On December 9, 1929, Amede Ardoin and his partner, Dennis McGee, recorded their first recordings in New Orleans. The very first song they recorded was a number called "Taunt Aline". Ardoin's popularity took off after their first recordings and the music influenced generations to come. One of those influenced was a young boy named Iry LeJeune.
Iry grew up fascinated with the music he heard around him. His great uncle, Angelas Lejeune, was one of the top accordion players in the area. Like McGee and Ardoin, Angelas had recorded in the 1920's as well, recording for the Brunswick label. At the sessions, Angelas would record "La Valse de Church Point" and the first recording of "Perrodin Two Step". Playing with him on the sessions were Dennis McGee and a Church Point fiddler named Ernest Fruge.
Iry would visit Angelas who lived just a mile away and it was there Iry learned how to play the accordion. Angelas also introduced the young Iry to the sounds of other accordion players. At his home, Angelas had a phonograph player and played Iry 78's of other players such as Amede Ardoin, Joe Falcon and Amade Breaux. Iry would sit and listen and study these records, retaining every note in his head. Surely it was there that Iry first heard Ardoin and McGee playing "Taunt Aline".
By 1954, Iry had recorded and released several records. The band kept busy with playing clubs across the area as well. They would play the Blue Goose in Eunice and at the Shamrock Club. Milton Vanicor recalls Nathan Abshire stopping by the Shamrock and playing with Iry and the band one night. Iry would also play at the Red Barn Club in Texas and the China Ball Club in Bristol. Luderin Darbone recalls Iry stopping by the Silver Star to listen to the Hackberry Ramblers from time to time.
In 1952, Eddie had recorded Iry at his home on his reel to reel recorder. He returned in early 1954 to record another session for upcoming releases. The recordings were made over several dates and included Iry, Wilson Granger and Alfred Cormier. For one of the songs they recorded, Iry drew inspiration from Ardoin's "Taunt Aline" and used it for his song, "Come and Get Me".
Oh ye yaille, chere tit monde, catin,
Mets-toi voir bien jongler
Ca t'as fait.
C'est pas la peine
Que tu le lamentes.
Viens donc me chercher, ye yaille.
Ton papa va venir.
Je peux pas aller t'apres.
Oh, tite fille, c'est tous les soirs,
Je me couche.
J'embrasse mon oreiller
Des fois en jonglant,
Faire des accroires que ca serait toi
Qui serais la, ye yaille.
Mais, tout je peux voir,
Tu t'en reviendras pas
Me revoir.
Iry's version of the song tells about a young man lamenting that his "catin" won't come back since her father brought her back home. He sings of the young man kissing his pillow and believing in is her beside him. The song was also known as "Viens Me Chercher".
Iry's 1954 recordings would be his last for Eddie Shuler. His recordings for opened the doors for many other artists to record. Eddie was known to often say that Iry never made a record that wasn't a hit and by the mid 1970's, Iry Lejeune's records were still the most popular of the Goldband artists. As for the melody of "Taunt Aline" and "Come and Get Me", it would go on to be used by The Balfa Brothers for their 1974 recording "J'Sus Orphelin".
Resources
Ron Yule- Wailin The Blues Cajun Style
Wade Falcon- Early Cajun Music blog
Session info
V/acdn, Wilson Granger (fdl), Alfred Cormier or Eddie Shuler (g)
Iry Joseph Lejeune was born October 27, 1928 into a musical family of country farmers. At a early age, it was noticed that Iry had impaired vision that seemed to follow the Lejeune family. At a early age he began playing the harmonica. Then at age 6 he began playing the accordion. He began playing on his father's accordion even though his father was worried he would break it. Iry went wherever he could to hear and learn accordion. He learned most of the time from his father and his great uncle, Angelas Lejeune. On a trip to New Orleans during 1946, Iry began he began playing in a bar where he received $50 dollars a night plus tips. Floyd Leblanc's group, The Oklahoma Tornadoes, were playing next door. Iry met up with Floyd and was soon playing with his group. Bennie Hess played guitar in the group and was in the process of starting a record label in Houston. Iry's first record was on the label of Hess's. After the recording, Iry kept busy playing around the house. After Iry's first recordings, his music begain to take off. Iry met Eddie Shuler at the time when Eddie's band had a show on KPLC. He wanted Eddie to put out his records out and the pair worked out a deal and soon Shuler was putting out Iry's records. He was even recording Iry at his home. Eddie recalls: "I bought a tape recorder, and it cost $237, which was alot of money. We went to Iry's house when we first started, and he lived in a old house out there in Lacassine. We'd put the machine on the kitchen table and cut these things..." The first session at Iry's home in Ardoin Cove was recorded on Shuler's reel to reel recorder. Playing with Iry on the session was Milton Vanicor on fiddle and Eddie Shuler on guitar. The first sessions were recorded in one night and was believed to be recorded in November 1952. "Church Point Breakdown" was a ode to the town of Church Point, not far from where Iry grew up. Iry converted Angelas Lejeune's "Le Petite One Step" into his own the number. Its one of the few Iry releases that Eddie pressed only on 45rpm. "Eh ye yaille, malheureuse! Tous les jours dans ma maison, J'apres mais t'esperer. Eh, rappelle-toi, catin, Ton papa et ta maman t'a toujours dit De pas faire ca avec ton negre. Eh ye yaille, tous les jours Apres souffert dans ma maison Plus personne qui vient me rejoindre. Tite fille, tous les jours tu connais Pour venir puis voir Quo faire que, moi, j'suis la'. Eh, bebe, tous les jours Moi j'suis la sus ma galerie Apres esperer pour ton vieux negre. Oh, tu devrais jamais m'oublier 'Tant loin q'moi j'm'en vas te dire Donc garde donc j'm'ennuie de toi"
Shuler continued recording Iry and releasing his records. Iry was known to never limit himself to traditional sounds. Luderin Darbone recalls that Iry came by the Silver Star to the listen to the Hackberry Ramblers from time to time. In the summer of 1955, Iry began to team up with his old pal, J.B. Fuselier, who had moved to Lake Charles. They were finishing a Friday night dance at the Green Wing Club in Eunice, and was returning to Lacassine when hey had to stop and fix a flat tire. They were hit by a speeding car and J.B was injured, Iry was killed instantly.
