Pine Leaf Boys: Get Off My Lawn

[NewsCopy]

Pine Leaf Boys include Cedric Watson, Blake Miller, Drew Simon, Wilson Savoy (foreground) and Jon Bertrand. Cajun music thrived in the first half of the 20th century, but took a serious hit in the 1950s. The emergence of rock 'n' roll hurt most traditional music, but more devastating were "Americanization" policies in Louisiana schools that discouraged the speaking of French and cast a stigma over Cajun music. In the mid-'60s the traditional Cajun band of Dewey Balfa performed at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island. Instead of being mocked, as some south Louisianans cynically had suggested, Balfa's music was embraced, marking the start of a successful cultural revitalization. One of the major artists in this revival was Eunice-based accordionist and accordion maker Marc Savoy, whose 20-something-year-old son, Wilson, is introducing a new generation to the music through his band, the Pine Leaf Boys. Members, who live together in Lafayette, recently released their second CD on the Arhoolie label, Blues de Musicien. Although they play in a traditional style and sing many songs in French, they have earned many fans of their own age. Part of their success has to do with their music's irresistible drive. The rest of the story By Scott Barretta Clarion-Ledger

[Cajunbander]

I believe I saw them playing the other day at PJ's. I wonder if they have to deal with the University to play there, I'm assuming PJ's is private property. I could be wrong, but they might've found a loophole.

[Turbine]

Congratulations to the Pine Leaf Boys for their Grammy nomination.

[Tripple Threat]

Great accomplishment! To go from being tossed off campus to a Grammy nomination...It's nice to see them get noticed...

[RaisingCajun08]

I just hope that the lady from California does not win the Grammy.

[NewsCopy]

  JEDDAH: Jeddawis and expats had an opportunity to experience the rich sound of Acadiana when the Pine Leaf Boys blew into town for two performances. The five members of this Grammy-nominated group all come from the Cajun heartland of southwestern Louisiana, one of the more culturally distinct regions of the United States.

The boys performed at a casual gathering yesterday afternoon at the Sierra Compound before heading on to a larger audience last night at the King Abdul Aziz Cultural Center. The band is touring the region as part of the US State Department's cultural diplomacy efforts.

The rest of the story

Angelo Young
Arab News

[Turbine]

Congratulations Pine Leaf Boys on your Grammy nomination.

[NewsCopy]

  Is it even possible for a 27-year-old, Grammy-nominated musician to have no idea who or what Led Zeppelin is?

Pine Leaf Boys singer/accordionist Wilson Savoy insists that it is. Of course, it's not that Savoy hadn't heard of Led Zeppelin. It's just that he didn't know Led Zeppelin was a band.

That changed, however slightly, two years ago when the Pine Leaf Boys were invited to open for Robert Plant at New Orleans' famed Tipitina's. The offer came from their friend C.C. Adcock, who'd been doing some recording and performing with the Zeppelin frontman.

"He calls me and he says, 'Look, I want you all to come play with us and Robert Plant,'" recalls Savoy. "And I said, 'OK, I don't know who that is.' And he said, 'Yeah, Led Zeppelin!' And I said, 'OK, I've heard of a guy named Led Zeppelin, but who is Robert Plant?'"

Savoy swears he's telling the truth.

"I was raised on a little farm, my parents [musicians Marc and Ann Savoy] were very traditionalist, and they didn't have any music except for Cajun music," he explains. "I'm really one of the few guys who just doesn't know jack squat about modern-day music. But the guitar player in our band loves that kind of music, and he was flippin' out and sayin', 'We have to go do this, we gotta go play with Robert Plant.'"

The rest of the story

by Bill Forman

[RaisingCajun08]

It still amazes me that these boys were kicked off of campus. They are some of the best musicians in Acadiana.

[Cajunbander]

The Pine Leaf Boys were featured on national TV on HBO's Treme.

Treme is about the Treme neighborhood in New Orleans, starting about 3 months after Katrina. Treme is one of the oldest neighborhoods in NOLA, and an important center in the music scene. It's an excellent show, it follows a few residents of the neighborhood that are all connected in some way. It premiered in April, and is like 7 shows in. It has some big name actors, John Goodman, Steve Zahn, Khandi Alexander among others. It also guest stars musicians from NOLA, Kermit Ruffins, Trombone Shorty among others.

In the show, a musician from Treme, a fiddle player, gets a chance to try out for the Pine Leaf Boys, from Lafayette (of course, they said Lafayette wrong) to go on tour with them.