Jack Leger was a resident of Opelousas and a native of Port Barre. A World War II veteran, he was a accomplished accordion player who played for many years in Acadiana.
Marc Savoy remembers him well:
"His accordion playing was a beautiful old style reminiscent of Angelas Lejeune. His playing was a transition from the old to the new influences, but he always managed to maintain the technique developed by the old-timers."
Jack's musicians were always either Roscoe Guidroz or his brother Lester. Dave Guidroz, a cousin of these two brothers, was the usual drummer. The fiddler was, for the most part Shelton Manual of Eunice or Ray Cormier of Church Point.
Marc Savoy on Jack:
"Unfortunately his talent was never recognized to the extent that it should've been. His band rarely featured a steel guitar and, during the 60's, the absence of that instrument in a dance band would have prevented any band from being hired in the more popular large dance halls where the better paying jobs were to be found. Jack and his band played a lot in the bars in Eunice and made the rounds at local jam sessions."
A some point in the 1950's Jake made his first record on the Jag Label out of Opelousas. Jag was a label ran by Jake Graffignino. Jake Graffignino was a musician himself and led his own band called Jake Graffignino's Orchestra. He started playing trumpet as a kid and led various jazz bands as a young man. After the World War II, Jake continued playing with jazz bands and travelled over the states playing. But his wife got tired of the travelling, so Jake settled down and opened Jake's Music Shop in 1953.
In the late 1950's he had recorded Rod Bernard and released him on his rare Carl label. Graffignini only had three labels; Carl, High-Up and Jag. Jack and his band were one of the bands from the Opelousas area which Graffignino recorded and released on his Jag label. This one record would be Graffignino's only venture into recording Cajun Music, recording artists like Little Bob instead.
Jack's recording on Jag would be his first record. "Southern Playboys Special" features Jack on vocals and accordion. While the rest of the band is lost to time. The writing credits appear Leger-Labbe on both sides. This could be Wilfred Labie who play guitar in Adam Hebert's Country Playboys. Also interesting is Leger having a full band including steel guitar on the recording.
Jack's "Southern Playboy Special" is similar to another great Cajun song of the 1950's; Sidney Brown's "Sha Ba-Ba" otherwise known as "Chere Bebe".
Jack Leger would continue playing in the area and would go on to record for Lanor and Bee Records later in the 1980's.
Jake Graffignin0's short lived labels would go on to provide a springboard for several Opelousas area artists.
Jack Leger and the Southern Playboys
Acdn, ‘Labbe’ (prob. Wilfred Labie) (v/g), fdl, st-g
Opelousas LA c1950s
J 25 Courtableu waltz Jag 101
J 26 Southern Playboys special Jag 101
Resources
Marc Savoy email interview
Cory McCauley
Shane Benard (for his interview with Jake)
Pudd Shard
Jared Mariconi
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