Issue Articles
Ray Abshire Picks Up the Cajun Music Torch
“I’ve been very fortunate,” Ray Abshire says modestly. “I’ve been able to swim the same river twice.” The river that the Cajun accordionist refers to is his five-decade music career, […]
Al Berard, Incredible Journey (Independent)
Just days before Al Berard died unexpectedly in February 2014, he announced to his family that his decades-in-the-making guitar album was finally ready. Though originally envisioned as a one-disc, 15-track […]
Cajun Strangers, Louisiana Boogie (Independent)
Though the Cajun Strangers hail from Madison Wisconsin, the group is hardly a stranger to Cajun music, with two Cajun French Music Association Prix DeHors de Nous awards under its […]
Various Artists, Brand New Old Songs: Recycling the Lomax Recordings (Center for Louisiana Studies)
If you’re at all Cajun curious, it’s fascinating to hear a song evolve from its early incarnation to today’s version. As part of Festivals Acadiens et Créoles’ tribute to folklorist […]
Sweet Cecilia, Sweet Cecilia (Old Man Records)
The late Al Berard shed tears of joys the first time he heard his daughters and niece singing angelically together. And for good reason, Laura Huval and Maegan Berard, along […]
Sassafras Jubilee, Long Time Coming (Independent)
Like a lot of groups, Sassafras Jubilee (SJ) has had its fair share of evolving and morphing to eventually arrive at a comfortable sound and a vibe that suggests that […]
Fest Focus: The Dog Hill Stompers
Friday, April 10, Chevron Stage, 2p Fourteen years after his Earthly departure, the legacy of Boozoo Chavis lives on in the zydeco kingdom. Practically every zydeco band has at least […]
Soundcheck: Five Questions with Lisa Stafford
Lisa Stafford has been on staff of The Festival International de Louisiane for the past 18 years, and she logged five years as a volunteer before that. Originally held in […]
Canebreakers, Frame and Floor (Dead Relatives Music)
Things got diluted and sloppy drunk fast in alt-country once too many ambulance-chasing bands jumped into the game after ’90s pathfinders Uncle Tupelo and spinoffs Son Volt and Wilco defined […]
Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue, Last to Leave (HTRP Music)
Vanessa Niemann relocated to the Crescent City in 1999 to sing in big band/swing ensembles. A stint in rockabilly followed but now Niemann as Gal Holiday has with her honky-tonk […]
