Jambalaya Cajun Band

High resolution photos of the Jambalaya Cajun Band are posted on Flickr.

The first two photos were taken at the Liberty Theater January 14, 2006. In the second photo, from left, are Kenneth David, Terry Huval, Reggie Matte, and Randy Champagne. That evening, Jimmy Breaux was on drums, but, in the next photo, Tony Huval, the regular drummer for Jambalaya and Terry's brother, is visible. Seated next to Reggie is his grandfather, Thomas Matte, who, in his mid-nineties when this photo was taken in November 2003, continues to play with vigor and with the authority that you might expect from someone who has been an accordionist for eight decades.

Dr. Barry Ancelet, host of the "Rendez -Vous des Cajuns" Radio Show, refers to the Jambalaya Cajun Band as the Liberty Theater's "house band." In recent years, no other group has come close to contributing as much of their time and talent to bringing unique, entertaining programs to the Liberty, promoting the culture of Southwest Louisiana, and helping other musicians. In addition to performing as Jambalaya, Terry Huval and the other members of the band have staged tribute shows in honor of Aldus Roger and Lawrence Walker and their bands, not only dressing to resemble these legends of Cajun music but also carefully listening to old recordings to replicate the sounds. Each year, along with Les Amies Louisianaises, Jambalaya stages a Christmas Show at the Liberty. Then, starting in 2000, Terry Huval and other members of the group began organizing a tribute to Hank Williams Sr. on a Saturday around Christmas when the Liberty would ordinarily be closed, with all the profit going to benefit the Liberty. They added a salute to old time country music in 2001, and, in 2005, with Hugh Harris as Hank Williams, performed a musical biography of America's greatest country musician. At Festivals Acadiens, Jambalaya regularly help to showcase the talents of musicians being honored at the event like D.L. Menard and Adam Hebert, and, after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Terry Huval organized a benefit at the Liberty for displaced musicians.

At a performance at the Liberty Jan. 14, 2006, Huval told guest host Jules Guidry that he has been too busy to write new songs or make plans to record another Jambalaya CD. But, in the meantime, the band's previous recordings and the recordings of Terry Huval and of Reggie Matte on CDs with other musicians offer a lot of great listening. Members of the band continue to perform each Friday at Randol's Restaurant in Lafayette, Jambalaya is a mainstay each year at major events like Festivals Acadiens, and, yes, you can catch them every few months at the Liberty Theater.

For booking information, contact TerryHuval@aol.com or phone 337 269 1921.

Click here to go to LSUE's first page on the Jambalaya Cajun Band.

Both photos above were taken during the Lawrence Walker Tribute in June 2004 at the Liberty.

In addition to fiddle, Terry Huval also plays
steel guitar as well as acoustic guitar on
some songs.

Merlin Fontenot performs at Festivals
Acadiens with Terry Huval in 2004.

At the start or the end of the Liberty show, Terry and Reggie often leave the stage to circulate among the dancers and the rest of the audience. In the photo above, host Barry Ancelet dances a few steps beside Reggie.

Each year, the Jambalaya Cajun Band puts on a Christmas Show at the Liberty, featuring Cajun versions of Christmas songs and original Christmas songs in Cajun French.

Barry Ancelet holds up a photograph of Lawrence Walker to show how closely Reggie Matte resembles the musician being honored in the Jambalaya Cajun Band's tribute.