How would a traditional tune, like “Marie” from “Alligator Purse,” have been played live 100 years ago?
(Laughs) Just the same way. No, it probably would have been a ballad. When I was growing up there was this TV station that had a Cajun band—twin fiddles, steel guitar. They played “Marie.” It was just a nice waltz—we do it as a swamp pop. BeauSoliel translated into French and recorded the song “Rouler Et Tourner” (“Rolling and Tumbling”), which luminaries Muddy Waters and Bob Dylan also recorded. What’s the backstory? We played the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Dylan played there, too—we both played the fest, but on different stages. We played at a little club and Dylan came out the next day. He said: “Can’t believe you played that old blues song—that’s really cool.” Well, Clifton Chenier would take old Chicago blues and New Orleans songs and make them Zydeco songs. We had been playing [these old songs] for thirty years but had never recorded them. We said, “Why not?” I didn’t really translate, but I added new words. What did you learn by hearing the original Cajun tunes performed by thos
