Phil Menard and His Cajun Five-Dugas Day Special

                                           
Growing up Phil Menard first heard Cajun music at house dances near the Pine Island community. He recalls seeing Joe and Cleoma Falcon play at Philmeon Foriester's dance hall in Pine Island. He remembers house dances in the community where he heard some of Cajun music pioneers play such as Dennis McGee, J.B. Fuselier and Leo Soileau.


After spending years listening to Cajun music, he heard Aldus Roger play when he was 12 and it sparked his interest in playing accordion. By 1939 Phil began attending a club in Pine Island and he saw bands such as Papa Cairo there. The music in the club was mainly string band but occasionally J.B. Fuselier would play a tune on accordion.

He began courting his wife a couple years later. Her father was Bull Leger and Phil would come visit and watch him play. Phil's wife says she wasn't too sure if Phil came around to see her or to see her father play. Phil began to learn the accordion, married, and moved to Orange, Texas. 

Later he moved to Lake Charles where he opened a service station. His father in law opened a restaurant next to the service station and many accordion greats like Nathan Abshire and Lawrence Walker and play there.

In 1953 he met Cursey Fontenot who had a band called the Louisiana Travelers. Cursey asked Phil to join the band and he played with them for five years. He quit playing for a couple of years, but continued to play local jam sessions. In 1964, he rejoined Cursey's band and got back into the music business. Cursey eventually moved and Phil retained the Louisiana Travelers name for his band.

The band were beginning to get bookings and even played on KPLC for a while. By 1967 Phil approached Eddie Shuler and they set a recording date. The first two records were recorded as Phil Menard and the Cajun Five due to Cursey Fontenot occasionally booking as the Louisiana Travelers and Eddie Shuler did not want a conflict. The second record they recorded for Shuler's Folk-Star label was "Dougas Day Special".

"Dougas Day Special" was written for Jerry Dugas, a KJEF disc jockey, and commemorated a day of celebrations for his contributions to the promotion of Cajun music. This session included Robert Bertrand, who at this time was a in demand session musician. Robert played with the Travelers until commitments with his group increased.

After Cursey joined the Pineywood Playboys, Phil began using the Louisiana Travelers band name on all his recordings and bookings. The band played with steady bookings around the area, including playing at VFW Post 2130 where they played for the next eleven years.
                                      
Resources
Ron Yule-Cajun Dancehall Heyday

Release info
AND HIS CAJUN FIVE
Acdn, Robert Bertrand (v/ fdl), Wallace Derouen (g), Nelson Bergeron (st-g),
Garland Domingue (d)
Goldband Studio, Lake Charles LA: 1967

-1 Dougas day special (instrumental) Folk-Star 1209
-2 My mama and papa Folk-Star 1209