Fresh

Email this article |  Printer friendly page

Stompin’ at the Savoy Faire

By Christopher Courville

Tucked away in an old Acadian-style house standing in a picturesque field on the outskirts of Eunice lies Studio Savoy Faire, where a number of great recordings and more than a few good times have taken place. There has been considerable activity in this small but sturdy outdoor kitchen/studio lately, including the completion of a unique new CD. It is the first release for Valcour Records, a new label from renowned fiddler and recording engineer Joel Savoy and his partners Lucius Fontenot and Phillip LaFargue, II. The recording, Goin’ Down to Louisiana, is a mixture of old and new-school Creole numbers with fiddler Cedric Watson and accordionist Corey Ledet, and it has already garnered heavy acclaim including an appearance later this year on the Colorado-based NPR show E-Town.


Savoy has always had an interest in starting a record label. Whether it is low royalty returns, weak production, or poor promotion, from past band experiences he felt that there were not many labels that today’s musicians, especially local ones, could really turn to. “The first project I wanted to do was release the songs in my mother’s (Ann Savoy) book,” he says, “but after looking into all of the copyright and licensing, it became way too much for one person.” After discussing all the details with Fontenot and LaFargue, they came together to form Valcour Records, the name coming from Savoy’s great-great-great grandfather’s first name.


In Fall 2007, the label plans to release a companion CD to Ann Savoy’s book Cajun Music, A Reflection of a People, Volume I,which has been revered as the one of the best resources for the history of Cajun and zydeco music and culture. Following that will be a compilation of the best local fiddle players produced by Michael Doucet of BeauSoleil.


The popular resurgence of traditional music with south Louisiana youngsters is something the label plans to capitalize on, though not strictly for financial purposes. “It is really exciting to see how the people we grew up with are really starting to get into our culture’s music,” says LaFargue. “For us, putting this music out is worth more than the potential money we could make.”



Top of Page