Good friendships can lead to many things, especially when making music. T Marie & Bayou Juju were just friends gathering together for weekly supper jams during COVID. They enjoyed each other’s company so much that lead guitarist Scott Stobbe eventually suggested they try playing out professionally. T Marie & Bayou Juju formed shortly after Hurricane Ida in 2021 and recorded its debut only six months later.
These 12 tracks represent both sides of T Marie & Bayou Juju’s performing personality, seven live cuts from the Carnaval Lounge [recently reverted back to the original Siberia name] and five tracks from intimate home recordings. Regardless of the venue, it fits together seamlessly. The fact that these accomplished musicians love playing together also comes through, as evidenced by the generous sharing of solos. “Bayou Ponpom” is one example of the camaraderie exuded here. About the time you think it’s ended, T Marie & Bayou Juju nail a harmonizing high note and kick in for another go at the melody.
Despite the numerous Cajun selections, T Marie & Bayou Juju doesn’t consider itself a straight-up Cajun band but more purveyors of South Louisiana roots music with Creole, country, and swamp pop sprinkled in. Instead of succumbing to purist notions of how Cajun music should be played, T Marie & Bayou Juju does things on its own terms, like featuring John DePriest’s rippling banjo solos on Cajun tunes. The group recorded as a sextet with multi-instrumentalist Adam Bellard carrying the lion’s share instrumentally by playing lap steel, acoustic guitar, doghouse bass, t’fer, and button and single-row accordions.
T Marie wrote four originals, two in French (“Momon Rose Waltz,” “Quelqu’un”) and two in English (“I’d be a Fool,” “Bayou Rearview”). On the waltzing “Momon Rose Waltz,” T Marie’s late grandmother appears in a dream with the reassurance she will always be with her beloved granddaughter. Bellard’s button accordion playing renders a haunting Creolesque ambiance that harkens back in time. The tuneful “Quelqu’un” is a humorous account of her refusal of various marriage proposals. The converse of “Quelqu’un” is “I’d be a Fool,” where she happily accepts Jarred Washington’s proposal. Coincidentally, Washington is TMBJ’s rhythm guitarist.
In addition to T Marie’s budding originals, there are other hints of where T Marie & Bayou Juju could grow in the future. “Forro Na Bottle” is the ingenious fusion of the Brazilian tune “Forro Na Penha” and the Cajun two-step “Empty Bottle Stomp” that alternates between the melodies. The live rendition of Creole classic “Bluerunner” finds T Marie & Bayou Juju immersed in epic jamming between DePriest, Bellard (lap steel), and fiery fiddlers T Marie and Lyle Werner. Right when the song is fading out, stand back for the roaring finale. Overall, a charming set of tracks with a natural, organic vibe.
