Floyd LeBlanc- Roseland Two Step

Floyd LeBlanc was born on September 17, 1924 in Mermentau, Louisiana. His father Lessin, played accordion and fiddle while his mother, Merillia, played guitar and sang. In the early 1930's the family moved to Cypress Point, where Floyd and his brother began making homemade instruments because the family coundn't afford real instruments. Floyd was influenced first by Luderin Darbone of the Hackberry Ramblers, who were popular in the area.

While Floyd's playing was similar to Harry Choates, he  added a Cajun sensibility to the post war Cajun swing music of this era. During the peak of Cajun music resurgence, he recorded several of his own French fiddle tunes.

His biggest break came when he joined Bennie Hess and his Oklahoma Tornadoes and recorded sides for the Opera label in the late 40's. The band traveled around playing their mixture of country music. Floyd also contributed to the label by introducing them to Iry LeJeune. In 1949 he recorded for Virgel Bozmen's O.T. label but in 1950, he quit playing for a while opening his own business and focusing on his family. He opened Floyd's Net Shop on Fontenot Road in Lake Charles and worked as a carpenter and fished commercially during this time. 

Floyd's ability to adapt to Cajun and country music styles is evidenced by his numerous recordings during his career. His smooth fiddling style has gone unappreciated it seems, along the years. Many musicians that heard him play recall his style and remember hearing him on the radio and being in awe.

After a departure from recording Cajun and focusing on other genres, Miller was back in the game in the late 50's. Was he jealous of the success of Swallow Records? No one is quite sure the exact reason. Miller's Cajun Classics was his first label focusing on Cajun music after the Feature label in the late early 50's. Miller's Cajun Classics and Kajun label provided artists a label to record for after the Khoury's label folded.


Floyd's talent was known well around Lake Charles and he was always asked to return and play dances. By the mid-fifties he relented and began playing with Sidney Brown. In the mid 1960's he started back playing at clubs and local shows with Bobby Leger, Robert Bertrand and Jo-El Sonnier. He also played with Dorris Matte on KPLC-TV's "Saturday Night Down South". In 1967, Floyd recorded "Roseland Two Step" again at the Modern Sound Studio in Crowley for Miller's Cajun Classics label. He recorded five songs in all for the Cajun Classics label in April of 1967.

In 1964 Floyd and Oday Boudreaux formed the Louisiana Playboys, one of several bands Floyd headed. The group played dances and also had a Saturday morning slot on KIKS radio in Sulpher. In 1973 he resurfaced on the O'Day label out of Sulpher, recording as Floyd LeBlanc and his Magic Fiddle. He returned to play also with the Orange Playboys, Lake Charles Playboys, Louisiana Ramblers, Pineywood Playboys, Traveler Playboys and the Lake Charles Playboys. He also recorded on two lp's in the 1960's with Joe Bonsall. 

At the time of Floyds death, he and the O'Day label were making a album, which was never completed. Crawford Vincent once said that Floyd wanted to make a tribute album to Luderine Darbone, but never did because Luderin told him that he couldn't make a tribute album of his music until he was dead.

Resources
Ron Yule- Cajun Dancehall Heyday
Ron Yule-Louisiana fiddlers

Release Info:

LH 3207 Roseland Two Step ] Cajun Classics 2001

LH 3208 Tolan Waltz ] Cajun Classics 2001

Aldus Roger -"Oson Two Step"

Kate Webster remembered Miller's producing:
"When you go into J.D. Miller's studio you have to cut perfect records. He hears the least mistake, he seems to have microphones in his ears. Yes, he was a good producer."

J.D. Miller started his Cajun Classics label in 1959 starting with a release by Nathan Abshire. The Cajun Classics label offered many Cajun sounds, from the throwback sounds of Moise Robin to the cajun country of Jimmie Choates. Jay Miller was willing to record almost any kind of material as long as it had commercial potential. The more mainstream Cajun performances were popular. Terry Clement's "Les Filles Mexie" and Floyd Leblanc's "Roseland Two Step" were some of the best. Among some of the great recording artists on the Cajun Classics label was Aldus Roger.

Aldus Roger and the Lafayette Playboys set the standard for modern tradional Cajun  bands. He formed the band in the 1940's and always featured the best musicians. Aldus's playing was unlike other accordionists, his playing was loud and full force. He and his band had a devoted following among dancers and musicians.

Aldus was not new to the J.D. Miller studio. He had first recorded for Miller on his Feature label in 1954 and stopped in 1955. When Miller started recording country and blues, Aldus got lost in the shuffle. In 1958 he recorded again for Floyd Soileau's Vee Pee label and again in 1959 for Goldband. In 1960 returned to recording for Miller and his Cajun Classics label. His first release was "Oson Two Step" backed by "Family Waltz". Aldus was always known for having a tight band and this recording is no exception. Doc Guidry plays fiddle on the track with Phillip Alleman on steel guitar, Johnny Credeur on guitar, T-Man Abshire on bass and Fernest Abshire on drums.

The song is similar to Lawrence Walker's "Osson Two Step" which was recorded in 1956 and Pee Wee Broussard's "Creole Stomp" recorded in 1953. As for Aldus, he led his group for over twenty years. He brought Cajun music to a wider audience on his weekly television program on Channel 10 in Lafayette. They had a full hour on Saturdays to play. They weren't paid for the program, instead they used the show to advertise where they were playing that night. He would continue to play and record into the 1980's.


Resources
Early Cajun Music blog
John Broven- South To Louisiana

Aldus Roger and The Lafayette Playboys- New Mardi Gras Dance

During Mardi Gras in the rural areas of south Louisiana, communities will dance around to the playing of a Cajun accordion, known as the Mardi Gras dance.




Aldus Roger was born in Carencro in 1915. Growing up his father didn't want him playing the accordion. But Aldus would borrow one and sneak out to the barn and play. By his mid-teens he was playing in public. During the 1940's he formed his group, The Lafayette Playboys. Aldus began to make his mark with his band in the 1950's during the accordion revival.

Aldus looked to Lawrence Walker as a inspiration growning up. He remembers watching Lawrence play and imitating his style. In the Lafayette Playboys, he surrounded himself with professional musicians who were well rehearsed. By the 1950's television stations in south Louisiana provided a few shows aimed at local audiences. By June 1955, KLFY offered viewers a half hour Cajun music program of Aldus and his band.


Aldus and his band were recording for J.D. Miller's Feature label at this time. From the late 50's to the 1960's he recorded for Feature, Swallow and Goldband. In 1960 he returned to recording for Miller on his Cajun Classics label. It was here he recorded another version of his Feature Classic, "Mardi Gras Dance". Miller had previously recorded great Cajun Music on his Fais Do Do and Feature label. Around 1955 he had focused on mainly country and blues. With the recent success of Floyd Soileau's Swallow label, Miller started recording Cajun music again on his new 45 labels.

In 1960 he recorded "New Mardi Gras Dance" for Miller's Cajun Classics. The song is a quick tempo, full sounding instrumental with solos throughout the song. Unlike the early traditional chant, the "dance" would have a bluesy chord progression with room for different musicians to take the lead. Aldus's version of the deeply traditional Mardi Gras Dance took it a step further,being pepped up to a frenzy by rock and roll drumming.

It was recorded in Crowley, Louisiana in 1960 at Miller's Modern Sound Studio. Joining in on this version, it featured the great fiddle work of Doc Guidry. Rounding out the band were Phillip Alleman, Johnny Credeur,Tunice Abshire and Fernest Abshire.

Throughout the 1960's he continued performing on KLFY and recording for La Louisianne. His last released record was for Lanor in 1981.

Resources
Early Cajun Music blog
Lyle Ferbrache- Accadian All Star Special