(Photo by Jim Hance)

Welcome to another edition of Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!
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Also, I have created a new Facebook Group called Florida Cajun and Zydeco Dancers at https://www.facebook.com/groups/817137425043219/   This is a place to post your own dance event information.

Tampa Bay dancers, there are zydeco dances at Enigma in St. Petersburg on the first and third Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Next dance is Tuesday, April 21. (We have a late publication of this newsletter this month. Sorry, but I've been busy!). The Rays home games are impacting parking in the downtown St. Petersburg area, but dancers at this week’s dance had no problems getting parking in the lot across the street at no cost. Just tell the attendant you are going to Enigma for the zydeco dance. If for some reason the attendant insists you pay, your parking receipt will be honored as cash at restaurants on the block as well as at the Enigma bar, and change will be returned to you. This next dance falls on a date when the Rays have a home game, but the following dances are not on home game days until late June. If you would like to join us at Enigma, parking will not be a problem.

Don’t miss Savoy Doucet Cajun Band in Miami Beach April 11, and Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band at Bradfordville Blues Club in Tallahassee on April 18. They will both worth the drive to see them and dance to them.

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Jim Hance

Saint Petersburg, FL

(Photo by Jim Hance)

Tonight --- Friday, April 10 Tab Benoit is performing at Plaza Live Theatre in Orlando. Performance is at 9 p.m. Address is 425 North Bumby Avenue, Orlando, FL 32803. Tickets are $25-$50. Check FloridaCajunZydeco.com for more information.

Saturday, April 11 Tab Benoit is appearing at the Tampa Bay Blues Fest. At 10:15 p.m., Tab Benoit is performing at the Palladium Bluesfest After Party with two other artists from the festival. The Palladium website is mypalladium.org.

(Photo by Jim Hance)

9 p.m. -- JB's Zydeco Zoo plays at the famous blues stop in Tallahassee. Bradfordville Blues Club, 7152 Moses Lane, Tallahassee, FL 32309. Phone 850-906-0766. Check www.FloridaCajunZydeco.com for more information -- your source for Cajun and Zydeco dancing throughout Florida.

JUST ADDED --- Saturday, Apr. 11 Savoy Doucet Cajun Band performs at The Colony Theatre, 8:30 p.m. in Miami Beach.

"Savoy Doucet Cajun Band moves back several decades to the sources of today's styles. Many of the songs might have disappeared completely if they had not been revived by these dedicated musicians. Their acoustic trio has a diverse, fresh, and lively sound, with spirited solos and intuitive interplay."  – Atlantic Monthly

The Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band is composed of Marc and Ann Savoy and Michael Doucet. Marc Savoy has been playing and building accordions for more than a half century. Ann Savoy is a regarded author and musician performing and recording with such notable artists as The Magnolia Sisters, Linda Ronstadt, Richard and Linda Thonpson, The Sleepless Knights and the Savoy Family Cajun Band. Michael Doucet is most famous for founding the band Beausoleil and 40 years of recordings with the band.

Ann Savoy's book on the Cajun culture, Cajun Music, A Reflection of a People, is one of the best books on the subject documenting the music through photographs and interviews.

Dont's miss this opportunity to enjoy the Savoy Dlucet Cajun Band in Florida.

(Photo by Terri Rippee)

7 p.m. to 10 p.m. -- Swingin' Country Dance -- Jim Hance will be spinning a fun mix of fast and slow swing, country two-steps, cha-chas, hustle, waltz and a few fox trots. $8 cover charge. Location is Briar Creek Mobile Home Community Clubhouse, 100 Briar Creek Blvd., Safety Harbor, FL 34695. Questions? Linda Edington, lme@iquest.net. Website for general information: http://mybriarcreek.com

(Photo by Jim Hance)

Apr. 11 -- 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Gumbo Boogie at Old Packing House Cafe, 987 S. Packinghouse Drive, Sarasota, FL. Phone 941-371-9358.

Apr. 19 -- 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Gumbo Boogie at Ace's Live, 4343 Palma Sola Blvd., Bradenton, FL. Italian Buffet at 6 p.m. No cover. All Ace's shows are non-smoking.

Tues. Apr. 14 --- 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. -- Lisa and Mark are playing at Howard's Restaurant and Lounge, 70 N. Indiana Ave., Englewood, FL 34223. Phone 941-473-0171.

Sat. Apr. 18 --- 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. --- Lisa and Mark play at Zydeco Grille, 8501 Placida Rd., Placida, FL. No cover.

More info at www.FloridaCajunZydeco.com.

(Photo by Jim Hance)

Apr. 18 10 p.m. -- Don't miss Chubby Carrier at Bradfordville Blues Club, 7152 Moses Lane, Tallahassee, FL 32309. Phone 850-906-0766. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. More information about Chubby Carrier in this month's "Spotlight on" article (below).

(Photo by Jim Hance)

5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Enigma, 1110 Central Avenue, St. Pete 33705. Dance 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Happy Hour pricing on some drinks throughout the dance, and no cover charge. This is our regular FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAY DANCE. Hungry? You're welcome to bring food in from Ricky P's across the street, or Bodega's or Red Mesa Mercado (they have the menus at Enigma). Park in the "free" orange lots in map above. Be aware that Apr. 21 there will be a Rays Home Game and attendants will be charging people going to the game. If you tell the attendant you are attending the zydeco dance, you will probably not be charged, and if you are your ticket can be redeemed as cash at a restaurant on the block or the Enigma bar. This past week only one person was charged for parking and he was refunded. So don't worry, be happy! Questions and requests: Sharon Stern, (727) 648-7858, sternsl@hotmail.com, or Jim Hance, (813) 465-8165, j-hance@wowpromotions.com.

(Photo by David Simpson, Eunice, LA)

Chubby Carrier and The Bayou Swamp Band, appearing at the Bradfordville Blues Club in Tallahassee on April 18, is probably the brightest and most recognizable star in the zydeco constellation today.

The son of one of the most prominent band leaders of a previous generation of zydeco bands, and headlining major Cajun-Zydeco festivals across the country for the past twenty years, Chubby Carrier has a also been recognized with a Grammy Award for his release Zydeco Junkie.  Presented during the four-year era that “Best Zydeco or Cajun Album” had its own category in the awards competition,  the only other Grammy winners while the “Zydeco or Cajun” category existed were Terrance Simien, Beausoleil and Buckwheat Zydeco. Three artists, Clifton Chenier, Queen Ida and Rockin Sidney, won awards before the category was created. As the most active of Grammy winners today, the spotlight has shown brightly on Chubby Carrier indeed.  Accepting the Grammy, Chubby acknowledged some of the talented musicians that came before him. "This is for Boozoo (Chavis), John Delafose, Clifton Chenier, Marcel Dugas, Fernest Arceneaux. These are the guys that went down the gravel road before there was a zydeco road. Plus, I've been around for a long time. I've been spreading the zydeco gospel all over the world."

Carrier's father and grandfather both played zydeco music, and his cousins recorded under the name The Carrier Brothers. Roy “Chubby” Carrier was taught to play accordion by his father, Roy Carrier Sr., and played with his father's band at age 12, first on accordion and then on drums. At age 17, he played drums with Terrance Simien from 1986 until 1989, then formed a group of his own group with his brothers, Troy and Kevin.

Chubby is undeniably today's zydeco showman. I saw him in San Diego where he invited all of the “mothers” in the audience to join him on stage in celebration of Mother’s Day. It was quite a scene not to be forgotten by those in attendance, not to mention the stage managers. But what fun that was!

Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band serve up the zydeco gumbo. Mixing the traditional accordion and washboard farmhouse porch boogie of the Cajun prairie with dashes of 70s funk, the spices of classic R&B, and refreshing, swampy twists on classic songs as only authentic Louisiana ambassadors can do. In addition to earning the Grammy, Chubby and the band have recorded a dozen albums; played prestigious music festivals across North America and Europe; and shared the stage with musicians ranging in diversity from Carlos Santana and Travis Tritt to “Weird” Al Yankovic.

Since recording Zydeco Junky, Chubby recorded Rockin with Roy, a tribute to his late father with signature Roy Carrier tunes like “Whiskey Drinking Man” and “I Found My Woman Doing  the Zydeco.” Roy Carrier always had a rockin’, pulsating bass line in his band and a gravely voice that was like no other, and his amusing lyrics, sometimes difficult to hear or understand, were commentaries on his life. Chubby’s vocals are sweet and clear with a pop music sensibility, in contrast to his dad’s.

As many other zydeco and Cajun artists over the years, Chubby has taken songs from popular culture and given them a new “zydeco” sound. The best example of that is “Feel Like Making Love,” the Bad Company rock anthem by Paul Rodgers. Chubby re-arranged the tempo to come up with a zydeco version which is great to dance zydeco to — certainly a remarkable feat! He had done that before with “The Cisco Kid”, The Who’s “Squeeze Box”,  and “Turn on Your Love Light.”  Chubby’s arrangement skills and on par with his superb performances and showmanship.

Maybe you’ve seen Chubby Carrier at CrawDebauchery or another festival. I strongly suggest you seize the opportunity to see and dance to Chubby Carrier up close and personal in a small club like BBC on April 18. It will be a rocking’ good time with a world-class performer.

Recordings of Chubby Carrier:

• Back to My Roots (Swampadelic Records, 2013)
• Grammy Winner Zydeco Cajun (Teletunez, 2013)
• Rockin with Roy (Home Music, 2012)
• Festival Link presents Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band (2011)
• Zydeco Junkie (Swampadelic Records, 2010)
• Live at Knuckleheads, Kansas City (Swampadelic Records, 2007)
• Bayou Road (Swampadelic Records, 2006)
• Ain't No Party Like a Chubby Party (Swampadelic Records, 2005)
• Take Me to the Zydeco (Swampadelic Records, 2001)
• It's Party Time (Right Click Records, 1999)
• Too Hot to Handle (Louisiana Red Hot Records, 1999)
• Who Stole the Hot Sauce? (Blind Pig Records, 1996)
• Dance All Night (Blind Pig Records, 1993)
• Boogie Woogie Zydeco (Flying Fish Records, 1991)
• Go Zydeco Go (Jewel Records, 1989)

Recommend FloridaCajunZydeco.com and this newsletter to a friend. Email Jim Hance at j-hance@wowpromotions.com to be added to this newsletter mailing list. See you on the dance floor.

--- Jim Hance