Welcome to ISSUE #34 of FloridaCajunZydeco.com Update!
This newsletter showcases dance events from the FloridaCajunZydeco.com website as well as articles not on the website pages.

EVERY FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAY in St. Petersburg you can find us dancing at EDGE OF 9 to some of the best Cajun and zydeco tunes DJ Jim has been able to uncover. Enjoy your own adventure in good music at each Zydeco Dance at Edge of 9 with new tunes and discovered gems from the past.

NEW AND IMPROVED on FloridaCajunZydeco.com is the “Stories” page. It contains archives of THIS NEWSLETTER, and each issue has a photo representing the artist featured in the main article. Check out some of the archived newsletters at www.FloridaCajunZydeco.com/stories.

Also, we're on FACEBOOK in Groups (Florida Cajun Zydeco Dancers) and with our own Page (Florida Cajun Zydeco). Check us out and "Like" us to see the posts and reminders throughout the week. This is a good way to get your zydeco fix between newsletters.

FloridaCajunZydeco.com loves to travel and fits neatly in your pocket on your smart phone. Check the website for dance information wherever you may travel.

Regards, Jim Hance
Publisher, FloridaCajunZydeco.com

Curley Taylor's Music Featured at Tuesday's Nov. 3 Cajun-Zydeco Dance in St. Pete

TUESDAY, NOV. 3 AND TUESDAY NOV. 17 CAJUN-ZYDECO DANCES:  Join us 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Edge of 9, 900 Central Avenue #25B, St. Pete 33705. We meet to dance here on the FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAYS each month. The music will be played softly from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. for socializing and dance lesson. Tomorrow, (Nov. 3) I will be playing one hour of Curley Taylor's music. The music volume goes up at 7 p.m. No cover charge, parking lot, painted cement dance floor, NO SMOKING. Hungry? You're welcome to bring food in from sandwich shop or restaurants. Check out the venue at facebook.com/edgeof9.Questions and requests: Jim Hance, (813) 465-8165, j-hance@wowpromotions.com.

By the way, a number of our dance friends have had difficulty finding Edge of 9, particularly since there are restaurants and other establishments on Central Ave. using the name "Edge." The exact location is actually on First Avenue South, not Central. It is best to drive down First Avenue South, and pull into the parking lot just west of 9th St. (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St.). A sign is posted on the sidewalk on First Ave. South to let you know you're there.

Sat. Nov. 7 --- Easy Street  (Englewood)

7-9 p.m. Vermont's Easy Street Duo with Mary Morella at Zydeco Grille, 8501 Placida Rd. (Cape Haze Plaza), Englewood, FL 33946, Phone 941-828-1472. Website: zydecogrille.com
Easy Street duo is comprised of Mark Trichka and Lisa Brande, who share their time between Putney, Vermont, Nokomis, Florida and Cecilia, Louisiana. They are full time musicians, having performed for over 20 years, playing swing, bluegrass, cajun and zydeco, rockabilly and honkytonk and all manner of popular, sometimes obscure, but always interesting music, on fiddle, mandolins, guitars and voices. They also perform under the name the Maple Sugar Serenaders for retirees in Florida and Vermont, and are members of other groups as well. One band in which they both played was Thomas “Big Hat” Fields. Last year they performed with friends from Louisiana at Fogartyville in Sarasota to a sold-out crowd under the name Easy Dooz (photo above).

Gumbo Boogie  (Tampa Bay)

Tampa Bay’s resident Louisiana party band is Gumbo Boogie. You can catch Gumbo Boogie at the following venues this month.
Sat., Nov. 14 — 7 p.m. Gumbo Boogie Band at JR’s Old Packinghouse Cafe, 987 S Packinghouse Rd, Sarasota, FL 34232.
Sun., Nov. 15 — 5 p.m. Gumbo Boogie Band at Ace’s Live Music, 4343 Palma Sola Blvd, Bradenton, FL 34210.
Sat., Nov. 28 — 6 p.m. Gumbo Boogie Band at Clancy’s Irish Sports Pub, 6218 Cortez Rd W, Bradenton, FL 34210.

Fri. Nov. 20 --- Tom Rigney & Flambeau (Clearwater Beach)

6 p.m. to midnight ---  Swing Dance Night at Suncoast Jazz Festival. Tickets to the Friday Swing Dance featuring five bands are $22 if you order in advance on the website.
Suncoast Jazz Classic in Clearwater Beach once again features the popular San Francisco band Tom Rigney and Flambeau, which specializes in fiery Cajun and zydeco two-steps, low-down blues, funky New Orleans grooves, and heartbreakingly beautiful ballads and waltzes. Their high energy live show features tight ensemble playing, deeply infectious grooves, and spectacular soloing. Most of the repertoire is composed by Rigney, but they also mix in a few classics from the Cajun/zydeco/New Orleans songbook. And if, along the way, you pick up a trace of Rigney’s Irish roots or a little Swing and roots Rock and Roll, it just makes the musical gumbo that much tastier. Voted Best Cajun/Zydeco Band of 2004 by the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame.
The schedule for the Friday night dance event is as follows: 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Cornet Chop Suey, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tom Rigney and Flambeau, 8:45 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. The Fat Babies, 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. Yerba Buena Stompers with Miss Ida Blue, and 11:15 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. Dave Bennett Quartet in the Sheraton's Zorch's Place for Jazz room. Tickets available online for $22. Sheraton Sand Key, 1160 Gulf Blvd., Clearwater Beach, FL 33767.  For tickets, http://www.suncoastjazzclassic.com/purchase-tickets/.

Fri. Dec. 11 --- Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys (Tallahassee)

Fri. Dec. 11 ---  Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys at Bradfordville Blues Club, 7152 Moses Lane, Tallahassee, FL 32309, 850-906-0766.
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys began over twenty five years ago with a reputation for excellence. Their stunningly clean and cohesive performance of Cajun French music from the backwaters of Southwest Louisiana propelled them into the world music limelight early on, and their third release, Trace of Time, garnered them a Grammy nomination. They received another Grammy nomination in 2004 for Bon Reve, in 2009 for Live at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and again in 2011 for Grand Isle. I sense another Grammy nomination in 2015 for Voyageurs. The newest addition to the band, Kevin Wimmer, adds vocals and fiddle to give the Mamou Playboys a new voice we haven’t heard before. His vocals on “Bernadette”, “Madame Faillelle” and “Boozoo’s Blues” have a bit of the Johnny Winter growl, the proper voice for a blues song. Wimmer has been playing fiddle since the tender age of three.  He performed frequently with Dewey Balfa and learned the essence of the tradition directly from him.  Over the years he has performed most notably all over the globe with Preston Frank and the blues and swing inspired Red Stick Ramblers. Tickets are available for $25 on the BBC website, http://www.bradfordvilleblues.com/

No, Robert Plant will not be on stage with Steve Riley this time.

Thur. Dec. 31 --- Donna The Buffalo (Tampa)

Celebrate the new year with Skipper's New Year's Eve party band, Donna The Buffalo. A little bit Cajun, a little bit roots, a little bit rock'n'roll. Always a good time. Skippers Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Rd., Tampa 33613. More info at skipperssmokehouse.com. “Initially inspired by Appalachian string music, they’ve since incorporated folk, pop, soul, zydeco, and psychedelic rock. Meanwhile, Jeb Puryear’s reedy tenor and Tara Nevins’ husky comely croon complement each other with their earthy charm, yet as songwriters they each possess their own distinct character.” — Charleston Scene. Donna The Buffalo has been Skipper’s annual New Years Eve party band for years, and you will discover why on December 31st.

Fri. Jan. 1, 2016 --- Dikki Du (Bradenton)

9 p.m. at Ace's Live, 4343 Palma Sola Blvd., Bradenton, FL 34210. 941-795-3886.
Dikki Du (Troy Carrier) was born in 1969 in Church Point, Louisiana and discovered his love for zydeco music at the tender age of nine. After school he would get together with his brother Chubby, sister Elaine and father Roy to play zydeco music. At the age of twelve Troy moved to Lawtell, where his father had owned the Offshore Lounge for over fifteen years. Troy played the washboard for Roy Carrier, his father, at local gigs. He then joined forces with the great C.J. Chenier for two years. Troy's brother Chubby Carrier then started a family band and offered Troy a job playing the drums. Troy toured with his brother from the late 80's until the 90's, when he returned home to pick up the accordion. Dikki Du has incorporated his musical heritage with unique experience to create one of the most innovative zydeco groups around. "Personally the triple row is the sound that I like the best". says Dikki Du. He takes songs from classic zydeco and turns them inside out with fresh and funky renditions driving it to the next level. You won’t want to miss Dikki Du & the Zydeco Krewe when they come to Ace’s Live in January.

Thurs. Mar. 10, 2016 --- Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas (Miami Beach)

Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas at Dance Band Night, North Beach Band Shell, 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL (305) 672-5202.  7:00 – 8:00 PM Dance lesson from Jarene 8:00 p.m. Open dancing to Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Nathan formed The Cha-Chas back in 1985, and since then has brought his unique take on this regional South Louisiana music to all corners of the globe. From Lincoln Center in New York to The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Nathan's music has crossed all barriers to speak to the very heart of his audience. Inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2005, he was honored last year with the Zydeco Music Association's Lifetime Acheivement Award. The Cha-Chas has been voted the top Festival Band in the country, and have won the coveted Big Easy award for Best Zydeco Band for several years running. Nathan and his band have been featured in the New York Times, Essence and People magazines, and on the cover of USA Today. They've appeared in films like In The Electric Mist and The Kingdom of Zydeco, and worked with artists as diverse as Cindy Lauper, Michael Doucet and Buddy Guy. Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas will be in Miami Beach this March.

Atlanta Dances

Atlanta Cajun-Zydeco Association will be hosting the following bands over the next several months:
Saturday, Nov. 7 --- Zydeco T at Dorothy Benson Center, 6500 Vernon Woods Drive, Sandy Springs, GA 30328; Phone: 404-613-4900. Free beginners dance lesson 7-8 p.m. Free intermediate dance lesson 6:15 p.m. to 7 p.m. Dance to live music 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
ACZA dances with live bands are at Knights of Columbus Post 660, 2620 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta 30324. Cost is $18/$5 students. Contact: info@aczadance.org.
December 5 --- House Party with Jambalaya Cajun Band
January 9 --- Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys

Additional information: http://aczadance.org