Search - Austin Pitre, Evangeline :: Essential Early Cajun Recordings

Great recordings from 1959-1971

Neal F. Pomea | Colesville, Maryland | 06/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From Swallow Records' pioneer series, this set covers Cajun great Austin Pitre, one of the most popular artists of the "dancehall period." For those who like Cajun music a bit later than those earliest recording days of pre-World War II but before the Cajun renaissance days of the 1970s onward with Beausoleil, Zachary Richard, Wayne Toups, Steve Riley, etc. this collection fills something of a black hole in Cajun music availability! It could easily be called Early Swallow Records History: Austin Pitre. He recorded earlier than 1959 for other labels, but these qualify as early in the history of Swallow records.



Recordings such as these were made for 45 rpm records that made their way to jukeboxes and French radio programs across southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas. The recordings here are regional "hits" by Austin Pitre, one of the greats on accordion, vocals, and occasional fiddle. Typical of the electrified dancehall bands featuring accordion, fiddle, drums, rhythm guitar, steel guitar, for the most part.



Here are some notes from the CD.

"Austin's only album on Swallow Records, released in 1981, was compiled from 12 songs recorded and released as 6 singles over the years by Floyd Soileau on the Swallow label. The earliest single included on the album was from his first session for Swallow in October 1959. It was Austin's first hit single as well: "Les Flumes (Flammes) D'Enfer" with Opelousas Waltz on the flip side. The songs: Two Step de Bayou Teche, Opelousas Waltz, Two Step a Tante Adele, Rainbow Waltz, Rene's Special, Grand Mamou Blues, Les Flumes d'Enfer, Chinaball Blues, Le Pauvre Hobo, Pretty Rosy Cheeks, Don't Shake My Tree, La Valse D'Amour. Later in 1996 Swallow Records re-issued the original vinyl lp on cassette tape and included 3 more recordings to the original 12 ... Chataignier Waltz, Jungle Club Waltz, and J'ai Cogner à Ta Porte."



This cd includes more Swallow singles, including the following: Lakeview Special, New Oakdale Waltz, Evangeline Playboy Special. It also includes several previously unreleased songs: C'est Trop Tard, Catin; Chère Tit Bassette; Pitre Special; I Know I'm to Blame; Quoi Mon J'vas Faire?; and You're the Only One for Me.



Jungle Club Waltz turns out to be a song from Austin Pitre on another label as La Valse de Chagrin from the early 1950s. On the cd there is some studio conversation added. Interesting dialog between Austin and Floyd Soileau of Swallow Records on the placement of the mic for "Tit 'lan", i.e. Allen Ardoin, the marvelous fiddle player in the Evangeline Playboys at the time in 1966. J'ai Cogner à Ta Porte is from 1961 and the accordion player and singer is really Milton Molitor, a real gem for Molitor's fans! Then the Lakeview Special is a masterpiece! Shows some good French rocking and rolling! New Oakdale Waltz is a great tune that I don't think too many bands played. I have only heard Maurice Barzas' Mamou Playboys do it, Milton Molitor.



The previously unreleased songs are very interesting. C'est Trop Tard, Catin, is the tune of a familiar country-western song but I can't put my finger on the title. Anybody recognize it? Chère Tit Bassette is more reminiscent of Iry LeJeune and Wilson Granger's Duralde Waltz than Chère Bassette by J.B. Fuselier. Austin plays some nice fiddle on that one! Pitre Special sounds like Pee Wee Broussard's M&S Special on the Fais Do Do label, also like Duson One Step by Louis Cormier and the Moonlight Playboys on the La Louisianne label. Quoi Moi J'Vas Faire appears on his Sonet lp 815 as Lake Hope Special. He used to play at a club at the Lake Hope campgrounds. You may recognize I Know I am to Blame to be close to Pee Wee Broussard's Valse des Bons Amis. All the previously unissued songs are quite interesting. Can't see why they weren't released. Was Austin Pitre a perfectionist or something?



It was a long time in the making (no CD of their recordings of Austin Pitre in the 20+ years since they have been popular! an artist's contribution can fade from the culture's memory in that amount of time!!), so here's a tip of the hat to Swallow for putting this out now in its Cajun Pioneers series.



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