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Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 08:22:08 -0800 (PST)
From: Winslow Yerxa
Subject: Cajun harmonica

A few weeks ago someone asked about Cajun harmonica. I
didn't see a response, so I thought I'd post about
Isom Fontenot.

In the Cajun music I'm aware of, there seems to be
little in the way of recorded harmonica. However there
is one CD that contains 9 cuts of the harmonica playng
of Isom Fontenot, who was about 60 years old when
these field recordings were made by Dr. Harry Oster
between 1955 and 1959 in and around Grand Mamou,
Louisiana.

The CD is titled "Folsksongs of the Louisiana
Acadians" and is on the Arhoolie label, their CD 359.
It comprises two previously released LP's of material
plus some previously unreleased material. This is the
real old-time French stuff, no R&B intermixture, no
fire-on-the-bayuo-alligator-jalapeno gimmicks like
we've seen in recent marketing schemes. The liner
notes frequently compare these versions of the tunes
played and sung to variants found in Canada and
France, and give a fascinatng description of a
traditional Mardi Gras visiting procession.

Anyway, Fontenot sings and plays diatonic single-reed
harmonica in a style that is reminiscent of the
accordion and harmonica playing of both Quebec and
Louisiana, especially the division of melody notes
into shorter, repeated pulsed chordal bursts. he plays
mostly in first position. When he plays in third or
second (one tune each), he always ends with a blow
chord, changing key for the end of the tune. Sometimes
he plays and sings alone, sometimes is accompanied by
triangle and/or fiddle, and sometimes he accompanies a
singer. The lyrics he sings, when are often patchworks
of old folk songs stitched together, create some
pretty bizarre scenes, at least as they come out in
translation.

The fiddling especially and the Cajun music as a whole
comes out with a much more primeval feel to it than
the music of the cousins up north in Quebec and the
Maritime province of Canada. For that and for the
harmonica playing of Isom Fontenot I recommend this
collection.

Winslow

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