Laissez les
bons temps rouler!
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COMING FROM south Louisiana I am passionate
about music and collect practically every genre.� Since first coming online, I've
been collecting MIDIs for my listening enjoyment and thought I'd put together this page
for all you MIDI fans.
Most everyone knows that Laissez bons temps rouler IS New Orleans and L'cadiana
(Cajun country).� Practically a weekend passes without a festival or some other
occasion for "passing a good time" in south Louisiana.
I know of no other city or region within the U.S. that experiences the joie de vivre
as do the natives of south Louisiana -- even if they've been uprooted and occupying foreign
soil -- north of Bunkie (end of the Cajun line), for instance.� Very few natives move
away permanently; it may be years before returning home, nevertheless they return.� I
am one of the few exceptions.
Moving from the Deep Delta to Cenla to Lake Charles, and everywhere in-between has been a
kaleidoscope of adventure and misery.� My last "haunt" (and rightly so, for
everything of value was stolen from me while living in that hell-hole) before moving to
Mississippi was a small hamlet in St. Tammany Parish.� (I'll save the residents
embarrassment by not naming their community.)� There's not much one can say for the
sparkling water and ozone air when most of the parish is polluted with crime because of
the preponderance of drugs.
Years ago, there was a spot where every rogue Cajun and Bubba in and around
Alexandria, Louisiana hung out on weekends.� It was aptly named the Swamp Room --
certainly not a place where the highbrows would gather (instead, they guzzled their booze
and scored at the Country Club).� Of course, not all honky-tonks are equal; the Swamp
Room definitely wasn't in the same league with the renowned Evangeline Club in Ville
Platte ("Swamp Pop Capital of the World") where the fly-boys from England AFB
would congregate to cut in on the locals.� Ouch!
Back then, who needed the Roosevelt Hotel's premiere Blue Room in N'Awlins when the
Evangeline Club had the best live band on board.� Drats!� My memory is shot; I
can't recall the name of the superb band that played the club during the late 50's and
early 60's.
Ville Platte ("flat town") is the parish seat of Evangeline Parish.� It is
home of JIN Records, "the label that has produced more Swamp Pop acts than any other
in the state" that featured such artists as Jivin' Gene, Johnnie Allan, Joe Barry,
Rod Bernard, the Boogie Kings, Tommy McLain, Warren Storm, and Rockin' Sidney.� One
of my favorite Swamp Pop artists is Tommy McLain, a.k.a. Cajun Rod Stewart.�
His rendition of Patsy Cline's Sweet Dreams is incredible.� Believe it or not,
McLain's version was the only one to make the pop charts according to AGM.�
Notwithstanding Patsy's talent, I prefer Tommy's version.� That's saying something
since Patsy was and remains, in my opinion, the prima donna of Country music.
Surely these two honky-tonks/juke joints have long disappeared from the scene but not from
the memory of those who savored the beat and sound of old-time Country (hillbilly), Swamp
Pop, and Rock and Roll music.
Anyone remember early 50's blues singer Faye Adams?� Those who have never heard Shake A Hand (also released by Little Richard and Ruth Brown) are missing a real
treat.� What a phenomenal voice this lady had!� Shake
A Hand will move you as few songs do -- it reaches the
depth of one's soul, especially if you're a blues aficionado.� Following the success
of Shake a Hand,
Ms.Adams released I'll Be True and Hurts Me to My Heart, both of which also reached number one on
the R&B chart.� Later, she moved from the Herald label to Imperial.� Her
last song, Keeper of My
Heart was released in
1957; thereafter, she returned to her church and I do not know if she recorded anything
more.
Ah, America's Golden Era when life was simple, safe, and sane.�
How true are the lyrics that say "everything looked better in black and
white."� Having said this, let's crank up the old Victrola, turn up the
volume, and reminisce to some of our favorites of yesteryear as well as some modern-day
melodies and classics.
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Sunrise on Lake Dauterieve
(Iberia Parish, La.)
was used for this background courtesy of
Terry
Edler's Images of Nature
Please visit Terry's Web site for sales info about his breathtaking photography.
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