Cajun Music

Jolie Blonde / Jolie Blon / Jole Blon / Joli Blon

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Old Joe Clark
Orange Blossom Special
One Kind Favour
Hank Williams I Saw the Light
In My Time of Dyin'
Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
Little Sadie

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"I am sent many CDs for review but only a few make me
want to play them again and again. This is one of the few."
Cajun Life & Times Magazine


"When American roots music deejays rave about bluegrass passion, Cajun verve
and country-gospel authenticity, you know that The Rosinators are the real deal.
From deep in the heart of Balham Alligator territory, the London-based trio have
added their own stamp to the American old time tradition so convincingly that most
of their radio airplay comes from US stations. Formed in 2001, they blazed out of
the traps with dynamic three-part vocal harmonies and fiery twin-fiddle attacks
driven by crackin' guitar picking."
[Acoustic Music Centre - Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Aug 2005]

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Song History

On April 18, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia Breaux Freres -
Amédée Breaux on accordion with his brother Ophé on
guitar and Cléopha on the fiddle along with their sister,
Cleoma Breaux on guitar and vocals - recorded "Ma blonde
est partie," which is thought to be the earliest recording of
the cajun standard "Jolie Blonde".
Download full MP3 here



Clarence's Cajunradio.org website includes the lyrics to
this original version in both French and English and notes
that the recording is included on the CD "Cajun Dance Party:
Fais Do-Do" (Columbia CK-46784) available from Amazon

Clarence's Jole Blon page also includes the English lyrics of
both Roy Acuff's and Bruce Springsteen's version of the song

The Hackberry Ramblers

In 1935 The Hackberry Ramblers began recording for RCA-
Bluebird. Their output included the first version of the Cajun
classic "Jolie Blonde" under that title.



"Jolie Blonde" by Luderin Darbone's Hackberry Ramblers

Listen to 30 sec clip Windows Media Player  RealOne Player

"This enduring Louisiana string ensemble was formed by fiddler
Luderin Darbone and his accordion-playing Hackberry neighbor
Edwin Duhon. The pair played their first dance in 1933, had a
regional hit two years later with "Jolie Blonde," and continued to
lead the off-again, on-again combo well into the 1990s. Luderin
supplied the band with hillbilly songs he'd learned in Texas,
while Duhon grew up immersed in French music. Recorded
mid-career, in 1963 and 1965, this album's 26 tracks capture the
band in fine, fun form. The songs often combine English and
French verses and walk a fine line between Cajun and Western
swing rhythms. The result is a beautiful evocation of the sort of
music one might hear throughout mid century oil-field communities:
a lilting, unadulterated dance music with an emphasis on Saturday-
night waltzes, stomps, and two-steps."
[Richard Gehr, Amazon.com essential recording]

Harry Choates (1922-1951)



According to this biography of the renowned Cajun fiddler
Harry Choates on the Handbook of Texas Online site -

"Around 1946 he organized a band that he called the Melody Boys.
Perhaps in honor of his daughter, Linda, he rewrote an old Cajun
waltz, "Jolie Blonde" (Pretty Blonde) and renamed it "Jole Blon."
He recorded the song in 1946 for the Gold Star label, owned by
Bill Quinn of Houston. "Jole Blon" became a favorite in the field
of country and western music and a standard number in Texas and
Louisiana clubs and dance halls. A year after Choates's recording,
Aubrey "Moon" Mullican, a Texas-born singer and piano player,
made an even bigger hit with the song. "Jole Blon," which Choates
performed in the key of A instead of the traditional G, featured
slurred fiddle notes and has been sung with both Cajun French
and English romantic lyrics as well as nonsense lyrics with
references to the "dirty rice" and "filé gumbo" of Cajun cuisine.
Choates, who suffered from chronic alcoholism, sold "Jole Blon"
for $100 and a bottle of whiskey."

"Jole Blon - the original Cajun Fiddle of Harry Choates"
CD available from Amazon.com
Vinyl import available from Amazon.co.uk

Jole Blon (various artists)
Bear Family (Audio CD)



available from Bear Family Records
Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

"This release includes most of the early versions, including
the original. But what it adds is something you could not get
without collecting "umpteen other releases." The bands in East
Texas and SW Louisiana were all influenced by the "country/
hillbilly" and "western swing" styles of music in the 40s.
These "take-outs" on the original story -- invent new stories
about JB in many different situations. This collection is great
fun. It spans the period from the original recording to a 1958
cover by the 21-year old Waylon Jennings, sung in French
and accompanied by Buddy Holly on guitar."
Dale Johnson - see full review here

Track Listing:

1. Harry Choates: Jole Blon (Pretty Blond)
2. Leo Soileau: Le Valse De Gueydan
3. Moon Mullican: New Pretty Blonde (New Jole Blon)
4. Red Foley: New Jolie Blonde (New Pretty Blonde)
5. Amédée Breaux: Ma Blonde Est Partié (My Blonde Went And Left Me)
6. Amidie Breaux: Jole Blonde
7. Luderin Darbone & The Hackberry Ramblers: Jole Blon
8. Eddie Shuler: Jolie Blonde
9. Happy Doc and the Boys: New Jolie Blond
10. Bud Messner: Slippin' Around With Jole Blon
11. Roy Acuff: (Our Own) Jole Blon
12. Johnny Bond: The Daughter Of Jole Blon
13. Jesse James: When Jole Blon And Kilroy Got Married
14. Dickie Jones: Jole Blon Like The Boogie
15. Hank Snow: When Mexican Joe Met Jole Blon
16. Wayne Raney: Jole Blon's Ghost
17. Jack Rivers: Shame, Shame On Jolie
18. Bob Wills: Jolie Blond Likes The Boogie
19. Moon Mullican: Jole Blon's Sister
20. Tommy Thompson: Dinner With Jole Blon
21. Sheb Wooley: Peeping Through The Key Hole (Watching Jole Blon)
22. Cliffie Stone: Peepin' Thru The Keyhole (Watching Jole Blon)
23. Moon Mullican: Jole Blon Is Gone, Amen
24. Betty Amos: Jole John
25. Waylon Jennings: Jole Blon
26. Charles Lee: Rock And Roll Jolie Blonde

Listen to samples of each track here

"Jolie Blonde"



by the renowned Cajun Artist,
George Rodrigue

According to this page on his website:
A prisoner in Port Arthur wrote a song based on the legend
"Jolie Blonde" in the 1920s. It tells the story of a pretty
blonde woman who left her Cajun lover for someone else.

        

[Click on image to enlarge]

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Lyrics/Song history research on other recordings by The Rosinators

Old Joe Clark
Orange Blossom Special
One Kind Favour
Hank Williams I Saw the Light
In My Time of Dyin'
Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
Little Sadie

Stay Connected - Join the mailing list
Choose a **Free Download** by The Rosinators

Email Address:

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