A courtbouillon is a briefly boiled liquid. When wine, vinegar or lemon juice is added to it, they contribute their own flavors and draw flavors from the original boiled ingredients. Put Wilson Savoy, Wayne Toups, and Steve Riley on a stage and they draw inspiration from each other. Bass player Eric Frey keeps the music boiling at just the right temperature.
The Moon Saloon
215 E. Convent Street
Lafayette, LA
October 10, 2012
http://www.bluemoonpresents.com
2012 Festival Acadiens et Creole.
9:05 PM
Courtbouillon is several songs into their set. Wilson Savoy, fiddle and accordion, Wayne Toups accordion, Steve Riley guitar and for a rollicking trio of songs on accordion, and Eric Frey on standup bass, have seized control of the premises.
I don't know what's more fun - listening to their renditions of deep-in-the-Bayou Cajun two-steps and waltzes or watching them play together. These guys have something special going on.
Immersed in music since they were young, and having played with so many other musicians young and old, well-known or obscure, their repertoire contains more songs than the number of crawfish in a boil pot. And if one of them feels like playing a song that others are less familiar with? No problem. He takes the lead and plays it and the others will fill it in with sterling solos.
Either one of these guys is capable of stealing a show. In this one, they're more like robbers who give money back to the bank. When one of them pulls off an over-the-top riff, the other two look at him with a "how the hell did I get so lucky to be up here playing with him" grin. This is clearly a lovefest.
The Blue Moon Saloon is packed. And hot. Perspiration glistens on faces, necks, and arms. The three-tier long bench on one side of the room is packed. The dance floor is about the size of your kitchen. The perimeter is packed with listeners or men or women who would love to dance but can't figure out a way to penetrate the mosh pit of a dance floor.
Except for a few macho males who feel like proving a point and put their partner at risk by trying to plow through the dance floor, the rest of us dance elbow to elbow, shoulder to shoulder, and use the sardine can conditions as a way to get his close as possible to our partners.
Wayne Toups would draw attention if only for the fire engine red pants he's wearing. He can sing sweetly, plaintively, or playfully, but when he belts out a song in a gravelly voice from somewhere deep in his gut, the lyrics rumble through the room like a fire truck.
I doubt they came to this show with a set list. After a palaver between songs, they come up with the title, one of them introduces it, perhaps with a little story, and off they go. If you want a tutorial of Cajun songs, listening to Courtbouillon is a good place to start.
Before the set ends, Wilson Savoy and Steve Riley strap on their accordions. The amount of air the trio jubilantly compresses through the bellows of their instruments is enough to float the Goodyear blimp. Even the dancers stop to witness the dense harmonies and musical bantering between the three smiling men. This virtuoso band of brothers is a perfect Courtbouillon.
What a great way to kickstart my visit to Lafayette for the Festival Acadien et Creole.
Wayne Toups belts out a waltz; these guys know how to have fun together.
Photos by Paul A. Tamburello, Jr.
Wonderful new band in a wonderful old venue.
Posted by: May Louise White | October 17, 2012 at 10:20 AM
They've been playing together for a little over a year and already have a huge following. The Blue Moon Saloon is small but it has a big reputation.
Posted by: Paul A. Tamburello, Jr aka pt at large | October 17, 2012 at 10:22 AM