Ray Abshire

Click here to go to LSUE's first page on Ray Abshire.

Ray Abshire's second CD, Arrête pas la musique (Don't stop the music), opens with five new songs, instant classics in their expression of love and heartache, sung in the old style, with Abshire's high, pure voice capturing every emotional nuance. In the two-step "Chere petite," he sings, "J'amerais mieux danser avec toi que fair l'amour avec une autre,"  There's also "Valse du matin," "Fais pas ça," and the especially beautiful "Valse de clé perdue," about searching to find the key to open the locked heart of a woman. "Town and Country Special" and "Shamrock," the CD's closing cut, are dedicated to popular dancehalls from years gone by. "Ah! Pull it!" is an instrumental tribute to dancers of South Louisiana.

Abshire also sings "Valse de Gueydan," Canray Fontenot's "Tes parents veulent p'us me voir," "Veuves de Basile," and his version of "Eunice Two-Step."

As on the first CD, the other lead vocalist is Courtney Granger, Dewey Balfa's great nephew whose voice resonates with the tradition he was raised in on cuts like "Fais attention, c'est mon coeur qui va casser," Iry LeJeune's "Cajun Waltz," "Bosco Stomp," and on Dewey Balfa's own "J'ai pleuré," which features some beautiful Balfa twin fiddling with Kevin Wimmer. Courtney also sings Adam Hebert's "J'amerais connaître" and "Allons à Lafayette."

When the photos on this page were taken at the Liberty Theater Sept. 10, 2005, and at Festivals Acadiens Sept. 17, 2005, Kevin Wimmer was on the road, but his fiddling in combination with Courtney Granger is one of the many pleasures offered on the CD. Andre Michot's guitar work blends in perfectly with the pure, acoustic sound of the rest of the group.

As the pictures below demonstrate, though the CD features unamplified music, Ray Abshire also enjoys performing with a dancehall ensemble, which he brought on stage both at the Liberty and Festivals Acadiens.