Good news in the recording studios for fans of traditional Cajun music: just in time for his 89th birthday, accordionist Octa Clark is laying tracks for a new album of original compositions, with production by grandson Glen Clark. Octa rarely performs in public these days, and hasn’t put a new record out for almost ten years. According to Glen Clark, his grandfather is “pretty excited—he even went out and bought a new accordion.” Tunes include “Cajun Exercise Two- Step,” and the Mamou Playboys’ Steve Riley and David Greely put in appearances. Currently, Clark plans to press and distribute the album independently, and hopes to have it in stores by May. Octa Clark will also be playing in Breaux Bridge’s Crawfish Festival on May 1.

And Christine and Nelda Balfa are busy recording their debut album for Swallow Records—Nelda’s “Tu Me Parle Toujours” (“You Talk to Me Always”), written for her father Dewey Balfa, was the hit of last year’s Folklife Festival in Eunice.

You can thank Jean-Pierre Brunot for those bright lights at Tipitina’s last month—the French filmmaker spent the day following Bruce Daigrepont around during shooting for the sequel to his documentary, Dedans le Sud de la Louisiane. “I’m a big fan of Jean-Pierre’s first movie, so I was happy to help him with this one,” says Daigrepont. Along with Tip’s, Brunot filmed Daigrepont jamming on his porch with Eric and Clay Chapman. The Chapmans’ grandfather and great-uncle are legendary fiddlers Sady Courville and Dennis McGee respectively, who were featured in Brunot’s first film.

Daigrepont is going into his seventh year of steady Sunday night fais do do-ing at Tipitina’s; add this to his previous six years at the Maple Leaf, and it’s one of the longest running music gigs in the city.

Fiddler (and fiddle-maker) Lionel Leleux is making appearances at the newest Cajun honky-tonk, the Main Street Lounge, which has re-opened under new management in Basile. The Main Street is holding Saturday dances and Thursday jam sessions, and don’t go expecting any fancy retro refurbishings…

Notes from all over: there were plenty of Cajun and zydeco sounds at the annual South by Southwest convention/festival in Austin last month, but most of them weren’t coming from Louisiana bands. Virginia’s Little Red and the Renegades showcased a zydeco set, while Chicago’s The Remainders stirred a Midwestern stew of rootsy zydeco and rock & roll. Also at SXSW was Canada’s Danielle Martineau and her band Rockabayou. The sweet voiced Martineau is formerly of the Canadian Cajun band Josephine, and the band’s new self-titled album on Montreal’s Les Disque Bros label is a well-wrought combo of pop-folk and Cajun, featuring a cover of D.L. Menard’s “The Back Door” and several original two-steps and waltzes. The album—doubly dedicated to Quebecois Clarence Bordeleau and Dewey Balfa—is worth seeking out.

But Southwest Louisiana wasn’t totally shut out in Austin thanks to Cajun band Mamou, who made the trip on 10-West to perform for the showcase.

New records this month include a reissue of blues sides by Clifton Chenier on Arhoolie. La Danse de la Vie is the title of Beausoleil’s new Rhino release, due by jazz Fest. Lanor has Keith Frank and the Swallow Playboys, better known as the kids in the Preston Frank Family Zydeco Band. Also on Lanor: a Cajun French version of, of course, “Achy-Breaky Heart.”

Look for Ten East in the Jazz Fest issue of OffBeat for the low down on Cajun and zydeco acts at the fairgrounds and around the city.