Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin's firey Creole accordion style has made him legendary around the world. At the age of 82, he is still playing dances that get the halls of his native southwestern Louisiana jumping. On this, his first new studio recording in twenty years, Bois Sec is joined by members of another Louisiana legacy, Christine Balfa and Balfa Toujours. Along with special guest Steve Riley on drums, Bois Sec and the others create music that is at once old and new, relaxed and exciting, hot and cool. But words can only get so far...better to let the music do the talking and heed Bois Sec's advice...allons danser (Let's dance)!

Includes the following selections:

1. Allons danser (Let's Dance)
2. Dimanche après-midi (Sunday Afternoon)
3. Quoi faire (Why?)
4. La valse à Austin Pitre (Ausitin Pitre's Waltz)
6. La valse des mèches (The Waltz of the Swamps)
7. Sundown Special
8. La valse de 'tit Maurice (The Waltz of 'Tit Maurice)
9. Lacassine Special
10. Chère Toutoute
11. Duralde Ramble
12. La valse de quatre-vingt-dix-neuf ans (the Ninety-nine Year Waltz)
13. Le fond de culottes (The Seat of the Pants)
14. La valse de Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie Waltz)
15. Jongle à moi (Think of Me)
16. La robe barrée (The Striped Dress)
17. Allons danser (un autre petit bout) (Let's Dance: another little bit)

Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin- accordion, vocals
Christine Balfa- guitar, triangle, vocals
Dirk Powell- fiddle (2,4,8,9,12,14,15), bass, triangle, vocals
Kevin Wimmer- fiddle (1,3,5,6,7,10,11,13,16,17)
Mitchell Reed- triangle
plus special guest Steve Riley- drums (1,3,5,6,7,10,11,13,16,17)

Recorded in June of 1997 at Okra Gumbo Productions, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana; except number 17, recorded live at the Augusta Heritage Workshop, Elkins, West Virginia in July 1994.

This site created and maintained by Kevin Wimmer (kwimmer@aol.com).
Copyright 1998, 1999 Kevin Wimmer and Balfa Toujours. All rights reserved.
Last updated 6/14/99.