Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage Collection

: 1989 Inez Catalon, Lula Landry and Marce LaCouture; Nick Spitzer interviewer. Marce Lacouture, Lula Landry, and Inez Catalan. This item is part of the “Crescent City Living Legends Collection” that was admitted to the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress in 2002., 00:00 Introduction; history of French Louisiana music, Cajun and Zydeco mostly men traditionally with the exception of private demonstrations meant to educate people; quiet home musical demonstrations eventually fading away 02:34 Inez Catalan; Louisiana native singer and storyteller in Creole and Prairie French; Lula Landry; from Abbaville; Cajun singer; Marce Lacouture; Louisiana family; Lula describes how she learned the Wedding song as a young girl from her Aunt 06:18 Demonstration “The Wedding Song” 09:25 Marce asks Lula to translate the song to English for the audience; Lula translates lyrics; Lula knows a lot of songs and likes the romantic ones; Marce asks Lula if there were many wedding presents back in the day; not many presents; Inez says people attended for the blessing of the event and gave homemade wine 12:22 Inez describes most of her songs as love songs and describes the story of one song: a man comes to marry a daughter, and the mother describes her superior worth as a marrying prospect 13:15 Demonstration 15:00 Description of a song about the civil war in New Orleans 16:00 Demonstration 17:18 Marce Lacouture is picked on by Inez for being from Texas instead of Louisiana and for trying to learn Louisiana music from them; Marce introduces a drinking song with audience participation; describes the song is about an orange tree and the son of a lawyer who doesn’t pay for its oranges 20:52 Demonstration 23:25 Lula tells the story of the song “Quel Petit Homme”; a woman’s husband is so little she loses him in her straw mattress 24:26 Demonstration by Lula “Quel Petit Homme” 27:05 Marce describes the next song; the sun is going down; the husband hasn’t come home yet; the cow hasn’t been milked 27:50 Demonstration by Inez; and by Marce, same song 30:20 Marce introduces traditional songs with dialogues between two singers; Lula describes song: men offering material gifts for marriage to a woman, being denied until offering the key to his heart 31:56 Demonstration 34:28 Talk about a man’s version of the song where the woman accepts the money; all women talk about love and how beautiful it is and how money doesn’t last; Marce talks about Inez’s house and all discuss turtle soup and vegetarians 39:17 Inez introduces her song about a big river can become a small river, a man’s mind travels like the wind, a woman’s mind travels like the moon; the man asks for a kiss, she says no but will give you a photo of me that you can embrace 40:48 Demonstration by Inez and Marce in English 44:15 Lula’s Aunt lived in the country; English-speaking people began to live around her; she learned what she thought was English songs 45:34 Demonstration “Emilie”; “Alouette” by Lula 54:19 Inez decides to sing the last song; introduces song about a girl who gave everything to her fiancée 55:10 Demonstration by Inez 58:00 Comments about bilingual aspects of Louisiana and the differences between Cajun, Creole, and other specific cultural adaptations effecting language there; German, Indian, French, English, Cajun, Spanish influence on the culture and language; relation of Cajun and zydeco. 60:57 Interview ends

: 1989 James Son Ford Thomas with Walter Liniger; Allison Miner interviewer. This item is part of the “Crescent City Living Legends Collection” that was admitted to the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress in 2002., 00:00 Introduction; James Son Ford Thomas from Leeland, MS; sculptor; Walter Liniger; researcher and harmonica player 04:18 Demonstration: “Sugar Mama”; “I Love the Way She Walks”; “Rock Me Mama” 15:05 Demonstration: (“I know some of you don’t know much about the blues, you’ve only heard music like this”) 15:55 Son heard that song when he was a little boy when he didn’t hear any black folk on the radio but for 15 minutes a day; doesn’t understand why white folk play the same sound and over again to make it the same 16:42 Demonstration: “Catfish Blues”; “Woman Got Washed Away”; “Good Morning, Little School Girl”; “You Caught Me Crawlin”; “Big Fat Mama”; “Smokey Mountain Blues” 45:13 Black people didn’t have steel slides; had to break bottlenecks off and use in place of steel slides; this is the way the white people played the steel slide; this is a steel guitar and this is the way white people play 46:20 Demonstration; When I was a little boy this was on the radio coming out of Cincinnati, OH; another white song 51:04 Demonstration: “Dust My Broom” 54:30 Demonstration: “It Hurts Me Too” 59:19 Interview ends

: 1989 Katie Webster; Allison Miner introduction. Ice Cube Slim interviewer. Katie Webster. And the beginning of the Ricky Skaggs interview., 00:00 Allison Miner introduces Katie Webster and Ice Cube Slim 05:11 Short introduction to Katie Webster (swamp boogie queen); over 500 records before she was 18; traveled with Otis Redding; lives in Oakland; Katie Webster’s family forbid rock & roll; had a piano, only listened to gospel 06:22 Demonstration: “Jesus is on the Mainline” 08:53 Katie started to hear boogie on WLAC out of Nashville, introduced to Albert Ammond, Joe Turner, etc. 10:50 Demonstration: “Real Gone Daddy” 14:22 Katie played Big Band with the Pat Almond, the Uptighters- kids from the project; practiced all day; Katie’s brother’s band 3 Wigs and a Wiggle; Ashton Savoy taught her how to really play the blues and introduced her to Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester, Lightning Slim, studio work; began studio sessions at 13, stopped at 18; recorded on original version of Sea of Love 17:50 Demonstration: “Sea of Love” 21:30 Ice Cube Slim talks again about Katie’s work with well-known musicians; Katie was one of the first pianists who used rolling triplets; classically trained; Katie has 3,500 song repertoire; worked at Bamboo club in Lake Charles and met Otis Redding 23:43 Demonstration: “Lake Street Dive” 28:40 Slim talks about Katie’s life; 5 daughters, 2 grandchildren; 2 recording sessions recently 30:50 Otis Redding story told by Katie in detail; Bamboo Club, where Katie worked, brought in Otis Redding and he recognized her talent and hired her; Otis gave her a chance as opening act for him 34:10 Demonstration: “Try a Little Tenderness” 39:20 Demonstration: “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” 43:00 Katie stayed with Otis 3 years until his plane crash; father was a missionary and fell ill on the west coast; Katie stopped playing music and cared for them mid-60s; discovered by European company from reissued sessions by Fly-by Records; 27th European tour in 7 years; Promotion; wants to get bigger in US 47:00 Demonstration: instrumental piano 51:41 Interview ends

: 1989 Pat Flory; Pat Flory., 00:00 Allison Miner introduces “the music of Pat Flory” 01:20 Demonstration: “Going Down to the River” 03:00 Pat Flory intends to cover crossover music of country music and blues, that had a strong history in New Orleans and is now forgotten; intends to demonstrate primitive playing on mandolin 03:58 Demonstration: Jimmy Davis “Where the Old Red River Flows” 07:05 The blues is a big thing in country music; Mr. Bill Monroe was the first person to put the bluegrass music together; came also from Hank Williams; When Bluegrass was first popularized in the fifties the more primitive aspects of bluegrass (mandolin) went away; Flory made an album to display these musical characteristics; Mandolin music is interesting because of its relationship to scale and fiddle 08:35 Demonstration: Mandolin; “Soldier’s Joy” a Fiddle song on Mandolin 11:20 Demonstration: “Cherokee Shuffle” Fiddle song on a Flat-top Guitar 12:07 Demonstration: “Mississippi River Blues” 14:30 Demonstration: “My Bucket’s Got a Hole In It”; one of Hank William’s first and only blue’s songs where he played lead guitar that he learned from a shoeshine man 20:11 Demonstration: old-time claw-hammer Banjo playing (pre Bluegrass, often backed up fiddle players; in Louisiana guitar backed up fiddle players) 22:15 Demonstration: Original song from 1971, fingerpicking 5 string banjo bluegrass playing, and modal tuning (neither minor nor major) 24:14 Dobro steel guitar, basic bluegrass guitar; originally meant for Hawaiian music playing; in the 1920s in California invented the resonator system of this guitar 25:50 Demonstration: Bluegrass on Dobro guitar (based loosely on a Tuck Taylor song); Bluegrass music started in 1945 when Mr. Bill Monroe hired Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs 29:15 Demonstration: “I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow” 34:01 Demonstration: “I’ll Fly Away” 37:30 Demonstration: “Mule Skinner Blues” yodeling song played by Bill Monroe in 1940 with a strong Rock beat 42:24 Interview ends

: 1989 Phil DeGruy and Hank Mackie; Allison Miner interviewer. Phil DeGruy, Hank Mackie., 00:00 Introductions, information about recording of the event Informal information about upcoming performances; Welcomes Phil DeGruy and Hank Mackie to the stage 05:00 Demonstration, “Bags Groove” by Milt Jackson 10:33 Demonstration, “Takin’ a Chance on Love” 19:08 Demonstration, “Here’s that Windy Day” 26:58 Demonstration, “Key of D-Flat” 32:02 Demonstration, “Body and Soul” 36:28 Phil DeGruy gives brief history that Hank Mackie combined the cords for that demonstration 36:55 Demonstration, original of Phil and Hank, “Jenny’s Samba” 41:43 Demonstration, “Cheek to Cheek” 46:20 Phil Mackie solo demonstration, “Moonriver” and Stanley Jorden tone “All the Children” 58:21 Demonstration, “Whymn” 01:04:05 Phil thanks the audience; Allison presents the artists to the audience 01:05:50 Interview ends

: 1989 Ricky Scaggs; Ricky Scaggs. Allison Miner introduces. Dr. Bill Malone interviewer. Interview begins on 001.1989.003., 00:20 Allison Miner introduces Dr. Bill Malone, southern music researcher 01:55 Ricky Skaggs discusses singing harmony at church with his mother and father; harmony style comes from mother; haunting style from Eastern Kentucky and Southwestern VA and Appalachian Mountains 03:30 Skaggs grew up Free Will Baptist; had trouble understanding “fearing God” as reverence; Tag team Preaching. Parents had a preaching/singing Radio show on Sunday; performed often on radio. 05:58 Bluegrass is Skaggs’ favorite music style; talks about the difference between bluegrass from the plains and the mountains; Stanley Brothers, Carter Brothers; Bill Monroe. Keith Whitley and Skaggs recorded together early on; Skaggs formed Boone Creek; met Emmylou Harris 08:13 Skaggs met Harris at a bluegrass picking party; John Starling invited Linda Ronstadt, Brian Bellows, Harris; Ronstadt’s talent in broad range of music genres and respect for traditional music. Skaggs left Boone Creek; Emmylou asked Ricky to replace band member; he accepted 3 years later to further his knowledge and bring his traditional style to mainstream country music; tried pedal steel and other electric instruments; within a year of being with Harris, Skaggs had a number 1 country single 12:48 Talks about his experience changing over to country music; traditionalists and bluegrass artists vs. country. First hit was “Don’t Get Above Your Raising”. Contemporary music integrating folk into country that he likes; the mystery of the hit single, the record company, and general response to songs. 19:20 Philosophy in music; country music is people’s music about things that we experience every day; family values. Correlation between country music and beer sales 22:46 The future of country music is in good shape; Skaggs worries about bluegrass; wants kids to be fed their roots music education; thinks some bluegrass artists resisted growth with new generations of musicians and this held the genre back from growing and having exposure 26:43 Talks about how he learned to play so many instruments superbly; mandolin, banjo, electric guitar; a lot of work and practice. Tony Rice collaborative album; elaborates on process 32:00 Ricky addresses rumor that he was going to buy festival grounds from Mr. Monroe, not true; Bill Monroe throws a lot of festivals, loves mandolin; back of his album cover is a jam circle with Bill Monroe; K.T. Osland talented cross-over country artist well-respected; most current artists are traditional country artists that are signed 37:02 Question from Hazel Schluter about acapella music; first music he learned; fiddle and bluegrass close to Irish folk music; fiddle circle he played in Dublin similar to Kentucky way of life; sadness came into bluegrass music when Irish people left their families to come to America 41:03 Demonstration: “Talk About Suffering”; Acapella 44:10 Interview ends

: 1989 Rising Star Drum Corp; 04/30/89 - Rising Star Drum Corps., 00:00 Introductions; gentleman playing the Fife has been attending the Jazz Fest since 1972 and his daughter Bernice on snare drum; they stayed in Allison Miner’s living room in the early days of the Fest; the music they’re going to play has survived the last 200 years in Mississippi 02:11 this group is the most important drum and fife group; the music is played at fundraisers and church events as well; A Fife only makes 2 whistles 04:22 Demonstration 08:31 Demonstration 13:39 Demonstration 16:49 Thank you for sitting so patiently; introduction of band members; on bass L.T. Thomas; bass snare we have Jim Wright; and her father Othar Turner; and herself, Bernice Turner on snare 17:47 (Othar) Listen to me good; when you’re young you don’t care about nothing but when you’re old you try and hold on to what you’ve got, you don’t want it to get away 18:06 Demonstration 24:26 Demonstration 29:22 Interview ends

: 1989 Spencer Bohren; Spencer Bohren. Allison Miner introducing., 00:00 Allison Miner introduces Spencer Bohren; moved to New Orleans 11 years ago after Casper, WY soaking up the musical culture of the Country Blues in New Orleans 01:28 Demonstration 06:37 Spencer made a record called “Down in Mississippi” a couple of years ago 07:40 Demonstration 11:07 Demonstration 15:21 Spencer made a new record with Jab Wilson playing harmonica on it and is going to play on stage as well 16:24 Demonstration 20:33 The Piedmont Blues are very special: 21:03 Demonstration 24:20 Demonstration 28:32 A gospel song written by Bill Ellis 29:00 Demonstration 30:28 Demonstration: “Witch Doctor” 35:40 Interview ends

: 1989 Thomas Edison 'Brownie' Ford; Thomas Edison "Brownie" Ford with David Doucet and Washtub Jerry. Demonstration and interview., 00:00 Brownie introduces the musicians on the stage playing in the band; Washtub Jerry is from Fort Davis, TX on the washtub bass. 01:49 Demonstration: “She’s Gone” 04:54 David talks about meeting with Brownie in January to record cowboy songs in Lafayette 06:13 Brownie talks about a song written on Lake Pontchartrain 07:14 Demonstration: “On the Banks of the Old Pontchartrain” 11:12 Brownie talks about his Martin guitar, he bought it in Los Angeles; it’s a Martin D21, a collector’s edition, Gibson bass and a Martin treble; bought by a lady friend 13:24 Demonstration 16:30 Brownie describes the arrival of the Mayflower introducing a song. 17:33 Demonstration 22:00 The song about the Mayflower was so long because they wrote songs in verse words then; Brownie introduces a cowboy song about going West and herding cattle to escape problems at home 23:51 Demonstration 26:50 Demonstration: cowboy song 30:30 Demonstration 33:40 Last song was reminiscent of “Streets of Loredo” which has been called “Cowboy’s Lament”; the next song is about bull-riding and written by Brownie’s friends but performed by Tex Ritter. 35:40 Demonstration 40:59 Interview ends

: 1989 Wayne Toups and Steve Riley; Wayne Toups and Steve Riley. Barry Ancelet, 00:00 Wayne was inspired by Iverly June when he began playing 01:00 Demonstration 02:19 Discussing Cajun music and Steve’s style; he began playing at 13, inspired by Marc Savoy 02:55 Demonstration 04:25 Wayne discusses his experience playing accordion; learned how to play well before choosing to rock out and appeal to a younger generation; took 10 years to develop this; influences while learning: Iry Lejeune, Aldus Roger, Lawrence Walker, Amede Ardoin, Belton Richard 06:10 Demonstration: Traditional Cajun Waltz 07:10 Steve has a fiddle in his band; grew up with Dewey Balfa 07:25 Demonstration: “Le Waltz de Vache” 09:10 Discussing the differences between the two Acadian players; Steve plays sitting down; Wayne plays walking the stage 11:15 Discussing their playing frequency; Wayne doesn’t practice but plays all of the time; Steve plays what he grew up on, old traditional Acadian music; both like rock n’ roll but love Cajun 12:30 Demonstration: (example of how the Blues crept into Cajun) 13:30 Cover how the Blues relate to Cajun; Iry Lejeune recorded the previous song “Bosco Blues” in the fifties; 1,4,5 progression has been used in Cajun; comes from a lot of sounds that come from Africa; Le Blues Francais 14:58 Demonstration 16:03 What Steve learned about playing the Accordion; how to make it sound Cajun; adding full notes by tapping the buttons 17:40 Demonstration: “Mon Ami” 20:52 Demonstration 22:20 Wayne listened to the Rolling Stones, Beatles, Lynyrd Skynyrd; folded rock in naturally to his Cajun music 22:35 Demonstration 25:08 Demonstration: “J’etais au Bal” 26:35 Wayne and Steve playing together; one playing melody, another playing harmony 27:30 Demonstration 29:10 Marc Savoy taught Steve how to compliment a second accordion player; Comments on culture with quotes from Dewey Balfa about maintaining the vital culture of Southern Louisiana 31:50 Demonstration: Two-Step 34:35 Interview ends

: 1990 Al Broussard; Allison Miner introducing Al Broussard. This item is part of the “Crescent City Living Legends Collection” that was admitted to the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress in 2002., 00:00 Allison Miner introduces Al Broussard; he just came back from London where he was playing the piano for Queen and Princess Margaret; currently 84 years old 01:30 Demonstration “Boogie Woogie Woman” 08:22 Demonstration “Last Night on the Back Porch” 14:06 Demonstration 20:10 Demonstration 27:48 Demonstration “You Rascal You” 33:51 Demonstration “Chinatown” from 1926 with the human trumpet 39:25 Demonstration “Cecilia” 45:41 Demonstration 50:37 Demonstration “Mack the Knife” 54:20 Demonstration 59:01 Demonstration “Georgia” 1:03:42 Demonstration 1:08:49 Interview ends

: 1990 Boozoo Chavis; Allison Miner interviewer. This item is part of the “Crescent City Living Legends Collection” that was admitted to the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress in 2002., 00:00 Allison Miner introduces Boozoo Chavis as the “King of Zydeco.” He started to make albums in ’85, recording for Floyd Soileau and his Maison de Soul label. Chavis was born in Lake Charles and started to play music when he was nine years old. He learned to play from family and father played accordion, sons are carrying on the tradition as well. Slim’s Y-Ki-Ki in Opelousas is a dance hall where he often plays. 02:46 Lives in St. Charles. Talks about travelling to Texas, New York, and Europe. 05:46 During his trip to New Orleans for this Jazz Festival, he and his band played for the Gambit and won a some awards (possibly Big Easy Awards) for the best album of the year and the best zydeco group during 1990. 06:25 Demonstration: pre-recorded version of “Paper in My Shoe,” from 1955. He was only 25 years old when that was made. 09:00 Discusses “going to the La La” the type of dance they performed with the music, or a “house dance.”; Accordion players that influenced him: Joe Jackson from New Iberia, Leonard Pete from Welsh, T Mar (?) Guidry from Lake Charles. 12:30 Demonstration. Joined by his sons on triangle. Lyrics: “Come on baby, we gonna do it all night.” 18:30 Tells a story about how he got gypped out of his money for “Paper in My Shoe” then got into raising horses. Explanation on what he means by “paper in his shoes.” 25:00 Demonstration. Lyrics: “I told my baby…you ain’t good looking but you’re so fine…” 30:06 Interview ends.

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation

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