Cajun Spotlight 

Cajun and Zydeco Music and Dance in the Upper Midwest 
 June 2001 

LOUISIANA MUSIC AT BLUES FESTIVALS

Again this summer Cajun and zydeco music is featured at many blues festivals in this area. Here are some chances to hear music from Louisiana in the months ahead.
  1. ) Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys will be at the Blues on the Range festival at Ironworld (near Chisholm, Minnesota) on Friday, June 8. Also appearing that weekend will be Sonny Landreth, Big George Jackson, Moses Oakland, Mitch Woods and Walter Trout. Check out http://www.bayfrontblues.com.
  2. ) Appearing in Chicago on Sunday, June 10 as part of the Chicago Blues Festival will be C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band. 
  3. ) The Mississippi Valley Blues Festival is July 6-8 in Davenport, Iowa. Playing on Friday, July 6 is Rosie Ledet. Other headliners include Koko Taylor, Honeyboy Edwards, Roy Book Binder, Buddy Guy, The Holmes Brothers, Charlie Musselwhite and The Campbell Brothers. Check out http://www.mvbs.org

    4. ) The Bayfront Blues Festival is August 10-12 in Duluth-Superior. Playing Friday evening will be Terrance Simien & the Mallet Playboys. Other national acts include Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women, Taj Mahal, John Hammond, the Tarbox Ramblers, John Mooney and Marcia Ball. Check out http://www.bayfrontblues.com for this event also.

SWAMP SEXTET REUNION

Lee Tedrow will be back in town for a visit in June, so the Swamp Sextet will "take their first dip in the lucrative reunion market" by playing for the Sunday night dance at the Half Time Rec in St. Paul. You can catch Lee playing solo Friday night at the Suburban World Theatre as part of the National Resophonic Night Out Festival; he also leads a workshop on Saturday the 9th. Contact CAJUN SPOTLIGHT for more information. !!!!FLASH!!!! We have just learned that Lee Tedrow has joined Geno Delafose's band, French Rockin' Boogie!
 
 

FROM THE KREWE DE WALLEYE 

  1. ) On Saturday, June 9 there will be a zydeco dance with music by JJ's Zydeco Paydirt. It takes place at the Oddfellows Lodge at Raymond and Hampden in Saint Paul. Music starts at 8 pm; cost is $5 for members and $7 for nonmembers.
  2. ) There are a few tickets left for the Bone Tones Dinner and Dance Cruise on June 16. Tickets are just $30 per person and include dinner, live dance music and a cruise on the beautiful St. Croix. Space is limited. To get tickets send your check to Carroll Franco at 1455 Osceola Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105 or see a board member at an event before the 16th. You can also purchase cruise tickets at Homestead Pickin' Parlor in Richfield. 
OTHER KREWE NEWS - 
  • On Sunday, June 3 the Krewe will offer a basic Cajun dance lesson at the Half Time Rec in Saint Paul before the dance with The New Riverside Ramblers. The dance lesson starts at 7 pm; the dance at 8 pm. This is a great chance to learn Cajun dancing in an informal, supportive atmosphere and have a chance to practice afterwards. 
  • The Krewe is also looking for volunteers to help out at upcoming events. You don't have to be a member to volunteer, and you earn credits towards free admission to future dances. Contact a board member if you are interested.
  • Looking ahead, the Krewe is planning a Jumbo Ya Ya reunion dance and looking into organizing a bus trip down to Red Wing in the fall to see Beausoleil.
For information on membership in the Minnesota Cajun and Zydeco Music and Dance Association (The Krewe de Walleye) and all these special events check out the web site at www.krewedewalleye.com or call CAJUN SPOTLIGHT.
 
 

GUMBO YA-YA FESTIVAL 

The Gumbo Ya-Ya Festival is held each June in Rock Island, Illinois. The dates this year are Friday and Saturday, June 8 and 9. Performing will be Big Al & the Heavyweights, Hurricane Gumbo, Roddie Romero, Dikki Du & the Zydeco Crew, Lil' Brian & the Zydeco Travelers, Donna Angelle, Juice, The Zydeco Boneshakers and We're Late and Smell Like Beer (!?) For more information call the Quad Cities Visitors and Convention Bureau at 1(800) 747-7800, ext 223.
 

LATER THIS YEAR... 

  1. ) Beausoleil makes several appearance in Wisconsin and Minnesota in August, September and October. The Krewe de Walleye is looking into organizing a bus trip to one of their closer gigs.
  2. ) A Zydeco Music & Dance Weekend is planned at Folklore Village in September. Teaching zydeco dance will be Mona Wilson. We'll have more information as it becomes available

BOOZOO CHAVIS DIES 

Wilson "Boozoo" Chavis, passed away on May 5. He had suffered a mild heart attack a few days before, and while in the hospital had a stroke. He was 70 years of age. His 1955 song, 'Paper in My Shoe', was a big seller in Louisiana. Throughout his musical career he kept working at his farm/ranch at Dog Hill, located outside of Lake Charles. He played and worked with the passion and energy of a man half his age. He is survived by his wife Leona, six children, 21 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. The afternoon after he died his band played in Breaux Bridge, his son Poncho on accordion. His wife Leona said Boozoo would have wanted them to play.
 
 

RESO-NATION IS COMING! 

Mark your calendar now for the 2001 National (Resophonic) Night Out. This year the event takes an entire weekend (June 8-10) as the sound of resonator guitars are in the spotlight. Concerts at the Suburban World Theatre on Friday and Saturday night will feature local and national acts. An exhibit at the Minnesota History Center on Saturday and Sunday will feature a look at resophonic guitars from the beginning to now. Jams and workshops are also planned. Exhibits and jams are free and open to the public. Tickets to the concerts and the workshops are available at Homestead Pickin' Parlor and Willie's American Guitar. For more information email sweetga@tcfreenet.org or call Willie's American Guitar at 651-699-1913. Here is the concert lineup:
  • Friday, June 8: Sally Van Meter, Steve James, Lee Tedrow (7 pm-11 pm)
  • Saturday, June 9: Dave Hull & Kari Larson, Jeff Lang, Catfish Keith, Kevin Maul (6 pm-11 pm)

BLUES JAM AT HOMESTEAD 

Regular acoustic blues jams have been added to the calendar at Homestead Pickin Parlor. The jams are scheduled for the 1st and 3rd Monday each month from 7 to 9 pm; in June that's on the 4th and 18th. Homestead is located at 6625 Penn Avenue South.
 

MBOTMA HOMEGROWN KICKOFF 

The Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association's Homegrown Kickoff Festival is June 1-3 at Camp in the Woods Resort in Zimmerman, Minnesota. Featured are over 20 of the best old time and bluegrass groups from the Upper Midwest, including Curtis & Loretta, String Beans, Becky Schlegel & True Blue, Tree 71, Woodrush, Hawk Ridge and more. There will be a Saturday night Cajun dance with the Cajun Hot Soles, workshops, jams and more. Tickets are available now from Homestead Pickin' Parlor. For more information call 612-285-9133 or 1-800-635-3037.
 

UPCOMING CAJUN AND ZYDECO EVENTS

  • June 02 - The Cajun Hot Soles: MBOTMA FESTIVAL, ZIMMERMAN, MN
  • June 03 - The New Riverside Ramblers: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
  • June 07 - C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band: RIVERSIDE PARK, OSHKOSH, WI
  • June 08 - C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band: BAYFEST, GREEN BAY, WI
  • June 08,09 - Roddie Romero, Dikki Du, Lil' Brian, more: GUMBO YA-YA FESTIVAL, ROCK ISLAND, IL
  • June 09 - Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys: BLUES ON THE RANGE, CHISHOLM, MN
  • June 09 - C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band: STATE FAIR, WEST ALLIS, WI
  • June 09 - JJ's Zydeco Paydirt: ODDFELLOWS HALL, ST. PAUL (A KREWE EVENT)
  • June 10 - The Swamp Sextet: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
  • June 10 - C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band: CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL
  • June 13 - Cajun Jam: HOMESTEAD PICKIN' PARLOR, RICHFIELD, MN (7-9 PM)
  • June 16 - Cajun Dinner & Dance Cruise w/ The Bone Tones: ON THE ST. CROIX (A KREWE EVENT)
  • June 17 - The Cajun Hot Soles: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
  • June 22 - The Buffalo Gals: CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER, MINNEAPOLIS
  • June 23 - The New Riverside Ramblers: CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER, MINNEAPOLIS
  • June 24 - JJ's Zydeco Paydirt: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
  • June 30 - Buckwheat Zydeco: SUMMERFEST, MILWAUKEE, WI
  • July 06 - Rosie Ledet: MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BLUES FESTIVAL, DAVENPORT, IA
  • July 10 - Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys: RAINBOW SUMMER, MILWAUKEE, WI
  • July 11 - Cajun Jam: HOMESTEAD PICKIN' PARLOR, RICHFIELD, MN (7-9 PM)
  • July 14 - The Cajun Hot Soles: ODDFELLOWS HALL, ST. PAUL (A KREWE EVENT)
  • July 14 - The Chicago Cajun Aces: FOLK AND ROOTS FESTIVAL, CHICAGO, IL
  • July 14 - Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas: BASTILLE DAYS, MILWAUKEE, WI
  • July 20,21 - The New Riverside Ramblers: HIAWATHA FOLK FESTIVAL, MARQUETTE, MI
  • July 26 - The New Riverside Ramblers: RAILROAD PARK, WHITE BEAR LAKE, MN (6-9 PM)
  • July 28 - The Chicago Cajun Aces (lessons and dance): FOLKLORE VILLAGE, DODGEVILLE, WI
  • July 30 - The Hackberry Ramblers: SUMMERDANCE, CHICAGO, IL
  • August 08 - Cajun Jam: HOMESTEAD PICKIN' PARLOR, RICHFIELD, MN (7-9 PM)
  • August 09 - The New Riverside Ramblers: COON RAPIDS DAM PARK, COON RAPIDS, MN (7-9 PM)
  • August 10 - Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie: SUMMERDANCE, CHICAGO, IL
  • August 14 - The New Riverside Ramblers: MINNESOTA HISTORY CENTER, ST, PAUL (6:30-8 PM)
  • August 17 - Beausoleil: BIG TOP CHAUTAUQUA, BAYFIELD, WI
  • August 21 - The Cajun Hot Soles: ST. PAUL SAINTS PREGAME, MIDWAY STADIUM (5:30 PM)
  • September 08 - The Cajun Hot Soles: HOUSE CONCERT/DANCE, MPLS (CALL 952-927-8968)
  • September 21-23 - Zydeco Music/Dance Weekend: FOLKLORE VILLAGE, DODGEVILLE, WI
  • September 27 - Beausoleil: GRAND THEATRE, WAUSAU, WI
  • September 28 - Beausoleil: COLLEGE OF DUPAGE, GLEN ELLYN, IL
  • October 04 - Beausoleil: REIF OPERA HOUSE, GRAND RAPIDS, MN
  • October 05 - Beausoleil: OPERA HOUSE, FAIRMONT, MN
  • October 06 - Beausoleil: SHELDON THEATRE, RED WING, MN
  • October 13 - The New Riverside Ramblers: CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER, MINNEAPOLIS
NOTE: Please call to confirm events more than six weeks from first item on calendar. 
 
 

JUNE IS NATIONAL (your cause here) MONTH

As I'm sure all of our readers know, June is National Accordion Awareness Month. While accordions will no doubt be the theme of many parties and encomiums during the next few weeks, our research staff found few songs with the word accordion in the title. They found, however, that June is much more than just National Accordion Awareness Month. It is also: National Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month, National Cancer In the Sun Month, American Rivers Month, National Dairy Month, National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, National Iced Tea Month, National Pest Control Month, National Rose Month, Fight The Filthy Fly Month and Zoo & Aquarium Month. For each of these themes we have selected a song. Can you match the performer with the title?
 
 
01) ALLEY CAT a) John Fahey
02) HERE COMES THE SUN b) Love
03) SUNFLOWER RIVER BLUES c) Nat King Cole
04) NO MILK TODAY d) Bent Fabric
05) ORANGE SKIES e) Simon and Garfunkel
06) TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN f) The Beatles
07) ANTS MARCHING g) Cat Stevens
08) RAMBLING ROSE h) Herman's Hermits
09) SUPERFLY i) Dave Mathews Band
10) AT THE ZOO j) Curtis Mayfield

Back to Cajun Spotlight Page
Back to Newsletter Page
Back to Main Page

NOTES & STEPS/CAJUN SPOTLIGHT is an independent newsletter about Cajun, zydeco and other traditional music & dance events and news in the upper Midwest and beyond. A one year subscription is $10.00. E-mail: Notessteps@aol.com or NOTES & STEPS/CAJUN SPOTLIGHT, John Tallaksen, P. O. Box 582192, Minneapolis, MN 55458-2192