Balfa Toujours

Live At Whiskey River Landing

Rounder -11661-6096
available on Amazon

This live disc fairly crackles with the energy of the crowd and band feeding on each other during this live performance at the legendary Angelle's. This joy de vivre is exploding off the disc impelled by both the band playing with the reckless abandon that is only felt in a safe and comfortable atmosphere, and the feeling why not that is furthered by the music. Thus we are treated to a set of music that is rarely caught live. For shear joy listen to the inspired playing that is generated on Le reel Fruge, played with just two fiddles and a triangle. Contrast this with the hard-driving sound of Chez Geno to finish the disc and you can see the variety here. I've had the good fortune to see this band a number of times, and the electricity that they generate live has never fully come across on their studio recordings, it took this disc to do that. This is a band that takes the tradition and feeling that is essential to Cajun music and brings it alive and places it at home in today's world. Christine Balfa comes from a family that is steeped in the Cajun Music tradition and Dirk Powell, her husband, has made the study of the music and traditions his life, successfully brings this study to life rather leaving it be an academic pursuit. This is one of the foremost traditional Cajun bands playing today. This live disc shows why this music is rapidly becoming so popular and their concerts (best heard in a dance hall though) are sellouts.

Musicians:
Christine Balfa – guitar, triangle, vocals
Kevin Wimmer – lead fiddle and vocals
Todd Aucoin – drums
Dirk Powell – accordion, low fiddle and vocals
Craig Guillory – bass
Geno Delafose – drums (2, 12, 15)


Balfa Toujours Whiskey River


Produced by Peter Schwartz and Balfa Toujours
Songs, times authors

  1. La chandelle est allumee – 3:57 – Dirk Powell, Christine Balfa
  2. Whiskey River Special – 3:42 - Dirk Powell, Christine Balfa
  3. La valse des pins – 3:36 – trad. arr. Balfa Toujours
  4. Le Reel Fruge –2:46 - trad. arr. Balfa Toujours
  5. Le Two-Step de Bon Café – 3:02 - Dirk Powell
  6. The Tow Truck Blues – 3:42 - Christine Balfa, Dirk Powell
  7. Mon Vieux Wagon – 3:05 – Will Balfa
  8. La valse de Belizaire – 3:46 – Nathan Abshire
  9. Le Two-Step de Platin – 3:19 - trad. arr. Balfa Toujours
  10. Casse pas ma tete – 3:12 – Dewey Balfa
  11. Frank DuPuis a pris ma femme – 3:20 - trad. arr. Balfa Toujours
  12. Tu peux mais tu peux pas rentrer – 4:52 - trad. arr. Balfa Toujours
  13. C’est tout perdu – 3:30 - Dirk Powell, Christine Balfa
  14. Keep Your Hands Off Of It – 4:05 – Lawrence Walker
  15. Chez Geno – 3:59 – Dirk Powell