The concept struck producer Chas Justus while contemplating the significance of Cajun music’s forbearers. “About 3 or 4 years ago, while listening to the Balfa Brothers, I began thinking of the root and foundation of that distinct sound.” To Justus, the triangle’s place as the core of Cajun rhythm is obvious considering its part in human history. “What do you see from outer space?” he asks. “The Great Wall of China, and the Pyramids—the earth’s largest triangles.” Ideas turned to plans, and soon an album of pure, unadulterated Cajun triangle was born.

Christine Balfa’s heightened sense of internal timing on her 1986 Montoucet triangle has been honed since infancy. “As a child, I messed with a lot of different instruments,” she says. “I tried the fiddle but it made too many notes. I tried the spoons and the scrubboard because I’ve always been a rhythmic person, but they just weren’t right. But when I played the triangle, something rang true in my heart.” Though hesitant when initially approached about an album, she decided that the timing was right. “What inspired me finally to do it was that this year I received the 2008 Governor’s Arts Award for Folk Artist of the Year,” she says. “I also turned 40, and I realized it was time for me to make my first solo album.”

The recording sessions took place at Cypress House Studio, literally in Christine’s backyard. “To get geared up for the recording, I practiced about 3 or 4 hours a day,” she says. “I’d play along with records like the Balfa Brothers, Iry Lejune, Amede Ardoin, Dennis McGee, and Sadie Courville, making sure I would get in the right mindset so that my Cajun ancestors would be smiling up in heaven.” The key for Justus was that the triangle’s raw simplicity was maintained. “There was extremely minimal use of overdubs and absolutely no pitch correction,” he says. “It was a very hands-off production.”

[The Lost Bayou Ramblers performed a number of tributes to the Hackberry Ramblers including one at this year’s Jazz Fest. These turned out to be the last gigs for the Hackberry Ramblers’ fiddle player, Luderin Darbone, who passed away November 21 in Sulphur, Louisiana. The Lost Bayou Ramblers’ drummer Chris Courville remembers those dates.]

At Jazz Fest, Louis [Michot, of the Lost Bayou Ramblers] arrived early to plan the show with him and was surprised by his sharpness and eagerness to perform. “He really took the initiative to talk,” Louis said. “When I asked him about some song, he would immediately say, ‘Oh yeah, this is how it happened’ and go right into the story. Despite his physical limitations at 95 years old, he really wanted to be there and be present for the whole performance.”

Whatever discomfort he felt seemed to melt away once he was on the stage. Before meeting him, the plan was to have him play a song or so, talk a bit, and we’d finish it off. Luderin wasn’t having that, though. He wanted to be there for the whole thing and boy, was he present. “He was sharper than a lot of 40 year olds I know,” Louis said.

He stepped in at Festival International to lead the show and knew how to delight a crowd. He told a story about bringing a PA system that he purchased from the Sears and Roebuck catalogue to a gig for the first time, and he had to run it off of his Model T because the club didn’t have electricity. His playing was great. As bassist Alan Lafleur said, “Not all the notes were coming out of his fingers while he played, but you could hear the whole story.” Luderin hadn’t sung in years, but he sang entire songs at those dates.

Luderin Darbone showed up to these gigs and meant every single moment of them. His spirit and vigor were absolutely inspirational, and his kindness and good-natured demeanor made both performances memorable for all in attendance. We were honored to back up such a talented and kind soul, and this world is a more blessed place for having experienced the life and music of Mr. Luderin Darbone.

Paul Marx, owner founder of KBON-FM out of Eunice Louisiana, said it best when he said, “Travis Matte’s music is the gateway drug to traditional Cajun music.”

In keeping with the progression of previous Kingpin albums, this disc contains a strong dose of wacky, Acadiana-centric party anthems laced with just enough of the traditional stuff to pique your interests. Amongst the head-nod-inducing rap/rock hooks of “Bring Your Drunk A*s Home,” “Hip Hop Zyde-Rock” and “Pimpin Ho’s” (eerily similar to the melody of “Ma Bon Vieux Marie”, and imagining “Pimpin Ho’s” as a response to this song is a pretty funny prospect,), strains of traditional French Louisiana favorites sneak in like a sketchy but alluring stranger at the keg party. From the classic “Pettite et la Grosse” backing on the rocked-up “Don’t let the Door Hit Ya” and the soulful old school fiddle line on “Thinking and Drinking,” you can almost picture Travis and the Kingpins motioning to you to join them out back with these guys John Delafose and Canray Fontenot—’cause they have something for you.

Matte’s irrefutable traditional Cajun chops (see Travis Matte and Jason Frey à la vieille manière) lends to this slight nudge towards the slippery slope of Louisiana roots music, but for the casual user, it’s hard to notice while innocently chocking to the fat drums, grinding guitar, unabashed lyrics and boisterous comments.

Even with its underlying nod to the musical temptations of more traditional sounds, the frequently silly and occasionally obscene nature of most of the tracks make it an inappropriate purchase for your grandma’s birthday (note: if you disagree, I’d like to party with your grandma sometime.) Just don’t be surprised to wake up one morning in a haze of confusion where the only memory of the previous two weeks has something to do with a guy named Bois Sec.

When two long-time contributors, accordionist Ade Huval and bassist Cal Stevenson decided they couldn’t tour anymore due to budding families, the three remaining Bluerunners found themselves in a difficult position. They could find replacements, but no one fit. As founding guitarist and vocalist Mark Meaux explains,” We tried for over a year to replace them, but couldn’t find the right people. Both of them, along with Rob Savoy, helped us out by filling in on gigs during that period.” Weaker mortals would have given up, but then drummer Frank Kincel introduced the band to the fantastic technology of the drum module, and things started to change. “Frank brought up the possibility of covering the bass parts on a drum module. I had never heard of such a thing, but he assured us that he could do it. He worked up a couple of songs to show us, and it’s progressed from there.”

[Tech time out: A drum module is a way to setup electronic triggers on a drum set that allow the drummer to activate particular sounds, notes, or sequences through simply striking the set in the right place. With enough gear, planning and programming, a single person can make himself or herself sound like a whole orchestra.]

“I’ve seen drummers utilize this technology in solo drumming ventures, but I’ve not yet found anyone using it in an ensemble situation, especially in a roots environment,” Kincel says. He didn’t need proof to know what was possible, so he combined some of his existing equipment and brought it in for Mark and lap steel guitarist Willy Golden to check it out. “After actually ‘showing’ the guys what the module was capable of, even in its infant form, we all knew that this could work.”

With confidence in the wonders of modern music technology, the Bluerunners immediately set out to recreate their distinct sound through brand new means. As all drum and bass parts were now being covered by Frank’s new rig, Mark took it upon himself to cover the accordion end of things. He acquired a Roland digital accordion, and with a little practice quickly became an expert with the system. “It allows me to go direct to the board, so I can avoid any feedback problems, and it is considerably lighter. It also has a pretty good organ sound, and some other weird tones, and I was happy to find that I can distort it and do a pretty cool blues harp sound.”

This infusion of gear and resolve allow the Bluerunners to successfully produce their signature energy-infused roots rock sound with three people instead of five, and the technology leaves space for experimentation. The most important thing has been to stay true to the sound. ”We just want to cover all the music that people have come to expect at our shows,” Meaux says. “Some songs lend themselves to one instrument or another. Sometimes, I can combine the parts of the accordion and the guitar into one part. Sometimes, Willy covers the part normally played by the fiddle. We try to serve the song, and the show.”

Only a few years after moving to Lafayette from Sealy, Texas, Cedric Watson has become one of the most prolific contributors to Acadiana’s recent outpouring of roots music. Through recent recording projects—his collaboration with accordionist Corey Ledet on Goin’ Down to Louisiana and his work with the highly-acclaimed Pine Leaf Boys—Watson has quickly become one of South Louisiana’s most recognized artists. Though it’s clear in these records that his appreciation and devotion to Creole and Cajun music’s past is strongly influential on his playing style, his distinct presence and creativity is easily noticed in every project. It was only a matter of time before a full and unadulterated Cedric Watson recording came into being, and on this self-titled release the talent and spirit we’ve all come to expect from this young Creole musician shines through.

A healthy sampling of solid and funky Creole-rooted tracks like Boozoo’s “Tee Black” and the original “Ma Chère Grandmère” feature Watson’s strong and grooving accordion work weaving over a killer rhythm section, and his masterful fiddle skills and stirring voice stand out on the Cajun-tinged waltz “Tu Seras avec Moi”. Some of his songs borrow heavily from traditional standards, but instead of sticking to the same old lines, he uses these songs familiar themes like a wide platform on which to let his own sense of experimentation and playfulness to come through.

Interspersed amongst these traditional-styled tunes are some particularly interesting stand-outs. The rollicking “Zozo Noir” highlights a sliding fiddle hook and sweet-toned guitar ride over a swinging beat reminiscent of shuffling poodle skirts and bobby socks. The arresting Juré “J’ai été tout autour du Pays” reflect his obvious respect for the origins of Acadiana’s cultural music while contributing to engaging rhythm of the album. Watson’s productivity and talent and ability suggest he’ll soon be cutting more gems for us all to enjoy.

Made in the Shade is the Red Stick Ramblers’ first release on Sugar Hill Records, and the title track kicks it all off with hot rhythms and a bouncing beat as the Ramblers illustrate the finer points of life when experienced through a sweet sip of some Opelousas tonic. The quality musicianship and tight twanging style is a perfect way to introduce the band to a wider audience, and a great way to get old fans up and ready to dance. “Evenin’” features the band ripping out some tight gypsy jazz hits and rides while lead singer Linzay Young’s brassy voice rolls over the tune like a smooth Sidney Bechet solo. Young’s voice is prominent throughout the album, and his smooth texture and fluid timing blends in beautifully with guitar and fiddle lines while standing way out with a presence that gives the group a signature sound.

The other members are no slouches when it comes to singing duties, either. Young’s bandmates sing backing vocals and step up on a few tracks including fiddle player Kevin Wimmer’s gritty growl on a funky “Hot Tamale Baby” and the sweetly sympathetic musings of Chas Justus on “Unsentimental.” Bass player Eric Frey’s “Katrina,” penned in the midst of a steady stream of NOLA evacuee-houseguests, is a fierce bluegrass stomp propelled by Frey’s clawhammer banjo and a mean fiddle line that speaks on behalf of his friends: “I need water, I need bread / I need Katrina out of my bed.”

The album also includes some quality Francais time with the engrossing and slightly evil-sounding waltz “Les Oiseaux Vont Chanter,” the honk-tonkin’ two step “Laisse Les Cajuns Danser” and a slamming version of “Tes Parents Ne Veulent Plus Me Voir.” With so much style packed into 12 tracks, this album is worth the wait of long-time fans and potentially one of the hottest finds for new fans this fall.

The Red Stick Ramblers started recording their upcoming album in 2005 at Dirk Powell’s Cypress House Studios in Breaux Bridge. It was mostly finished by the time they reached the end of a contract with Memphis International, the label through which they released their previous two albums (Right Key, Wrong Keyhole, Bring it on Down). With three albums under their belt and a steadily growing crowd base, they felt that the time was ripe for shopping the record to some bigger players in the roots music world. Hightone, Rounder, and Sugar Hill immediately came to mind, the latter being particularly high on the wish list, considering a talent lineup that included Dolly Parton, Sam Bush, and the highly acclaimed Nickel Creek.

“Sugar Hill is a label that has a big presence at a lot of the festivals that we play,” says Linzy Young, the band’s lead singer and fiddle player, “and a few of their artists are some of our peers like the Duhks and Sonny Landreth.”

After the Ramblers spent the summer of 2006 playing shows and roots festivals such as Merle Fest, the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, Floyd Fest, and Acadiana’s own Festival International, they decided to make another serious push at signing a deal. They enlisted manager George Hardy as manager and lawyer Peter Irvine, and about a week before the Christmas holidays, they heard Sugar Hill was interested. A formal offer was scheduled for January 1, so the band looked forward to finishing out a good year and starting fresh as new talent on a bigger scene.

Then just as it seems things were turning in their favor, Sugar Hill’s North Carolina office had been shut down and whoever had originally dealt with the Red Stick Ramblers was no longer in the position to offer the guys promotional koozies, much less a record deal. The Ramblers learned this shortly before leaving town for a gig in Nashville and made a mad dash to try and salvage the situation.

“We scrambled to find some kind of contact with Sugar Hill,” Hardy says, “hoping beyond all hope that they would honor the promises of an ex-employee, and at the very least we could get somebody from their Nashville office out to the show.” Instead, providence interceded.

Within days of the gig, Sugar Hill hired a new VP of A&R, Gary Paczosa, who Ramblers’ guitarist Chas Justus knew from when they worked on Linda Ronstadt and Ann Savoy’s Adieu False Heart (Vanguard). Justus played on the album and Paczosa engineered it.

“Peter calls me and tells me that Gary is now the A&R man for Sugar Hill,” says Young. “I called Chas and said, ‘Call the guy up.’” Justus convinced Paczosa to come down to their show that night, and he showed up with some of Sugar Hill’s staff along with two of the label’s bluegrass heavy-hitters, Casey Driessen and Tim O’Brien.

“When we got there, nobody wanted to talk to the guy about business,” Linzy Young says. “Everyone was trying to stay cool and all that, but I’m thinking ‘Hey, I don’t know the guy that well. I’ll talk to him.’” Before the show was over, Driessen and O’Brien joined the band onstage and the wheels were set in motion. The Red Stick Ramblers’ Sugar Hill debut, Made in the Shade, will be released September 11.

Roots music aficionados might recognize Mario Matteoli from his role as the guitarist and singer in the high-energy Austin, Texas band the Weary Boys, where he’s one of the main songwriters behind their signature rocking honky-tonk style. He has long been working on his own material as a solo songwriter and performer in and around Austin, and his solo style is showcased in his new independent release Hard Luck Hittin’. It takes some substantial leaps away from the Weary Boys’ typical punk-rock string band format and toward keyboard-driven melodies, deeply strummed acoustic guitar and some beautiful lyrical passages that bring to mind Townes Van Zandt more than Del McCoury.

Songwriting influences Neil Young, Jeff Tweedy and Bob Dylan are evident in this collection, but rather than falling into the sea of carbon-copy Austin songwriters Matteoli’s forms his songs in a way that creates a very distinctive voice. For “Hope in Nothing,” Maeteolli uses a well-crafted yet simple tune to let out some of his agony over our elected leaders, stating, “I don’t mix in politics because I don’t like stepping in dog shit.” On “Happy Birthday from Wyoming,” he enlists the help of some solid background vocals and great piano and guitar accompaniment to set up a song that slowly, dynamically builds into a full-fledged head-nod inducing anthem.

Though most of the 10 tracks are down, dark tunes, the album is surprisingly easy to get into because of the great cast of musicians and Matteoli’s songwriting.

A house filled with folks, great music, and free-flowing alcohol would only seem like a hard day at the office if you count the recovery time involved, but it’s a typical nose-to-the-grindstone/bottle day in the long, revolving-door recording sessions for Valcour Records’ latest project, Allons Boire un Coup: A Collection of Cajun and Creole Drinking Songs. Produced by writer and musician Josh Caffery, this undertaking involved numerous musicians from the Lafayette area who were perhaps more interested in the promise of unlimited libations than with the actual recording.

When Josh was approached to produce a record for Valcour, he cycled through a few ideas until a comparison of cultures led to inspiration. “It struck me that I’ve seen albums of Irish drinking songs, and that tradition is a well-know component of the Irish repertoire,” he says. “Why not make an album of Cajun drinking songs, then? Anyone familiar with the repertoire knows that drinking figures into the lyrics of enumerable Cajun songs, in a variety of ways.”

After considering some of the obvious choices from the Cajun inebriation genre, Caffery decided to search a bit further. “I did some digging around and listening and came up with an elaborated list including tunes like ‘Allons Boire Un Coup’ and ‘Table Rond,’ songs people don’t really perform too often. I found recordings and made a CD and drove around listening to it, making a wish list of what bands I thought would work with what songs.”

Most of the recording took place in the St Julian Street house of Feufollet members Chris Segura and Chris Stafford with the label’s engineer Joel Savoy at the controls. “We tried to set up the sessions so everyone would be loose and feel comfortable, and I think we really got such great natural performances on this CD because of this,” Caffery says. “We had the moonshine flowing, random people walking in during sessions, people cooking between a booth and the control room—we really had a great time!” According to Caffery, the finished product includes uncovered gems, originals offered up by the musicians involved, and plenty of extra input from those in attendance. “I think something like 35 artists, musicians and poets, participated. Lafayette is currently the nexus of an amazing group of creative, inspired people, and I think this album certainly benefited from that.”