Gary Hayman & ZydE-Magic Present

This area viewed by over 100,000 people in the last year  -- New photos and stories added several times a week --

You've heard of REAL TV the popular TV program that brings you videos taken by its audience -- well this is REAL CZ which brings you actual photographs of the Cajun/Zydeco world -- taken by YOU. Here is where those of you who don't have WEB pages can display your best CZ photographs to exhibit to the world. This display will be changing several times a week as new contributions arrive so check back here often to see what your CZ friends are posting. It is also an excellent place to learn more about Cajun and Zydeco people and happenings whether you are new to the genre or an old timer. Bands, Artists, Promoters and Record Companies also use this area for announcing latest releases, giving photo/story displays and providing links to appropriate WEB sites, It is easy to submit a display INSTRUCTIONS FOR BANDS AND VENUES for submitting your REAL CZ material can be found by clicking the button..... INSTRUCTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH PHOTO/STORY FEATURE can be found HERE

Your Cajun Zydeco Features Displayed
[The Latest 7 Photos/Stories]
(After the FIRST time, if you have your cache turned on, loading will be extremely fast) 

MORE SUBMISSIONS NEEDED! If you have a good photo and a "little story" I would be happy to place your feature here. If you know of any new CDs that are out, even if they are not sold in the normal stores, please tell the artists that they can receive free publicity here that WILL provide them with additional sales (a proven fact) There is no other place that provides such a display.

Loco Zydeco - "The Great White North, Eh!" Just Released Loco Zydeco....is a Canadian Zydeco band. Since their impressive debut at the Toronto International BBQ + Blues Festival, July 12th, 2002, Loco Zydeco has won over crowds with their energetic blend of contemporary and traditional Zydeco. With a respectful nod to their Zydeco peers south of the border, Loco Zydeco strives to entertain and educate their audience with an introduction to the many and varied styles of Zydeco music, in all it's toe-tapping, hip-shaking glory. Loco Zydeco was formed by multi-instrumentalist composer "Sameday" Ray Walsh while he played bass for Toronto Zydeco band -- The Crockodiles. The Crockodiles, co-founded by Ray in the mid-80's, performed various styles of Roots music until the early-90's, when they switched strictly to Zydeco. They released one live album "It's Alive," in 1998, and disbanded in January, 2002. Near the end of 2000, Ray purchased and started to learn his first piano accordion and began putting together Loco Zydeco Ray's recording and performance history date back to the early 80's as part of Toronto's alternative music scene. He played bass, keyboards and composed for CASBY nominee and indie recording artists Rave Revues. Rave Revues released two albums and one single, receiving heavy college and decent mainstream radio play across Canada. At the same time, he also played keyboards and composed for fellow CASBY nominee and indie recording artists, Figures At Dawn. FAD released one album while Ray was a member and several singles after his departure. Their debut album and several singles were re-released on c.d. by Bullseye Records, as part of the Canadian Classics REDISCovered MAPLegacy series. A song from their debut album, "In From The Cold" (co-written by Ray,) was included in a late 90's episode of popular T.V. series Beverly Hills 90210. Currently, as well as being a member of Loco Zydeco, Ray plays acoustic guitar with side project The Tucson Choir Boys, (with Dave The Cat,) bass for Blues great Cheryl Lescom and Classic& Modern Rock cover band Shakedown, as well as composing original music for soundtracks, with recording partner, Les Graham. When putting together Loco Zydeco, Ray approached three fellow vets of the Toronto music scene. In no particular order - rubboard player Kris "K.K." Walsh, vocalist Rob "Bango" Urquhart and lead guitarist Dave "The Cat" McLean were the first to join. Kris and Ray have collaborated for many years, having lived together for the last 20. She was co-founder, keyboardist, flautist, vocalist and composer for Rave Revues and replaced The Crockodiles' original rubboard player in the late 90's. She has also had the great pleasure of subbing in on rubboard with Louisiana's own The Zydeco Bone Shaker's at New Orleans' world famous Mid-City Lanes Rock'N'Bowl. Lead vocalist and harp player Bango goes back to the mid-90's with Ray, both being members and composers with independent recording act Hemingway's Gun. Bango is a veteran live performer (The Get Bent Boogie Band and Nite Crew to name two,) a veteran studio performer (Graham Urquhart,) and is a song writing partner of Ray's . Lead guitarist and vocalist Dave The Cat goes back to the early 90's with Ray, being the original guitar player for Bungled Coup. Bungled Coup was a hard rockin' outfit formed by Ray and his good pal and notorious Toronto rocker, Stark Naked. Dave is also a veteran of the Toronto mid 80's alternative scene (Ministry Of Love and Laughing Apples,) for years fronted his own Rockabilly band (Dave The Cat) and is a song writing partner of Ray's. As well as Loco Zydeco, Dave also currently plays guitar for Cheryl Lescom and handles lead acoustic guitar and lead vocals in The Tucson Choir Boys. Bassist and vocalist Les Graham met Ray while doing live sound for The Crockodiles. As well as being a producer and live sound & studio engineer, Les runs his own digital recording studio and recorded and engineered Loco Zydeco's debut c.d., "Yeah, you right, eh!", as well as assisting on their second album, "This Great White North, Eh!" He has performed in the past with stage musicals, Big Band Jazz (The Big Wind Stage Band) and has played both bass and lead guitar for independent recording Country act Ghost Road. Les, in turn, introduced drummer Mike Menheere to Loco Zydeco. Mike is another veteran studio and live performer, from Big Band Jazz (The Big Wind Stage Band,) to musicals, to alternative acts like Riddle Me This. Mike's inventive and solid drumming style was the icing on the cake, and Loco Zydeco started rehearsing in 2001. By late spring, 2002, Loco Zydeco was ready to perform and made their live debut at the Toronto International BBQ + Blues Festival, July 12th, 2002. Since then they have played to standing ovations and demands for encores at Wakefield, Quebec's Cajun Festival, Kitchener's Blues, Brews & BBQ's Festival, Sault Ste. Marie's The Soo Jazz & Blues Festival, the Toronto Jazz Fest, Belleville's End Of Winter Blues Fest, the Downtown Oakville Jazz Festival, the Oshawa Jazz & Blues Fest, the Lakeshore Mardi Gras, the Port Credit SouthSide Shuffle Jazz + Blues Festival, the Orillia Spring Blues Festival, Toronto's Junction Arts Festival, the Mississauga Waterfront Festival, the Aurora Concert in the Park series, the City of Toronto's Winterfest and Celebrate Toronto, Port Credit's Paint The Town Red Canada Day Celebrations and The Distillery District Jazz Festival. They also perform at clubs, bars and private, corporate and specialty events throughout Ontario. Their set list includes original Zydeco, covers of well known traditional and contemporary Zydeco and their own Zydeco interpretations of popular mainstream songs. Their debut c.d. "Yeah, you right, eh!" was released in September of 2003 and is currently receiving airplay on approximately 30 community, college and commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. A radio station in the tiny island nation of The Seychelles (in the Indian Ocean, just off Africa) has recently started playing the c.d., proving the truly international appeal of Zydeco. In 2005, Loco Zydeco signed with Kitchener, ON based record label, flamingcheese records, and has just released their 2nd album "This Great White North, Eh!" in September, 2006. I Wanna Take You To The Zydeco Ruby Don't Rock Old Gray Cat Why Here With You My Sweet Jolie Snakebite That's Zydeco Zydeco Excursion Zsycho Crazy Juice Couldn't Get You Off My Mind Talk To Me Crop Dustin Zydeco Accelerator [14 Tracks -- 47:07] flamingcheese records - SW-6197 snippet of song "I Wanna Take You To The Zydeco" (1:28) snippet of song "Zsycho" (1:23) LocoZydeco WEB site flamingcheese records WEB site Cover: Adam de Clote   Submitted by: Ray Walsh    cz.685-D6286

Racines - "Racines" Pre-Release Notice Racines till a layor of soil that enriches a culture thatis strongly defined today by its music! A powerful fusion of Cajun Music ambassadors... bringing you the ultimate in South Louisiana bayou roots music. When I think of Racines, I picture not just roots, as the word is translated from Cajun French, but roots specific to Southwest Louisiana. Live Oak roots, which are as strong and heavy as the branches they support, or Cypress roots, which are light but hard and impermeable to water. The first remain hidden, doing all their work in the depths of the soil, while the second have the audacity to rise above the ground themselves, growing through water towards the sky. Racines, the group, has a good dose of both these things. They are undoubtedly grounded in the Louisiana traditions that reach back as far as history can go yet they push forward at the same time, bringing the music new light and air. Steve Riley has been one of SW Louisiana's premier musicians for twenty years now, getting his start with Dewey Balfa in the mid-1980s. His group, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, remains one of the world's most influential Cajun bands. In listening to Racines, one can feel Steve's desire to step out of the spotlight of a leadership role and into a musical circle where all members contribute equally, like roots, to the growth of the project. For one thing, he's set aside the notion of the accordion as the dominant instrument and returned it to its original role as an eager partner to the fiddle. With Racines he seems more determined than ever to show that music becomes more than the sum of its parts when each of those parts is allowed its full capacity. In seeking fiddlers to step as equals into this circle, one couldn't do better than Kevin Wimmer and Mitch Reed. Kevin, another musician who got his start in the Cajun tradition with Dewey Balfa, plays with uncommon power and sings with raw, bluesy soul. He is one of few fiddlers who can get as much rhythm out of a fiddle as another musician might get out of a rubboard. Mitch is another such fiddler. His instantly recognizable style draws heavily on the music of Dennis McGee and several Creole players but also exhibits a swarthy funk that comes from internal inspiration alone. Mitch plays solid, full-toned bass, a skill he contributes not only to Racines but also to the well-known group Beausoleil. Chris Stafford, a founder of the group Feufollet, has been known as a musician's musician in Southwest Louisiana since before he entered his teenage years. When it comes to guitar, his primary instrument in Racines, he combines the skill and musicality of a Nashville cat with the pulse and laid-back soul of a bayou boy. His playing on both electric and acoustic guitars adds depth and heat to the music. Glenn Fields is a highly musical drummer who, like Kevin, spends much of his time on stage with the Red Stick Ramblers. He gives back meaning to the term "skins," getting tone and feel from his drums that do more to remind us of their tribal origins than their synthetically sampled counterparts. His drumming is organic, full of dynamics that never lessen the pulse beneath. If you took all the roots of Southwest Louisiana music and grafted them together, you would end up with Racines. Their music, like the roots they are named after, draws life from the nutrients abundant in the local soil. In this corner of Louisiana, that means Cajun, Zydeco, Creole, Swamp Pop, Blues, and more. Near Kevin's house there's a bent oak, a tree whose trunk was forced into a pointed shape by members of the Chitimacha tribe a few hundred years ago to mark a trail for travelers. The tree still stands and grows, and it still points the way if we can discern the destination. By keeping the roots alive, Racines help us see where to go and bring us what we need to get there. -- Dirk Powell, 2006 Chère Bebe Gabrielle Café Chaud Johnnie Billie Goat Gone to the Country Marcantel Reel/Reel de Coquin [medley] My Baby She's Gone to Stay Drunkards' Waltz Reel Perdu/Fruge's Reel [medley] I Hear You Knockin' Horse With No Shoes Reel de Crapaud/Reel Fâché Mon Coeur Fail Pus Mal Mazurka/Guilbeau Pelican/Waltz that Finished in the         Comer of the House [medley] Crowley 2-step [15 Tracks -- 62:31] Swallow Records - SW-6197 Floyd's Record Shop/Flattown Music/Swallow Records WEB site Cover: Courtney Fuller   Submitted by: Swallow Records    cz.684-D6274

Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers - "Traveling Man" Just Released From Gary J. Edwards, Sound of New Orleans Record Company which moved to Houston, TX due to Hurricican Katrina. Hello folks Here is the latest Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers' CD, "Traveling Man" Sound Of New Orleans - 1069 This has taken quite a while to get finished. We did all of the recording and mixing in New Orleans starting in June of 2005, then the studio and the masters went under 8 feet of nasty salt water for 3 weeks. So, we started again in Houston at Sugar Hill Studios (quite a nice place to work, lots of great recordings have been cut there, we were very comfortable.) Now, after over a year, we are finally getting it out. This is our first new release in almost two years! Things have really been a MESS! But, with the help of many friends, we are trying to put it all back together. I hope that you enjoy the music. Dwayne will be in Italy for the end of December at the Umbria Jazz Festival for 5 days, and other festivals in the USA. We are trying to get some national publicity for the CD. As you may know, Dwayne is probably the most exciting accordionist (button style) in the world. He has the credentials. His skill has been judged highly by everyone who has ever heard him play. His songwriting is very professional, and his approach to being a "stage general" with the band is terrific, never a dull moment. Many thanks for your help. Gary J. Edwards garysoundofneworleans.com Sound of New Orleans (SONO) is proud to announce the release of Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers' first SONO recording, "Traveling Man!" The highly anticipated new release is finally here! Enjoy the high-energy, soulful sounds of Dwayne Dopsie and The Zydeco Hellraisers! By far the best original Zydeco Album of the last decade! Dwayne (Dopsie) Rubin is the son of the legendary "King of Zydeco," Alton "Rockin' Dopsie" Rubin, an accordion master. Born March 3rd, 1979, Dwayne Dopsie was raised in Lafayette, Louisiana at the center of the Zydeco culture. He was immersed in Zydeco literally from birth. By the age of four, he was already accomplished on the washboard, the instrument of choice of his older brother, but soon switched to the accordion. By the age of six, he had already appeared in a Community Coffee television commercial and later performed on The Dolly Parton Show. After traveling the Zydeco circuit with his family, Dwayne formed his own Zydeco band at the age of 19, continuing in the family tradition of playing southwest Louisiana's unique music. Along the way, he has achieved national and international recognition. Dwayne Dopsie has performed on CBS This Morning, The Travel Channel, Discovery, 20/20, Good Morning America and The Fox Television Network. With his father and brother, he performed at Super Bowl XXIV. Dwayne Dopsie's immense talent, technical proficiency, and charismatic stage presence have garnered him numerous national and local industry awards. In 1999 The American Accordionists Association called him "The Hottest Accordion in America." His band won New Orleans' "Battle of The Bands" competition in 1999 and 2000 and was also voted "The Best Zydeco Band" by Offbeat Magazine in 1999. In both 2001 and 2002 Offbeat Magazine named him "The Best Upcoming Artist". On December 3, 2002, "Hey Rosalee" from his 2002 independently released CD, Now it Begins, hit #1 on Mp3.com's Zydeco chart after fewer than two months online. In 2004, he was voted Best Accordion by the "Best of the Offbeat" Awards by Offbeat Magazine, New Orleans, Louisiana. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers has performed not only across America but also internationally, both live and on film. In 2004, the group was filmed on MTV in Brazil, and Programa JO in South America. Dwayne completed music for a television show, "Nikki & Nora," filmed in New Orleans to air on UPN Network, and was featured on "The Jamie Kennedy Show" airing on the Warner Network. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers has appeared as a featured act of the prestigious New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival annually since 2000, and was a headliner at the Syracuse Blues Festival in both 2001 and 2002. The national and local press has taken note of the group as well. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers was featured on Playboy's website and has been covered in the New York Times, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times. In 2002 alone, Dwayne Dopsie made the covers of three New Orleans publications: Big City Blues Magazine, The Insiders Guide to Lovin' New Orleans: Visitor Magazine, and Offbeat Magazine. In 2003, he was featured on the cover of The Louisiana Music Directory. The Internet abounds with information on the group in the many exciting Zydeco web sites. All the buzz is entirely justified. "Traveling Man" is both accomplished and vibrant. Reinterpreting authenticity can be a tricky proposition. "Traveling Man" does it by combining the heart and soul of Zydeco's traditions with the energy and modern sensibility of a young band. Dwayne Dopsie's songwriting showcases his superb playing, and his band brilliantly supports both. The result is incendiary, soul-stirring Zydeco. My Baby's On ThePhone I Wish You Was Mine Peace Of Mind My Louisiana Beauty Traveling Man Where'd My Baby Go My Name Is Hurricane Thinking Of You Everybody Say Zydeco Two Step [10 Tracks -- 39:44] Sound of New Orleans Records - SONO 1069 snippet of song "My Baby's On The Phone" (1:00) snippet of song "Traveling Man" (:54) Music Snippets via Louisiana Music Factory, New Orleans Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers' WEB site Sound of New Orleans WEB site Cover: Green's Graphic Design   Submitted by: Gary J. Edwards    cz.683-D6270

Chris Ardoin & NuStep - "M.V.P." Just Released "This album is dedicated to all the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Chris Ardoin & NuStep would like to let you know that things may knock us down but they can't knock us out. It may be hard to keep ya head up and think positive but just know god won't let y down and there are better days ahead. Much love." -- Chris Ardoin Chris Ardoin & NuStep hit the Zydeco music scene a couple of years ago with a high energy style heavily influenced by R & B that has captured audiences around the world. Many of you may remember Chris from his former band, Chris Ardoin & Double Clutchin', that had a lot of success before the infamous breakup. With much success of NuStep's last release "Sweat", the band's infectious sound Chris was looking for had been found. Chris, coming from the first family of Creole music, says "My style is more R & Z which is rhythm & Zydeco. That's me I'm comfortable where I am with my style of music." This CD is sure to get you movin' and groovin' from start to finish. The heavily anticipated nu album, MVP, has many hits music lovers everywhere are sure to crave even incorporating a marching band's drum section in the fan favorite "NuStep Anthem"! From the first song "Stallion" an uptempo jam about a woman who has it all to "MVP" a song Chris says is about his talents being underestimated and finally getting his chance to get his shine on. In this songs he states: "Hate it or love it this underdog's on top / I'm gon shine until my heart stop / Envy me / I'm Zydeco's mvp / I ain't going nowhere so you t can get to know me. "Thinkin Bout Leavin", a song that tells about a man who thinks material things were what his woman needed, features a fan of the band, Tomeka Carrier from Oberiin, LA. After being delayed getting the studio back in order after Hurricane's Katrina and Rita, the band got back to recording even having to re-record some songs but at last its here. Nineteen footstomping, heart felt, soul cleansing, good time jams are in store for you with this nu release so get loose and get ready to listen and dance to the sounds of Chris Ardoin & NuStep. Keep It Kountry Baby!!! Stallion Fightin' Temptation Where Do We Go? Thinkin' Bout Leavin [featuring Maka] Pressure Sweat ReMix '06 Canailla & Jalou Waitin' 4 This Moment M.V.P. Whose Da Boss Cry Shine On Candyman Like A Star Ride My Trailride What Would U Do Chicken Run NuStep Anthem Sweat ReMix '06 [Chopped Up & Screwed Up] [19 Tracks -- 1:06:44] NuStep4Lyfe Entertainment - 2006 snippet of song "Stallion" (1:19) snippet of song "M.V.P." (1:14) Music Snippets via Louisiana Music Factory, New Orleans Chris Ardoin & NuStep WEB site Visit Chris' Myspace page (some additional tracks) Cover: Unknown   Submitted by: Chris Ardoin    cz.682-D6269

Dunice Theriot - "The Essential Collection" Just Released Dunice Theriot (December 23, 1944 - March 27, 1990) recorded and released several 45rpm "singles" during his lifetime of mostly songs he composed. Some were sung in Cajun French and others in English. The singles were all released on Dunice's own Sportsman record label and were later licensed to Swallow Records after his 1972 recording of "Cotton Rows (...le rangs d'coton), "which was a big hit in Cajun country. The only album collection of these earlier recordings of Dunice was produced on 8-track tape by Swallow records as a "custom" production for Dunice. Like Dunice's record label name implies, he was a sportsman who loved hunting and fishing when he wasn't writing songs and playing music."! can't explain the kind of love I have for the wilderness. I've quit good paying jobs to be free, to be able to go everyday in nature's path to freedom. But, I've always provided for my family," Dunice was quoted in 1987. He and his dad started fishing together when Dunice was 16.They fished crawfish in the spring and catfish the rest of the year when not hunting bullfrogs and alligators. From 1965 through the early 1980s, he played dances with his family band: himself on guitar, his daughter, Debbie, on keyboard/piano, and his son, Dennis, on bass. Some of the nightclubs they played included the Old River Club at Butte LaRose, Scrantz's in Grand Anse, Knott's Lounge in Arnaudville, Theriot Lounge in Breaux Bridge, the Western Lounge in Crowley, the Balcony Lounge in Henderson, and several Lafayette area lounges and nightclubs. In the late 1960s, Dunice began a job with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries where he worked for the fisheries division. He later moved on to commercial fishing and spent the last ten years of his life operating a fish market in Henderson. Over the years, the songs he recorded gained him many fans who, even today, call their favorite Louisiana radio stations and request his records. Because most radio station now play from digital sources, such as compact discs, and because fans continuously ask for a CD album of his songs, Swallow Records decided a tribute album of Dunice Theriot was long overdue. -- Swallow Records All My Love (Tous Mon Amitie) Till the Day That I Die Cotton Rows (Les Rangs d'Coton) Dance With Me Mermentau Waltz Ote Les Chaines (Take These Chains) Living Cajun Style They'll Never Take Her Love Loneliness Memories Henderson Waltz Little By Little Cajun Joker Prison Ennuyant (Lonesome Prison) Operator Dial Home Folsom Prison Blues [16 Tracks -- 41:50] Swallow Records - SW 6198 snippet of song "Cotton Rows" (:30) snippet of song "Henderson Waltz" (:30) Music Snippets via Flattown Music Co., Eunice, Louisiana Floyd's Record Shop/Flattown Music/Swallow Records WEB site Cover Photo: Unknown   Submitted by: Flattown Music Company    cz.681-D6263

The Twin City Playboys - "Texas Memories" Kevin Anthony (Twin Cities Playboys) writes, "This album is a collection of songs that I learned while growing up in Galveston, Texas. My grandparents played the local favorites of Texas and from our Cajun neighbors just across the Sabine river to the East. "Galveston is an island in the Gulf of Mexico that has a rich history weaved into its fiber. It was here as a kid that I was exposed to the multitude of music and cultures that made an impression upon me. Growing up, my brother & I logged many miles on the Texas highways and byways with our grandfather, Tommie Hooper Jr. (born in Calcasieu parish, Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1919). Along the way we listened to a collection 8 track tapes and the radio in his Ford pickup. It was these trips that formed my musical identity as we rolled along the wide open space of Texas with our musical companions George Jones, Jim Reeves, Pasty Cline, Tammy Wynette, Charley Pride, Johnny Rodriguez, Vin Bruce, Jimmy C. Newmann, Rufus Thibodeaux, Frenchie Burke, The Kershaw Brothers and all the greats! "I started playing guitar in the 5th grade and practicing to my parents' Charley Pride LPs and 8 tracks. For the next 15 years I pursued various types of music and recently have made my way back to the roots. I longed for that sound that I heard as a kid traveling throughout Texas. So, after a long time away from home and from my musical roots I have slowly made my way back. While this CD is not perfect, it's raw and it's got soul. Most of all, it represents for me what it's all about. It takes me back to the time when me and my grandmother Violet (born 1913 Galveston, Texas) would play Robert Johnson's "Travelin' Riverside Blues" in the balmy breezes of Galveston. Enjoy! ----- The Twin City Playboys pay tribute to the good old days of country and Cajun music from Texas and Southwest Louisiana. Drawing from a rich musical background learned from his grandparents in Galveston, Texas, fiddler Kevin Anthony and The Twin City Playboys perform country & Cajun tunes in the classic style. Music was a large part of Kevin's childhood life in Galveston, Texas where Sunday afternoon found the family playing music from greats such as Bob Wills, Pee Wee Kershaw, The Balfa Brothers, Iry Lejuene, Johnny Rodriguez, Lefty Frizzell, Frenchie Burke, George Jones and the list goes on. Growing up in Galveston, Texas was unique in that its' location was a crossroads of Cajun French music from across the Sabine river to the East, Mexican music from the South and country/blues tunes as unique as Texas itself. These combined influences left their unique impression on Kevin and he has been carrying on the tradition ever since. The Twin City Playboys are currently based in Minneapolis and combine native Minnesotans John Tallaksen on Cajun accordion, Eric Paulson on the bull fiddle, Al Epp on the trap kit and Bill Quinn on pedal steel. The Twin City Playboys seamlessly combine genre classics such as "Jolie Blon" & "Fraulein" along with original material with a distinct shuffle reminiscent of Texas & SW Louisiana dancehalls. The Twin City Playboys debut CD "Texas Memories" features "The Violet Two Step" (Named after Kevin's grandmother Violet), "The Walleye Two Step" (A nod to Kevin's new surroundings in Minnesota), "Galveston Waltz" and a few genre classics such as "Crazy Arms" & "Waltz Across Texas" Also featured on this album is the mandolin & guitar work of the Cajun fiddler Al Berard of The Basin Brothers. Violet Two Step Galveston Waltz Hello Trouble Waltz Across Texas Crazy Arms Gran Mamou Lacassine Special Jolie Blon Walleye Two Step PLUS THREE SOUND EFFECTS TRACKS [12 Tracks (9 + 3) -- 30:40] Loop Start Music snippet of song "Violet Two Step" (2:00) snippet of song "Lacassine Special" (2:00) Music Snippets via CDBaby.com. The Twin Cities Playboy's WEB site Cover Photo: Violet Anthony   Band Photo: Darin Back   Submitted by: Twin City Playboys    cz.680-D6262

Willis Prudhomme & Zydeco Express - "Living Legend" "We play it traditional ... Not too fast... not too slow ... so that people can dance." -- Willis Prudhomme Willis Prudhomme has secured his position as one of the "old guard" of Zydeco artists. Born In Kinder, Louisiana, in 1931, Willis didn't begin performing until his late thirties. Willis earned his stripes alongside greats such as BooZoo Chavis, John Delafose, and Beau Jocque. His place in the history of Zydeco secure, the "Cornbread Man" has remained an influential part of the Zydeco community today. Still a vibrant, active man in his seventies, Willis has remained active on the Zydeco Circuit, having become a staple at the New Orleans JazzFest and Beale Street Zydeco Festival as well as performing at festivals in Louisiana and nationwide. Willis' music has been covered by many Zydeco artists, and one of his songs even appeared in the movie Passion Fish, in which Willis also had a small role. Willis has been and will continue to be a leader of the traditional Zydeco movement. He remains true to his Creole Culture, and carries the torch for his friends who have passed on, but whose music lives on. Born in Kinder in 1931, Willis Prudhomme grew up as a member of a sharecropper family at a time when Creole music played at house dances offered a few hours of escape from working in the fields. Prudhomme went on to become a rice and soybean farmer. When he was 45 years old, he taught himself to play harmonica and then switched to accordion;he learned the basic fingering from legendary Cajun accordionist Nathan Abshire. Prudhomme played for a number of years with Leo Thomas' band before starting his own band. His first recording was a live performance at Richard's Club near Lawtell for Rounder Records, released in 1989 as Zydeco Live! Vol. 2. Prudhomme sings "Zydeco Queen." Prudhomme also appeared in John Sayles' movie Passion Fish, released in 1993 which afforded him great exposure. Willis has toured all around the country and overseas. As a Zydeco musician and leader of his own band since the early '70s, he performs the old style French Zydeco songs, as well as his own versions of Cajun standards, Willis Prudhomme is carrying on in the tradition of the late Boozoo Chavis and the late John Delafose. Originally a harmonica player, he was encouraged by his brothers to switch to the accordion. Have Fun Tonight Good Time Woman Ya Ya Madeline Yesterday Used To Love You Oh Bye Moreau Digga La Louisiana Woman What A Price Trailride Butt Thang Oh Mom Need It Right Now [14 Tracks -- 4o:08] Zydeco Gumbo Records - ZG-0004 Willis Prudhomme's WEB site My Space Profile CCW Productions' WEB site Cover Credit: Adrien Washington      Submitted by: Cullen Washington    cz.679-D6261

Keep checking back for as new photos arrive they will be replacing those that are currently posted. Submit your photos for display - NOW! Gary Hayman

	LOTS MORE HERE:            Cajun/Zydeco REAL CZ Photos
For a limited time you can see the rest of the entire collection  ID#s 001 to 678