Hi folks,
Well, Mardi Gras has just gone by and I thought I would like to show you the online concert that my band, T-Acadie, did a week and a half ago. Let’s step back a little. Every Tuesday night for the last 5+ years, my partner, Pam Weeks and I, have hosted an online, intermediate level, trad music jam session. BUT once a year, since Mardi Gras (obviously) occurs on Tuesday, we change the format a bit and play a Cajun concert. Often we have “guests”” – Mitch Reed has joined us recently, also Blake Miller and David Greeley, but this year it was just the three of us. We are T-Acadie…I won’t ramble on, just check the website (though I might as well say, Pam, Jim and I have been playing together for almost 40 years. Quebecois, Canadian maritime, Maine and New England, Old-time, Cajun, southern Appalachian, Celtic, 50’s and 60’s doo-wop – get the idea?). We stream this concert on Facebook and You Tube and below is the link to the YT version

This is an hour+ long show but scroll through it. There are some great Cajun songs here! Our version of the “Mardi Gras Song” starts at ~46 minutes. (the online jam session is listed in the events section of FolkWorks, so if you are interested, go there and get the info any Tuesday!!)

As promised, here are a few of my latest favorite videos:

First of all, this may not seem like it’s appropriate, BUT at some point during our online jam, the subject came up of using the capo and someone sent in the link to this video. Those of us who sing and try to find the right key to match our voicers, or three voices when singing in harmony, will identify with this. Plus the way “the Boss” works the crowd, I am in awe!!

THE BOSS

Here’s a video of Brittany Haas and her Bluegrass band, Hawktail. No banjo, and yet… anyway “Down the Hatch”” composed by Brittany.

BRITTANY HAAS AND HAWKTAIL.

Finally, here’s a video of my late friend Bob McQuillen playing with the NEFFA (New England Folk Festival) festival orchestra in 2011. Amelia was and still is played as the last waltz at the festival. Mac was a regular at Maine Fiddle Camp for years. Amelia was one of his best known compositions. The festival orchestra is led by Vince O’Donnell, Jane Orzechowski, Amy Larkin. This was really late in Bob’s career. He passed away in 2014. So emotional! Watch this. the “tough guy ex-marine” really breaks down at the end so sweet!

MAC AT NEFFA

That’s it folks. See you next month (or at the Tuesday Jam!) – bill