Nathan Abshire - Legendary Jay Miller Session, Vol. 13 (1978)

1.Popcorn Blues
2.French Waltz (Broken Hearted Blues)
3.Pinegrove Blues
4.La Valse De Theo
5.Jolie Catin
6.Pinegrove Stomp
7.Mardi Gras Song
8.Dreamer's Waltz
9.The La La Blues
10.French Two-Step
11.Lonely Heart Waltz
12.Frog Leg Two Step
13.La Valse De Jole Fille
14.Hey Mom

Nathan Abshire - Keyboards, Vocals
Dewey Balfa - Violin, Vocals
Atlas Fruge - Guitar (Steel)
Ed Junot - Vocals
La La Laverne - Vocals
Lazy Lester – Harmonica

Nathan Abshire helped bring the blues and honky tonk to Cajun music and repopularized the accordion with his recordings during the 1950s and '60s, but. ---99xcleveland.com

Nathan’s discography went to a stop for some years. It was at the beginning of the 60’s that he recorded again, this time for J(ay) D. Miller, in Crowley, some twenty songs over 2 or 3 years, for Miller’s Kajun and Cajun Classics labels, and in very different registers. His most rock ‘n’ roll outputs are « Popcorn Blues« , pushed by an electric rhythmic and a very efficient drummer, and a remake of « Pine Grove Blues« .

« Popcorn Blues » is another fast blues, evoking the aftermath of a drunken bout. No doubt that Nathan, who wrote most of his songs, except the traditional ones, was inspired by what he saw from the stage (and practiced himself) : “J’étais au bal hier au soir. On a mangé des tac tac, (Cadian name for pop corn), on a mangé des grillots (grilled crickets)“ and, probably Dewey Balfa, answers : “Comment t’as fait ça, mon nèg’ (which means my buddy in Cadian), t’as pas de dents“. Nathan goes on : “J’m’étais saoulé hier au soir“ – “Ah, tu d’vrais arrêter de boire, mon nèg’“. This kind of scene would inspire another Abshire song (written by Eddie Shuler), « Lemonade song » : “Passe-moi un verre de limonade, j’ai mal saoulé hier au soir“.

He recorded in all sorts of styles for Miller (don’t forget J D was responsible for the discovery or for the launch of swamp blues by Slim Harpo, Lightning Slim, Lonesome Sundown, Lazy Lester among others), and it is with Lazy on the harmonica, that we can hear Nathan on the U.K. Flyright album FLY 535 « Nathan Abshire & Pine Grove Boys« . « The la la blues » (a term first used to call the music of the French-speaking Creoles, which would be rechristened zydeco with Clifton Chénier’s advent) is an unclassifiable song, in a blues vein, sung by a Black (La La Laverne), in French, on a Cajun backing (accordion, fiddle and steel-guitar) and a swamp rhythm. What a mixture!

Instrumentals (« Pine Grove Stomp« , « French Two-step« ), waltzes, and Amédée Breaux‘s cover, « Hey Mom« , from the late 20’s, complete the album. We miss the original, sung by drummer Robert Bertrand, of “La Banane A Nonc’Adam“ (banana has a double entendre here!), that Michael Doucet would cover in the 90’s (“…c’est comme les pistaches à tante Nana, mais c’est pas la même chose“). --- bopping.org

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