FOREVER
MY LOVE: MUSIC FROM THE BAYOU
Award-winning
Louisiana filmmaker Pat
Mire ("Dirty Rice," "Against the Tide") explores
the history of the Cajun, Blues, Zydeco and Swamp Pop music of South
Louisiana in his documentary called Forever My Love: Music
from the Bayou.
One
of the featured musicians is Gerry McGee, who has played with Elvis
Presley and Barbra Streisand and just finished a world tour with famed
60s instrumental group the Ventures ("Walk Don't Run," "Hawaii
5-O"). Gerry is the son of the late Dennis McGee, who has been
called the father of contemporary Cajun music. In this hour documentary,
Gerry and Pat roam the countryside in a 1976 Cadillac convertible, stopping
along the way to play with many of Dennis' former students including
Cajun legends Michael Doucet of Beausoleil, Zachary Richard, Steve Riley,
famed slide guitarist Sonny Landreth, D.L. Menard, Al Berrard and too
many others to name.
"We
look at this film as sort of a Cajun Buena Vista Social Club,"
Mire said. "The thread that holds it all together is Dennis McGee."
It
was also a labor of love for the musicians involved in the show because
it allowed them to showcase the music they love.
"We
don't do typical music," Doucet said. "We play music of who we are."
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Gerry
McGee
Gerry
McGee was born in Eunice, Louisiana in 1937. His father, Dennis McGee,
was a famous Cajun fiddler. His father, who inspired Gerry, lived to
the ripe old age of 96 ... playing right up until he died. Gerry started
his musical career at the age of 14. When Gerry was growing up in Louisiana,
they all spoke Cajun French and anybody who was outside of Louisiana,
Gerry said were Americans.
Gerry
plays lead guitar, bass, accordion, banjo and harmonica, and does vocal
work also. After playing with a number of successful regional bands,
Gerry went to California at the urging of Shreveport native and future
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer James Burton, who later enjoyed great fame
playing with Elvis and Rick Nelson.
Gerry
recorded with The Hollywood Argyles of the song "Alley Oop."
In the 60's Gerry recorded and actually produced many records and albums
together with famous recording artists, such as Jerry Lee Lewis. He
is the guitarist for the theme, "Great Balls Of Fire." He
has recorded with Sandy Nelson, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, John
Mayall, The Monkees, Delaney & Bonnie, Rita Coolidge, Booker T And
the MG's, Nancy Sinatra, Kris Kristofferson, Patti Paige and Emmy Lou
Harris.
Gerry
has many solo albums to his credit. Gerry joined The Ventures in 1968
and travels to Japan every summer to play concerts with The Ventures.
Ultimately, it's McGee's clean guitar work that sustains their records.
Michael Doucet
For
over 20 years and 21 recording projects, Michael Doucet and BeauSoleil
have been following the same winning recipe. Take three traditional
ingredients -- soulful Cajun French lyrics, hot fiddle licks, and irresistible
accordion -- then add savory elements from the well-stocked pantry of
decades of bayou musical influences. A pinch of Caribbean rhythm, a
dash of New Orleans jazz, a dollop of Old World ballads, a hefty measure
of blues, and maybe even a hint of surf music, bayou-style. Served up
hot by six seasoned musicians, you have the music of BeauSoleil, who
Rolling Stone praised as "the best damn dance band you'll ever
hear."
At
the helm is Michael Doucet, founder, fiddler extraordinaire, songwriter,
and lead vocalist. As a high school senior in 1969, his love for Acadian
culture lead to in-depth study of this traditional music across the
kitchen tables of the rapidly vanishing older generation of musicians
who had shaped and defined it.
"I
couldn't be doing what I'm doing if I hadn't learned a hundred songs
by Dennis McGee," Doucet explains. "The more songs you play
by these artists-Dennis, Dewey Balfa, Canray Fontenot, Amédé
Ardoin, and all the other greats, the more you learn. First, you understand
their musical theories, then you can create music that fits within the
tradition.
As
Doucet once explained early in his career, "If I was going to play
Cajun music, I wanted to play it right. And if I was going to change
Cajun music, I had to be sure of the directions."
Audiences
around the world seem to agree with Doucet's road map. The band has
been honored with seven GRAMMY nominations and one GRAMMY Award. In
1997, their Rhino album L'Amour Ou La Folie (Love Or Folly) earned the
GRAMMY for Best Traditional Folk Album. In January 2000, CAJUNIZATION,
released in 1999, gave the band its seventh nomination with the nod
for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
CAJUNIZATION
rockets Cajun music into the 21st century with an eclectic mix of Doucet's
finest songs yet, performed with ferocious virtuosity by the group A
Prairie Home Companion's Garrison Keillor calls "the best Cajun
band in the world." Doucet feels CAJUNIZATION really captures BeauSoleil
at its best, and expands its exploration of Cajun music's roots.
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