The Vinyl Word: Stomping USA 2005

C C Adcock

In the continued absence of any gigs or festivals, my mind turns to music trips I've made in the past. In 2005, the year before The Vinyl Word began life, I joined at fairly last minute a Woodies trip to the southern states. The centrepiece was the Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans, but either side of that we toured Cajun country and then went up to Memphis, with eventually three of us spending a day in Clarksdale. I've published photos of the Stomp previously, but not those from the rest of the trip, so here is a selection covering those portions, with some of my notes made at the time.

April 24, 2005: I'm in Lafayette, three days into a ten day trip organised by Ken Major. There are 28 of us, many of them unknown to me (who we are calling the pensioners). I'm spending most of my time with John Howard, Alan Lloyd and Bunter Brian (Clark). We arrived on Friday in Houston. We then flew to New Orleans and then drove to Lafayette. After a meal at Don's Seafood (with the above plus Paul Waring) we went to the Grant Street Dance Hall to see the Curley Taylor Zydeco Band plus C C Adcock (pictured above). He was a little too heavy metal for me but very professional.On Saturday we drove to Crowley, where I bought some LPs in the record shop there, then on to Jennings and then to Lake Charles where we had lunch. Sadly Goldband Records was closed (it's now demolished), seemingly permanently. Later we went to Eunice and the Liberty Theatre radio show - a quaint, anachronistic affair with an old style Cajun band plus the Sheryl Cornier band. Later we went to the Grant St Dance Hall again to see Sonny Landreth - again rather on the heavy side. Sunday, and a rather lazy day in Lafayette. Spent some some at the Festival Louisianne (Sharron Lawson was good) and by the hotel pool. In the evening we went to Randol's for an excellent meal and the Corey Ledet Zydeco Band.

Goldband Studio (above) and Alan, Brian and John in Lake Charles.

Corey Ledet band at Randol's.

Liberty Theatre, Eunice.

Monday (April 25) we drove to New Orleans stopping off for a swamp cruise. A cool day but saw some alligators and a bald headed eagle. It rained in New Orleans so John, Alan and I went for a drink at the Crescent City Brewhouse and Snooks on Bourbon St. Next day was warm and sunny and I walked around the French Quarter before heading to the Ponderosa Stomp. Saw Larry De Ruex, Barrance Whitfield, Little Freddy King, Travis Wammack, Ace Cannon, Link Wray, the Carter Brothers, Nokie Edwards, H Bomb Ferguson, Hayden Thompson, Scotty Moore and Billy Swan, Dale Hawkins, Brenton Wood and Lady Bo. What a day! Next day, April 27, went to the Stomp again. It was rather a shambles with acts over running but I caught Archie Bell, Roy Head, Barbara Lynn, Lazy Lester, Phil Phillips, Eddie Bo, Betty Harris, Al Johnson and Frogman Henry, among others. April 28: Hot day. Went to Jazzfest via Louis Armstrong Park and saw Al 'Carnival Time' Johnson and Clarence 'Frogman' Henry again, plus Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown and B B King. Rushed to the House of Blues in the evening for Bobby Bland and Dr John. Great show.

Alligator trip plus group photo at the Bayou Delight restaurant.

Me by the Louis Armstrong statue, Al Johnson and Frogman Henry.

April 29: Off to Memphis where it was cold and very wet. Went down to Beale Street and saw Ms Zeno and James Govan (at the Rum Boogie Cafe). April 30: Off to the Beale Street Festival but first to the Stax Museum and later the Rock and Soul Museum, both excellent. At the festival (no cameras allowed) saw Jerry Lee Lewis, KC and the Sunshine Band and a few minutes of Nelly. In the evening had a steak at Isaac Hayes's restaurant. May 1: rented a car and drove with Ken and Alan to Clarksdale - the Hopson Plantation - where blues was provided by Bob Strogha and Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith. Also there was Pinetop Perkins, who didn't play because it was a Sunday. In the evening went to Red's juke joint for more blues - very authentic.