Welcome to Issue #50
of FloridaCajunZydeco.com Update!
for March 2017
This newsletter showcases dance events from the FloridaCajunZydeco.com
website and publishes articles not on the website pages. Join us on Tuesday, Mar. 7 at Caddy's in downtown St. Petersburg for Cajun Zydeco Dance 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. If there are enough dancers, we can go later. Join us on Friday, Mar. 10 at Gulfport Casino for Dance For Plants, an event that drew 200 people last year, with DJ Jim Hance playing a wide variety of dance tunes for your zydeco, swing, shag, Lindy, foxtrot, waltz, hustle, and Latin dancing pleasure. Saturday, Mar. 18 at St. Petersburg Main Library at 2 p.m. Moonshine Holler
plays a free concert in the auditorium that captures the essence of traditional American roots music from Carter Family classics to hillbilly blues, ballads and breakdowns, with knock-your-socks-off flatfoot dancing to boot. Three festival events in Florida that you should be aware of include Clayton's Cajun Fest in Rockledge on Mar. 11 featuring Porchdogs, DeSoto Seafood Fest on Mar. 26 featuring Chubby Carrier and Porchdogs, and CrawDebauchery on Apr. 1 & 2 in Pompano Beach featuring Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Roddie Romero and the Hub City All Stars, The Revelers, and Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers. The feature story
this month is on Lee Benoit, inducted to the Cajun Music Hall of Fame in 2014. Lee Benoit Family Band plays four or five gigs every week, mostly in Louisiana. If you haven't visited FloridaCajunZydeco.com
website, please do so. It has a new fluid width format which fills your browser window with content for easy reading regardless of whether you are viewing it on a desktop computer, tablet or mobile phone. We're on Facebook in Groups (Florida Cajun Zydeco Dancers) and with our own Facebook 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 Cajun and zydeco fix between newsletters. FloridaCajunZydeco.com
loves to travel — in your pocket on your smart phone. Check the website for dance information wherever your travels take you. Regards, Jim Hance
Publisher, FloridaCajunZydeco.com
First and Third Tuesdays --- Cajun Zydeco Dance
at Caddy's on Central (St. Petersburg)
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Caddy's on Central,
4217 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33705. Website: caddysoncentral.com Sharon says, "We have a new place to call home! Caddy's on Central Avenue in St. Pete has agreed to let us have our dances on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. For those of you who are familiar with downtown St. Pete, Caddy's is in the old Garden Restaurant (217 Central Ave). There is a room off of the courtyard with a nice wooden floor. They have a decent menu (http://caddysoncentral.com/menu/), and parking on the street in front is free after 6 p.m." I have a song list worked out with a great mix of old and new stuff. I've got Chubby Carrier, Roy Carrier, Lee Benoit, Jerome Batiste, Leroy Thomas, Leroy's "nephew" Ruben Moreno, Keith Frank, Cedryl Ballou, Leon Chavis,
Pine Leaf Boys and the Dockery Boys. And a real sweet waltz by the band L'Angélus of Lafayette that was gifted to me by one of our friends in Gainesville. I wasn't familiar with the band until now. Come on down and pass a good time, and maybe waltz to a tune by L'Angélus. (You can learn more about this band if you google them.)
Fri. Mar. 10 --- Dance for Plants (Gulfport)
7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Gulfport Casino,
5500 Shore Blvd S, Gulfport, FL 33707 Zydeco dance lesson with Sharon Stern at 7 p.m. We had a packed house last year with 200 dancers at Dance for Plants, and we expect the same this year. Swing and Zydeco Dance benefits Gulfport Community Garden. DJ music by Jim Hance -- like last year, mix of swing, zydeco, blues, groove, ballroom, hustle, funk, Latin, jazz and pop. There will be a good representation of Louisiana music, from Boozoo Chavis to Harry Connick Jr. Zydeco dance lesson 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets $10 in advance, $15 at the door. I'll play tunes for Cajun and zydeco dancing, swing at all tempos, nightclub two-step, hustle, salsa, shag, Lindy, waltz, Latin, ballroom, even requests! It's gonna be a blast! Information: gulfportcommunitygarden@gmail.com, and website gulfportcommunitygarden.org. Event Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1836197813284307/
Sat. Mar. 18 --- “The Roots and Branches of Appalachian Music” at St. Petersburg Main Library
with Moonshine Holler
2 p.m. at St. Petersburg Main Library, 3745 9th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33713. Moonshine Holler, the husband and wife duo of Paula Bradley and Bill Dillof, will perform and discuss their favorite folk music and its origins. Their performance will capture the essence of traditional American roots music from Carter Family classics to hillbilly blues, ballads and breakdowns, with knock-your-socks-off flatfoot dancing to boot. They play instruments including banjo, fiddle, Hawaiian guitar, harmonica, ukulele and kazoo, and provide strong spirited vocals. Moonshine Holler breathes new life into old-time American music, delighting audiences wherever they play. This is a program the whole family will enjoy. Bring the children. Presented by Friends of the Main Library (like us on Facebook). Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjPPXJyIc3o
Sat. Mar. 11 --- Clayton's Crab Company Cajun Festival (Rockledge)10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Live Cajun music provided by Porchdogs. Admission and parking free. Radio Nash 102.7 will be doing a live broadcast. Kids zonewith Mr. Crabs Crab Racing, Gem Mining, and Safari Todd Unlimited. Arts and crafts vendors, and lots of food vendors. Some vendors will be serving live crawfish made to order, and gumbo. Local jeep club demonstrations and competitions. Questions: Jan or Jenna at 321-636-6673 or email at claytoncrabfestivals@cfl.rr.com.
Easy Street Bayou Last Performances for the Season
at Zydeco Grille
Mar. 4, 11, 18, 25, Apr. 1 --- 7:00-9:00 p.m. Easy Street Bayou at Zydeco Grille, 8501 Placida Road, Englewood, FL. Website: http://www.zydecogrille.com
- - - - - - - - - -
It's off to Vermont after April 1. Catch them at Zydeco Grille in March, or up north during the summer months. Follow the band at: http://easystreetduo.blogspot.com
Sun. Mar. 26, 2017 --- Chubby Carrier, Porchdogs & Gumbo Boogie at DeSoto Seafood Fest (Palmetto)
Presented by the DeSoto Historical Society, the three-day event is at Sutton and Lamb parks, 10th Ave. West at 6th St. West. Sunday is of particular note to fans of Cajun/zydeco music! Gumbo Boogie Band plays at noon, The Porchdogs play from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band plays at 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for the day.The website is www.desotosff.com and phone number is (941) 747-1998.
April 1 and 2 -- CrawDebauchery Food and Music Festival features Chubby Carrier, Roddy Romero, The Revelers, and Dwayne Dopsie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crawdebaucherymusicfestival/
Website:
http://crawdebauchery.com Pompano Beach Amphitheater Field, 1806 NE 6th St, Pompano Beach, FL 33060. Tickets are now on sale on the festival website for $25 per day or $45 for both days (prices are $40 per day at the gate). Bands include Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Roddie Romero & The Hub City All Stars, The Revelers, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, Maggie Koerner, The Hip Abduction, The Stooges Brass Band, and more. The CrawDebauchery Food and Music Festival, held at the Pompano
Beach Amphitheater, is South Florida’s premier Cajun festival. Entering into its fourth consecutive year, this family-friendly event is for people of all ages, even equipped with a kid zone. Experience the rich and unique heritage of Louisiana at CrawDebauchery Food and Music Festival. The festival poster (shown above) was created by blues artist Stan Street. Check out Stan's music, art and gallery at http://stanstreet.com.
Lee Benoit:
Music Played in
the Cajun Way
Lee Benoit
(born Bradley Dale Joseph Benoit in Abbeville, Louisiana on July 14, 1959) is a Cajun musician steeped in the rich traditions of Louisiana's Cajun French music, and dedicated to making music almost exclusively in the Pelican State. With numerous awards from the Cajun French Music Association, and inducted into that institution's Hall of Fame in 2014, Lee Benoit may not be a "household name" outside of Louisiana but he is doing Cajun music the way Louisianans like their music played. His grandmother gave Lee an electric organ when he was five, on which he learned to play Christmas tunes by ear. At age 12 he learned to play guitar and bass guitar, and formed a rock n' roll band playing the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Hank Williams. He spent his young adult years in the U.S. Marine Corps for
three years, as a paramedic for seven years, and working oil rigs for seven years, all the while playing country rock music in his spare time. But another career change would be inspired when Lee attended a Wayne Toups concert in 1988. Rick Koster in his book,
Louisiana Music, describes Wayne Toups as "an onstage madman who wields his accordion like a flame thrower: He flings sheets of notes over the crowd as he personally orchestrates a mob-rule approach to good times at every one of the band's shows." Wayne Toups and Zydecajun embraces the traditional aspects of Cajun music exemplified by Iry Lejeune and the funkier sides of zydeco from his Creole neighbors in southwest Louisiana, as well as the southern country rock influence which Lee Benoit loved. Just listen to Wayne Toups "Live 2009" version of "La Porte d'en Arriver" (The Back Door) by D.L. Menard, (video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2ihpYKb_0c)
which starts with a highly energized tribute to James Gang/Joe Walsh's "Funk #49", and you will get an idea of how Wayne Toups blends southern rock with Cajun French. It's the kind of music that gives the audience no choice but to get up and dance. It was at this time after being exposed to Wayne Toup's musical passion that Benoit decided to learn the accordion and dedicate himself to the Cajun French music traditions. In 1993, Lee Benoit signed to the Master-Trak label, and in 1994 recorded his first CD, Avec Amis. The album was an immediate success in the Cajun community, nominated for Best First Album by the Cajun French Music Association, and the song "Valerie" (written for his daughter) was nominated for Song of the Year. Floyd's Records reviewed the album, and described Benoit as "the cream of the
crop" of the new generation of musicians coming out of South Louisiana.
Lee Benoit Plays SW Louisiana
Lee Benoit's band, as Lee Benoit and the Bayou Stompers, and most recently as Lee Benoit Family Band, is one of the most active Cajun bands in South Louisiana performing five nights a week at some of the most popular Cajun venues from Breaux Bridge to New Orleans Louisiana. His usual haunts include Randol's in Lafayette, Mulate's in New Orleans, and Pont Breaux's in Breaux Bridge. He occasionally takes his music on the road and performs at festivals and special events outside of Louisiana. Lee is very proud of his Cajun heritage and spends a great deal of his time promoting his culture and performing traditional and contemporary Cajun music. The Lee Benoit Family Band most often includes Lee's daughters Valerie Benoit on bass, Maegan on guitar (or drums), Mary Tweedel Benoit on fiddle, and Kevin Stelly on drums, and sometimes
Nolan Cormier on accordion or Gina Forsyth on fiddle.
After the success of his first album, Lee Benoit continued to make his own albums, and contributed to several CDs by other musicians. In 1995, he played on Hadley J. Castille's La Musique De Les Castilles. He also played on Hadley's Forty Acres and Two Mules album in 2000. He played with the group Les Amies Louisianaises on their La Musique Unique des Acadiens CD in 1997. Lee played accordion and guitar on Doug Kershaw's Two Step Fever CD in 1999. He also co-produced and played guitar on Hunter Hayes' Through My Eyes
CD in 1999, and co-produced Hunter's second CD, Make A Wish, in 2001. In 2002, he played accordion on Don Haynie & Sheryl Samuel's songs, "God Bless Louisiana" and "Country Tavern on Saturday Night." In 1998, he released his second album, Live at Vermilionville. which was nominated in five categories by the Cajun French Music Association: Male Vocalist of the Year, Accordionist of the Year, Album of the Year, Band of the Year and Song of the Year. He won the latter award, for "The Visit", co-written by Richard D. Meaux and Freddie Pate. In September 2000, Lee Benoit released his third CD,
Dis N Dat. In 2001, he was awarded Accordionist of the Year, and in 2002 he earned the Presidents Award from the Cajun French Music Association.
A Collaboration with Al BerardLee Benoit recorded his fourth CD, Ma Petite Femme at his home and at Al Berard's studio, and it was released in 2005. This album cemented his reputation in the Cajun music community, with Lee winning Male Vocalist of the Year, Accordionist of the Year and Song of the Year (with the title song "Ma Petite Femme") from the Cajun French Music Association. Lee also received nominations for Best Recording of the Year and Peoples' Choice 2006. A review of Lee Benoit's Ma Petite Femme
said it features "not only top notch performances by Lee Benoit but also top notch engineering and mastering by Lee Benoit, seamlessly bringing together his own multiple performances on many cuts and performances by Al Berard recorded separately at Berard's studio (fiddle, guitar, and really pretty mandolin on various cuts). Berard also wrote five of the songs, including the title cut, a tribute to Valerie Benoit." The song "Ma Petite Femme" received the Cajun French Music Association 2006 Song of the Year Award. Valerie Benoit, who has lead vocals on "J'ai passé devant ta porte" on the CD and on a really nice version of "Le vieux soulard et sa femme," was named Female Vocalist of the Year, and Lee Benoit was named Male Vocalist of the Year. He also received the Accordionist of the Year
Award. In addition to the original songs on the CD by Berard, Benoit also sings Maurice Lasserre's "La vieille mémère par la fenêtre" as well as several Cajun standards, including a haunting version of "Mon amour est morte" that includes a cello in the instrumentation. "Lee Benoit obviously worked very hard on the CD, but what comes across is the beauty of the music, with everything in balance, including his vocals that are always clear and expressive. The liner notes include both French and English lyrics," according to the reviewer.
A Heritage Award and Hall of Fame
In 2011, Lee was the recipient of the Heritage Award at the Le Cajun Awards Show by the Cajun French Music Association for outstanding contributions and dedication to the preservation of the Cajun culture.
In 2013, Lee was the recipient of the Award Of Excellence at the Le Cajun Awards Show by the Cajun French Music Association for being a musician's musician, a musician that other musicians try to emulate. This award is for his overwhelming talent in his craft. In 2014, Lee released his all original Cajun album titled Pour Les Générations À Venir
(For The Generations To Come). This album was nominated in five categories with the Cajun French Music Association for 2015: Best Album of the Year; the song "Le Garsoleil" was nominated for Song of the Year; The People's Choice Award; and the group was nominated for Band of the Year. Lee won the Male Vocalist of the Year award at The Le Cajun Award Show in 2015. Lee Benoit was inducted into The Cajun Music Hall Of Fame in 2014. Obviously Lee Benoit is one of the most honored Cajun musicians in the Cajun French community. Learn more about Lee Benoit on his website, http://leebenoit.com, and download his music at iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/author/lee-benoit/id392815484?mt=11 You can dance to several Lee Benoit waltzes and
a nightclub two-step at this Tuesday's first Cajun Zydeco Dance at Caddy's in downtown St. Pete.
Festival-O-Rama
Sat. Mar. 11, 2017 --- Clayton's Crab Company Cajun Festival (Rockledge)
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission and parking free. Live Cajun band playing (The Porch Dogs). Nash 102.7 will be doing a live broadcast. Kids zone (Mr. Crabs Crab Racing, Gem Mining, Safari Todd Unlimited). Arts and craft vendors, and lots of food vendors (some vendors will be serving live crawfish made to order, gumbo). Local jeep club demonstrations and competitions. Questions: Jan or Jenna at 321-636-6673 or email at claytoncrabfestivals@cfl.rr.com. March 24, 2017 — Savannah Music Festival with Feufollet & Pine Leaf Boys (Georgia)
Charles H. Morris Center, 10 East Broad Street, Savannah, GA. Concerts at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. $35 (2 hrs). Area for dancing in front of stage. Late night Cajun Jam at Matthews Eatery. 11 p.m. $10 (2 hrs). Website: http://www.savannahmusicfestival.org Sun. Mar. 26, 2017 --- Chubby Carrier, Porchdogs & Gumbo Boogie at DeSoto Seafood Fest (Palmetto, FL)
Presented by the DeSoto Historical Society, the three-day event is at Sutton and Lamb parks, 10th Ave. West at 6th St. West. Sunday is of particular note to fans of Cajun/zydeco music! The Porchdogs play from 2-3:30 p.m. They're preceded by Gumbo Boogie at noon and followed by Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band at 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for the day.The website is www.desotosff.com and phone number is (941) 747-1998. April 1-2, 2017 --- Crawdebauchery Festival (Pompano Beach, FL)
Bands: Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Roddie Romero and the Hub City All Stars, The Revelers, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, Rodeo Clowns, Darcy Malone & The Tangle, The Stooges Brass Band, Hip Abduction, Raw Oyster Cult, The Revivalists, Maggie Koerner, Cha Wa, The Suitcase Junket. New Orleans has always stood as one of the most unique cities in the U.S., seamlessly blending native culture with French, Latin, and Creole influences. Musically, the Big Easy is known as the birthplace of jazz. Come on out and celebrate the city and this cultural heritage at the inaugural CrawDebauchery Festival. Enjoy an unconstrained burst of vitality, where music fans will come together to hear live performances from acclaimed national and regional musicians, whose genres range from jazz to bluegrass, Cajun to rock. Taking place on two stages. alongside musical groups,
festival-goers can feast on local traditional New Orleans cuisine like beignets, jambalaya, and po-boys, while browsing arts and craft, and enjoy a taste of the bayou right here in Florida. http://crawdebauchery.com April 6-9, 2017 — French Quarter Festival (New Orleans)
The four-day weekend festival is FREE and there is no cost to attend any of the performances. The only costs are for food, beverage, and merchandise purchases on festival grounds, and certain off-site special events. In order to keep this festival free and open to the public, outside food and beverages are prohibited. French Quarter Festival is held throughout the historic French Quarter (Vieux Carre) neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana. Music stages are located at Jackson Square, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, Bourbon Street, Royal Street, Bienville Triangle, Preservation Hall, the French Market, St. Mary’s at the Ursuline Convent, and Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint. ‘World’s Largest Jazz Brunch’ booths can be found in Jackson Square, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, the Jax Brewery parking lot, and Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint. Special
events take place at various locations throughout the French Quarter. Website: http://fqfi.org/frenchquarter April 6-9, 2017 — Stringbreak Music Festival (Brooksville, FL)
Bands include Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Hayseed Dixie, Tony Furtado Band, Hudost, Grant Gordy Band and more. Website: http://www.riverhawkmusic.com April 7-9, 2017 — Tampa Bay Blues Festival (St. Petersburg)
Tab Benoit, Buddy Guy, The Rides featuring Stephen Stills, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Barry Goldberg, Coco Montoyo, Samantha Fish, Ana Popovic, Albert Cummings and others. http://tampabaybluesfest.com April 26-30, 2017 --- Festival International d'Louisiane (Lafayette, LA)
Festival International d'Louisiane in downtown Lafayette, LA (Evangeline Parish, LA).The annual 5-day festival is held during the last full week of April. Historic downtown Lafayette, Louisiana, is transformed into an entertainment complex featuring six music stages, food court areas, street musicians and animators, arts and crafts boutiques, art galleries, beverage stands, cultural workshops, international cooking demonstrations and a world music store. http://www.festivalinternational.com April 28-May 7, 2016 --- New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (New Orleans, LA)
12 stages at New Orleans Fairgrounds. There are hundreds of bands booked for these dates. Check the website: http://www.nojazzfest.com/ April 28-30, 2017 --- Pensacola Crawfish Festival (Pensacola, FL)
Some Louisiana bands have performed in the past. Yes, it's March and the event promoters don't have any bands listed on their website yet. Check back in a few weeks if you will be in the Pensacola area. http://www.fiestaoffiveflags.org/pensacola-crawfish-festival There are plenty more festivals featuring Cajun and zydeco bands. For more festival information, visit http://www.floridacajunzydeco.com/festivals.html
Outside Florida
Atlanta Cajun Zydeco AssociationFriday, Mar. 24, 2017 --- Feufollet and Pine Leaf Boys at Savannah Music Fest
Charles H. Morris Center, 10 East Broad Street, Savannah, GA. Concerts at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. $35 (2 hrs). Area for dancing in front of stage. Late night Cajun Jam at Matthews Eatery. 11 p.m. $10 (2 hrs) Friday, Apr. 7, 2017 --- Zydeco Dance Party with Geno Delafose & French Rockin Boogie
Charles H. Morris Center, 10 East Broad Street, Savannah, GA. Concerts at 6:30 & 9 p.m. $35 (1 hr 20 mins). Area for dancing in front of stage. See www.savannahmusicfestival.org for further information. Atlanta Cajun Zydeco Association website:
http://aczadance.org/ Houston/Texas Cajun-Zydeco Eventshttp://www.zydecoevents.com/texaszydecoevents.html Southern California Eventshttp://www.icajunzydeco.com
If you missed last month's newsletter...Discover all of the Update! newsletters and feature stories on Cajun and zydeco artists on the "Stories" page at floridacajunzydeco.com/stories.html
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