Joe Falcon- Corrina, Corrina

                                       

After December of 1937, Joe Falcon's recording career ceased. Many factors contribute to this, from feeling cheated by record companies to having to take care of ailing family members. But Joe didn't necessarily need to record. He had built up his reputation from his first 1928 recordings to his continued recordings until 1937. Joe could have easily rested on his legacy as one of Cajun music's leading artists, but he continued performing.

Cajun string bands found themselves competing for the same venues as big brass and bigger Texas String Bands and soon many groups started increasing the numbers in their small groups. As for Joe, he formed his Silver String Band as a result of this in the late 1930's.

This group continued playing in the area until the early 1960's. Joe still drew a good crowd at the dances he played bring in old and new fans. And for the band it had changed over the years. After his first wife, Cleoma, had passed away in 1941; Joe remarried. He married Therese Meaux, whose nephew was Huey Meaux. Therese took over drumming duties in the band after the regular drummer failed to show one night. Joe's brother in law, Clifford Breaux had played in the Silver String Band until he passed until 1960. Then Lionel Leleux took over fiddling duties in the band.

By the summer of the early 1960's Joe was still playing dances almost every weekend. He had not made any records since 1937 and kept busy with these weekend shows. In 1963, Joe was playing at the Triangle Club in Scott. While Joe had been reluctant to record for the local recording labels, he had agreed to let Lauren Post's wife record him playing live at the club. The album was released by Chris Strachwitz's Arhoolie label in 1968.

 Typical of most groups at the time, Joe's band played a variety of music styles at their shows. They played the country songs popular of the time as well as many of the Cajun music classics. From the recording, Joe performed"Corrina Corrina". The song has a long history but was popularized by groups in the Western Swing era. Fiddler Leo Soileau also recorded the number during a Decca session in 1935.

The recording is not anything spectacular by any means. But considering it was made with one microphone standing on a table near the bandstand, its quite a remarkable recording. All the instruments were amplified except the drums and the sound came over the house PA system. After this show, Joe would play one more dance and would quit performing live due to declining health.

The recording of this show is significant as it gives us a glimpse into the earliest field recording of a Cajun band in a Cajun dance hall. The recording also provides insight into what a dance hall sounded like during the Cajun Honky Tonk era of the 1950's and 1960's.


Therese's nephew, Huey Meaux, had started his own record label called Crazy Cajun in the 1960's. He released artists such as Andrew Cormier and the Rambling Aces in the labels early years. He released a couple of Falcon-Breaux releases on his label as well. This 45 on Crazy Cajun 514 was the first with two more Falcon-Breaux releases afterwards.



Resources
Wade Falcon
liner notes Arh. 459