Cajun Spotlight 

Cajun and Zydeco Music and Dance in the Upper Midwest
February 1999

UPCOMING CAJUN & ZYDECO EVENTS

1) Grande Prairie will be at Ginkgo Coffeehouse in Saint Paul on Saturday, January 23. That same evening JJ's Zydeco Paydirt perform at the Cedar Cultural Centre in Minneapolis. As if that wasn't enough, Lil' Brian & the Zydeco Travelers will be at Famous Dave's BBQ and Blues at Calhoun Square in Minneapolis on Friday and Saturday January 22 and 23. The club has just instituted a no cover-charge policy so this should be a good chance to check out this band (hopefully on Friday night so you can catch another band on Saturday) 

2) Beausoleil return to the Twin Cities in January at the Cabooze Bar in Minneapolis on Friday January 29. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. They're scheduled to start at 9:30 pm. The next day they will be on A Prairie Home Companion at the Fitzgerald Theatre in Saint Paul.

3) Haven't got many details on this yet but the University of Chicago Folk Festival in early February will feature Lawrence Ardoin and Edward Poullard. Lawrence Ardoin is a son of Bois Sec Ardoin and plays accordion; Edward Poullard plays fiddle in a style heavily influenced by Canray Fontenot. Dates for the festival are February 5-7. 

4) The Twin Cities' annual Mardi Gras Bal Masque will be February 20 at the Majestic Ballroom in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. Music will be by The Bone Tones, The Swamp Sextet and JJ's Zydeco Paydirt. More about this next issue; mark your calendars now.

5) The Cajun Music & Dance Weekend at Folklore Village Farm in Dodgeville, Wisconsin will be March 12-14. Plenty of interest in this event as it will be the first appearance there by great Cajun accordionist and singer Eddie LeJeune. More details on this to follow; if you can't wait call Folklore Village at (608) 924-4000 and ask them to send you the brochure when it's ready.

6) Look for Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys to swing through Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota in early April.
 

CAJUN AND ZYDECO CD DANCE POTLUCK 

Join your friends for the first CD dance potluck of the year at the Oddfellows Lodge, 2382 Hampden in St. Paul. This event is sponsored by the Minnesota Cajun & Zydeco Music & Dance Association (the Krewe De Walleye). We'll have a great sound system and play zydeco and Cajun two-steps and waltzes from 7-11 PM. Bring a dish to share. Beverages will be for sale and donations accepted, with all profits to go to MCZMDA. Members, bring your card for free admission (they'll be in the mail shortly). Call Linda at (612) 729-1129 or Kevin at (651) 698-5101 for more information.
 

CAJUN AND ZYDECO DANCE LESSONS

Maurine McCort offers her popular Cajun and zydeco lessons to help warm up the winter days. Classes are held Saturdays from 4-5:30 pm at the Oddfellows Lodge at 2382 Hampden in Saint Paul. Cost of each series is $35 or $45. For more information and to confirm dates call Maurine at (651) 488-6269. Here's the schedule:
  • Cajun: 2-Step/Waltz/Jitterbug: Jan 9,16,30,Feb 6
  • Cajun Jitterbug: Feb 20,27, March 6,13,20

FROM NANCY WESTON

The annual Mardi Gras Yankee-Chank Swamp Jam will take place on Monday February 15, 1999, at McGee's Landing in Henderson, Louisiana. For those of you who have joined us before this trip needs no introduction! For those of you who have not been, what we do is this: drift for 2 hours through the Atchafalaya Swamp on a motorized flatboat. You can jam, dance, or just watch the view. There is room for up to 40 people, and spots are first come, first served. The cost is $11 per person. You can send me a check now (made out to Nancy Weston) to reserve your spot. Send to 19 Purcell Drive, Danbury, CT 06810 and include a stamped self-addressed envelope for confirmation and a map to the site. If you choose to wait until the last minute, you can call me at the Millers' (318-779-2456) starting February 12 and reserve a spot if there are any left. This trip is lots of fun and a chance to relax with music and with friends from around the country. (There may be some smuggled live Cajuns on the boat, such as the infamous "Tee Larry" of Iota!) Don't miss the boat!
 

BUFFALO GALS DANCE CANCELED

The dance featuring the Buffalo Gals at the Half Time Rec in Saint Paul scheduled for Sunday January 31 has been canceled because of the Super Bowl. 
 

SWINGLAND

A compilation CD featuring many local bands popular with swing dancers was recently released. Among the dozen-plus groups featured on Swingland are The Swamp Sextet, Trailer Trash, The Senders, Café Accordion Orchestra and Jack Knife & the Sharps. Look for it at Best Buy, Electric Fetus and "other fine swing outlets."
 

NEW YEAR'S EVE 

Downtown Saint Paul will be again have a multi-faceted New Year's Eve celebration. Among the several dozen performers are many familiar names. Here's just a few with time and locations. Check the paper or the Web for a complete listing. Admission to everything is just $6.
RIVERCENTRE CAJUN STAGE
Swamp Sextet at 9:00 pm
ZoloGo at 10:30 pm

SCIENCE MUSEUM SQUARE
Barn Cats at 5:00 pm
Minnesota Scandinavian Ensemble at 6:00 pm
J.J. HILL LIBRARY
Tsatskelehs All Grrls Klezmer Band at 7:30 pm
LANDMARK CENTER CORTILE
Rhythm & Swing at 5:30 pm
US Amateur Ballroom Dancers Assoc. at 6:30 pm
Café Accordion at 7:15 pm

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR #1

As one year ends and another begins, there seems to be lots of change on the local music and dance scene. The Monday Night Square Dance Collective is history, the Rendezvous Ballroom is without a ballroom, Tapestry Folkdance Center is searching for a new home (see article this issue)... On the other hand, the Minnesota Cajun & Zydeco Music & Dance Association has just been formed, swing dance and music has become BIG, coffeehouses that present live music continue to open all over town. It's important to support live music and dance and the venues that present it if we want to keep it around. See you on the dance floor...
 

A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION

Garrison Keillor is back at the Fitzgerald Theater for seven live shows starting January 9. Guests scheduled thus far include:
  • January 9 - Greg Brown and soprano Dawn Upshaw
  • January 16 - Leo Kottke, Sandra Reaves-Phillips
  • January 23 - Geoff Muldaur
  • January 30 - Beausoleil, poet Naomi Shibab Nye
  • February 6 - Leo Kottke, Phil Cunningham, Aly Bain
  • February 13 - Keb' Mo', Butch Thompson
  • February 20 - Solas, Kelly Hunt Band


UPCOMING CAJUN AND ZYDECO EVENTS

  • December 31 - ZoloGo, The Swamp Sextet : CAPITAL NEW YEAR, ST. PAUL
  • December 31 - C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band : BROTHER JIMMY'S, CHICAGO, IL
  • December 31 - The Midway Ramblers : STRAND CAFE, LEMONT, IL
  • January 09 - MCZMDA CD Dance /Potluck Party : ODDFELLOWS HALL, ST. PAUL (7:30 PM)
  • January 10 - JJ's Zydeco Paydirt : HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
  • January 13 - Cajun Jam : HOMESTEAD PICKIN PARLOR, RICHFIELD MN (7-9 PM)
  • January 17 - New Riverside Ramblers : HALF TIME REC. ST. PAUL
  • January 22,23 - Lil' Brian & the Zydeco Travelers : FAMOUS DAVE'S BBQ & BLUES, MINNEAPOLIS
  • January 23 - JJ's Zydeco Paydirt : CEDAR CULTURAL CENTRE, MINNEAPOLIS
  • January 23 - Grande Prairie : GINKGO COFFEEHOUSE, ST. PAUL
  • January 23 - The Bone Tones /Geno Delafose : CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, MT. PLEASANT, MI
  • January 26-31 - Li'l Brian & the Zydeco Travelers : CRAWDADDY BAYOU, WHEELING, IL
  • January 29 - Beausoleil : CABOOZE BAR, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
  • January 30 - Beausoleil : A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION, FITZGERALD THEATRE, ST. PAUL
  • January 30 - The Bone Tones : CEDAR CULTURAL CENTRE, MINNEAPOLIS
  • February 1-7 - Li'l Malcolm & the Zydeco House Rockers : CRAWDADDY BAYOU, WHEELING, IL
  • February 5-7 - Lawrence Ardoin and Ed Poullard : UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO FOLK FESTIVAL
  • February 05 - Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers : FITZGERALD'S, BERWYN, IL
  • February 06 - C. J. Chenier : FITZGERALD'S, BERWYN, IL
  • February 06 - Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers : BUDDY GUY'S LEGENDS, CHICAGO, IL
  • February 8-16 - J. J. Callier & the Zydeco Knockouts : CRAWDADDY BAYOU, WHEELING, IL
  • February 10 - Cajun Jam : HOMESTEAD PICKIN' PARLOR, RICHFIELD MN (7-9 PM)
  • February 12 - The Midway Ramblers : BORDERS BOOKS, ORLAND PARK, IL 
  • February 12,13 - The Bone Tones : PINE POINT BEAN & BREW, ELKHART LAKE, WI
  • February 13 - The Midway Ramblers : THE CHICKEN BASKET, WILLOWBROOK, IL
  • February 15,16 - Terrence Simien : FITZGERALD'S, BERWYN, IL
  • February 16 - The Midway Ramblers : STRAND CAFE, LEMONT, IL
  • February 20 - Mardi Gras Bal Masque w/ The Bone Tones : MAJESTIC BALLROOM, COTTAGE GROVE
  • February 22 - Geno Delafose, Beausoleil : COLLEGE OF DUPAGE, GLEN ELLYN, IL
  • February 26 - Geno Delafose, Beausoleil : MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, EAST LANSING, MI
  • February 27 - Geno Delafose, Beausoleil : MACOMB CENTER, CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI
  • February 27 - The Bone Tones : CEDAR CULTURAL CENTRE, MINNEAPOLIS 
  • March 12-14 - Eddie LeJeune : CAJUN WEEKEND, FOLKLORE VILLAGE FARM, DODGEVILLE, WI


NOTE: Please call to confirm events more than six weeks from first item on calendar.
 
 

IT'S BACK...

The last few days have provided quite a reality check to those of us in the Upper Midwest who played golf the weekend after Thanksgiving and were forced to rake leaves in early December instead of shoveling snow. Now the temperatures have dropped into more typical ranges and some snow has fallen we can start to think about how to get away from winter. Almost invariably this involves heading south. For those unable to follow the migration of other species to warmer climes, we offer a "South"-themed quiz. Can you match the performer with the song? 
 
01) SOUTHERN RAIN a) Charlie Daniels Band
02) GOING DOWN SOUTH b) Conway Twitty 
03) SOUTHERN STREAMLINE  c) The Orlons
04) SOUTH OF CINCINNATI d) Cowboy Junkies
05) SOUTHERN CROSS e) Blind Lemon Jefferson
06) SOUTH BOUND RAG f) R. L. Burnside
07) SOUTHERN COMFORT g) Dwight Yoakam
08) DRY SOUTHERN BLUES h) Crosby, Stills & Nash
09) SOUTH STREET i) John Fogarty
10) SOUTH'S GONNA DO IT j) Blind Blake
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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 $8.00. Email Notessteps@aol.com or NOTES & STEPS/CAJUN SPOTLIGHT, John Tallaksen, 2425 East Franklin, #211 Minneapolis, MN 55406.