christaan Mader
07:20 - It’s All About Me by The Figs
10:20 - Interview with Dirk Powell
- Talks about his home studio and recording with Joan Baez

Interview with Caroline Helm, Yvette Landry, Tiffany Lamson, Eric Frey, Jane and Jean Schexnayder, Eric Schexnayder

00:20 - Interview with Caroline Helm
- Talks about upcoming event Nue Moon Revue and how the idea for the event started
- House band is made up of Joel Savoy, Chris Courville, Cal Stevenson, and Chris Stafford
- Talks about the Jingleberries
04:33 - Interview with Yvette Landry
- Started on piano at three years old
- Played in band during high school
- Didn’t get back into music till much later
- Learned accordion, fiddle, guitar, banjo, and started writing songs
- Talks about inspiration from Ginny Hawker

Interview with Mitch Reed

01:05 - Tourchon’s Reels by Charivari
03:54 - Interview
- Talks about the Scotch-Irish names in Evangeline Parish
- Dad, Bob Reed, formed the bands, The Mamou Prairie Band and T-Mamou
- Dad played piano, harmonica, and accordion
- Listened to a lot of different music growing up
- Got into Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin from a neighborhood friend
- Discovered Kate Bush’s “Hounds of Love” record, which inspired him to pick up the cello and fiddle
- Started learning Irish fiddle and then eventually got into Cajun/Creole fiddle

Interview with Mitch Reed

01:00 - Canray’s Reel/Knife Fight Reel by Tony Davoren and Mitch Reed
05:00 - Interview
- Talks about Tony Davoren moving to Sunset, Louisiana
- Started playing fiddle from discovering Kate Bush’s album “Hounds of Love”
10:03 - Jig of Life by Kate Bush
14:10 - Interview
- Played cello before starting to play fiddle
- Dad played accordion
- Went to an Irish fiddle camp in Augusta, West Virginia with Cory McCauley
- Talks about the history of the Celtic connection to Cajun music

Interview with Michael Doucet

00:44 - Reel de Cajun by Beausoleil
03:10 - Interview
- Three of his aunts were ballad singers
- Uncle played the fiddle
- Cousin played accordion
- Talks about how the accordion sound came from brass bands
- First instrument was a banjo
- Started playing guitar
12:05 - Blues de Basile by Amédé Ardoin
15:10 - Interview
- Was interested in the blues influence in Cajun music

Interview with Matt Doucet

01:10 - Japan by the Broken String Band (Live at Grant St.)
06:58 - Interview
- Talks about the Broken String Band
- Dad was Michael Doucet and he grew up with music all around
- Mother is from Mississippi, and moved to Lafayette in high school
- Growing up, he was into punk and rock music
- Started listening to jazz and blues
- Started writing songs on guitar
- Had guitar lessons with Tommy Comeaux
- Tells some stories about going to gigs with his dad
- Wanted to start playing the fiddle and got into Cajun music

University of Louisiana at Lafayette