Robert Bertrand- Tee Maurice

Robert Bertrand was originally from Hathaway, Louisiana; but in 1952, his family moved to Lake Charles. His father, Jake, was a Cajun fiddler and had played with the Elton Playboys. Robert followed in his father's footsteps and learned the fiddle as well. He was a fast learner and soon he and his father were playing at dance halls near Eunice by late 1950.

While living in Lake Charles, Jake and Robert joined accordionist Bobby Leger and played together. They formed the Lake Charles Playboys around 1955. Robert being the better vocalist, provided vocals for the group. Together the group recorded several records at J.D. Miller's studio in Cowley.

Robert played as a sideman playing with numerous local bands in the area. He played drums with Iry LeJeune in the mid 1950's and also played with Sidney Brown.  He played drums, fiddle, and guitar with Joe Bonsall and Phil Menard as well.

In 1965, Robert formed the Louisiana Ramblers. They recorded a couple sides for Miller's label then started recording for Eddie Shuler's Goldband Records. The bulk of Robert's recording output was with Goldband between 1966 and 1970. Jo-El Sonnier played accordion with the group for a while the first year, recording a couple sides for the label.

Around 1967, accordionist John Oliver started plating with the group. John Oliver was born June 18, 1915 in Mowata, Louisiana. In the early 1950's he recorded for the New Orleans based label Meladee Records and recorded one record with them. He moved to Lake Charles in 1962 and by 1967 he was recording with Robert and the Ramblers.

In 1968 the Louisiana Ramblers recorded "Tee Maurice" for Goldband in their Lake Charles studio. It would mark the first recording of Oliver on accordion with the group. The group borrowed the tune as a cover of Oran "Doc" Guidry's recording of "Le Nuevo Tit Maurice". Originally it was recorded by Happy Fats and Doc for RCA during a 1946 session. It was also recorded in 1952 by Terry Clement and his brothers.

John would continue playing with the Ramblers until around 1970. Afterwards the group would use Geno Thibodeaux and Ervin LeJeune to play accordion on recordings sessions. By 1970, Robert had became a standard musician at Goldband Records and Eddie Shuler would use him on other artist's records.

Chris Strachwitz, of Arhoolie records, regretted the day when he told Shuler that the Goldband recordings lacked "bottom" due to the primitive studio conditions.  Thereupon, Eddie proceeded to reissue many of his pristine 1950s recordings, sacrilegiously, with plodding bass guitar and fiddle overdubs. The bass track overdubs were allegedly done by Jo-El Sonnier and Robert Bertrand overdubbed fiddle and guitar on some recordings.

Ervin recalls Robert borrowing Iry's fiddle to record at Goldband studio and notes that most fiddle recordings by Robert in the late 1970's were recorded with Iry LeJeune's fiddle; Robert like the sound the instrument made.

Resources
Early Cajun Music Blog- Wade Falcon
Ron Yule-Cajun Dancehall Heyday
Nick Leigh-Cajun Records 1946-1989
Mitch S. for Bertrand pictures

Release info
Robert Bertrand with John Oliver 
V/fdl, John Oliver (acdn), Ed Gary, T-June Benoit, Wallace Derouen (g), Garland
Domingue (d)
Goldband Studio, Lake Charles LA: 1968-1969
-1 (9060) Tee’ mamou blues Goldband 1199
-2 (9061) Tee’ Maurice Goldband 1199

Iry Le June Jr- "Love Bridge Waltz"

A artist that recorded for Goldband Records was listed as "Iry Le June Jr.". To some this name draws puzzled looks and questions. Who was Iry Le June Jr.? This artist recorded 2 records for Goldband and Jador. But the idenity of the artist is none other than Ervin J. Lejeune, Iry's oldest child, who was not named for his famous father.


Ervin began playing at house dances around the age of nine or ten. He played his father's accordion around the house but his mother Wilma, keep it guarded. In 1963, Ervin played at a tribute to Iry at the Sparkle Paradise in Bridge City. By 1966, Ervin moved to Sulphur for work and began playing with musicians in the area. He was underage at the time and club owners would let him sneak in and play.


Ervin had been playing with Jake and Robert Bertrand at clubs in the late 1960's. After some time, Ervin joined the Louisiana Ramblers. Robert wanted to record and talked Ervin into recording, even though he was leery of Eddie Shuler and his buisness practices. This uneasiness came from Iry's unfavorable dealings with Eddie and Goldband. Ervin wanted to step out on his own playing music as a solo act.

In the early 1970's, Ervin set up a recording session at Goldband like his father before him, with the recordings being produced by Eddie Shuler. "Lawtell Two Step" and "Love Bridge Waltz" was recorded with Robert Betrand on fiddle. When Ervin went to the studio to pick up some records to sell, he discovered Eddie had used the Iry Le June Jr tag and a argument ensued. Eddie had used this as a tactic to sell more records and Ervin, who was trying to establish his own musical identity wasn't happy. This conflict between Ervin and Eddie over mislabeling would happen once more before Ervin had had enough.


Joining Ervin on the session was Robert Bertrand on fiddle, Ronnie Anderson on drums, and T-June Benoit on guitar.


Reflecting on the session and dealing with Shuler, Ervin stated:

"Iry had already been down that path before and I decided not to go there."

Ervin continued playing at festivals throughout Louisiana and Texas. He recorded with the Calcasieu Cajuns, Louisiana Ramblers, and the Sundown Playboys. Along the way he also took up accordion building. He passed away on January 26, 2018.

Resources
Ron Yule-Iry Lejeune- Wailin'The Blues Cajun Style

Robert Bertrand and Jo El Sonnier- "Memphis"

Robert Bertrand was influenced growing up by his relatives playing music and started playing at a young age. He played with Iry Lejune and was a member of Nathan Abshire's Pinegrove Boys.  He soon joined Bobby Leger's group, The Lake Charles Playboys. After a while he started his own band called "The Louisiana Ramblers". They recorded for J.D. Miller's labels, Fais Do Do and Cajun Classics.

 Jo El was influenced by Iry Lejune growing up.  He won many  accordion contests before recording with Swallow at 13 years old. When he finished school, he moved to Lake Charles where he joined Bertrand's Louisiana Ramblers.

Miller started his record label after the success of Harry Choate's "Jole Blon". He started the Fais Do Do label in 1946 and continued it until 1949. He then recorded Cajun Music on Feature Records from 1950-1954.



In the late 50's, Miller started recording Cajun music again. Although he stopped using the Fais Do Do label in 1949, he mysteriously brought it back in 1959 for a Robert Bertrand release. He then used it once more in 1965 for a recording of Bertrand and Jo El Sonnier.










The 1965 recording with Jo El doing a cover of Chuck Berry's "Memphis"  backed with "Mother's Day Waltz" was more successful. This time around it was the new group; Robert Bertrand and His Louisiana Ramblers. Around this time, Rock and Roll and Swamp Pop dominated over Cajun Music. Some of the musicians mixed  Cajun music with Rock and Roll to create some truly interesting results. Just as Johnnie Allan mixed the accordion with Chuck Berry's "The Promised Land",  Sonnier and Bertrand added Cajun accordion and fiddle to compliment this unique cover.

On the 1965 recording of "Memphis" and "Mother's Day Waltz",  Jo El sang the lead backed by Bertrand, Hilrae Mott, Herman Rhodes, Dusty Rhodes, and  Garland Domingue. In 1966, Jo El would go on to record with Bertrand on Goldband after these recordings . Afterwards Jo-El would start his solo career on Goldband. Robert Bertrand would have a string of recordings on Goldband through the 70's.

Resources

John Broven- South To Louisiana

Lyle Ferbrache-Acadian All Star Special