1. Rock-A-Bye Boogie- Double Date

Recorded Jan 19, 2013
Written by Rocky Starr and Will Carson

Well you gotta love this! It’s funny that Emma and Linzay now have two youngins at home- wonder if they get to do the Rock-a-Bye Boogie very often- I think not! Some of y’all might remember when Kelli and I and Linzay and Emma lived in the same ‘hood and we had a little quartet called “Double Date”, most of our gigs were at Cafe des Amis… This song comes from the amazing Davis Sisters. Kelli and Emma sang lead on the same mic, fyi… that’s just awesome!

• Emma Young- Vocal and bass

• Kelli Jones- Vocal and Acoustic Guitar

• Linzay Young- Vocal and Fiddle

• Joel Savoy- Vocal and Electric Guitar

2. Baby Be Mine- Megan Brown and Kelli Jones

Recorded January 6, 2016
Written by Megan Brown Constantin

Megan and Kelli sing so well together! This song is one of the few that Megan has written to date and we had a little band briefly with myself and Daniel Coolik supporting the ladies. I’m not supposed to say that our official band name was the Titty Sippers, but… it was. That all started at a dinner party when our friend Alyce Ray was over and we were talking about the Josephine champagne glass- how it was apparently moulded from Napoleon’s wife’s breasts. So, naturally, it was decided that Kelli, Megan and Alyce would all have to make moulds of their breasts to see if we could make glasses from them, and, naturally, I ordered all the stuff from Amazon. At the next party, the gals went off into the bathroom and made- or rather attempted to make- their moulds, but positioning proved difficult and to this day there aren’t any Alyce glasses, Megan glasses, nor Kelli glasses, but there is this track! (DM me if you need some non-toxic body sculpture/moulding equipment as I still have a lot left) 

We recorded this song and a few others one day at my studio in the winter of 2015/16 right before we had a couple little gigs- Daniel sat in the corner with the acoustic guitar, I sat at the controls with my electric guitar, and the gals in front of us singing. When I came back to this track this week to prepare it there was a solo space missing so I added the little piano melody- only took me like 5 takes lol.

• Megan Brown Constantin- Vocal

• Kelli Jones- Harmony Vocal and Tambourine

• Joel Savoy- Electric Guitar and Piano

• Daniel Coolik- Acoustic Guitar
  
  

3. Beadle’s Dream- Albanie Falletta

Recorded March 1, 2017
Written by Albanie Falletta

Awwww it makes me sad to write about this one... Beadle was Kelli and I’s pitbull mutt that was killed on the highway in front of my house not long after this was recorded. This song was penned by the ever-amazing Albanie on either the day after mardi gras, or the day after that.  There was still a big crew of friends floating around my house during this, including my old pal Trevor Wheetman and his dear wife Sylvie Davidson, who makes some damn good biscuits! It’s basically a true story… Biscuits cooking, thunder claps, sweet friends, and a softly sleeping dear Beadle. Emily Istre gave me a beautiful stone engraved with the line “Beadle my baby, you can dream on” which rests above her grave behind my studio.

• Albanie Falletta- Guitars and Vocal

• Sylvie Davidson and Kelli Jones- Harmony Vocals

• Joel Savoy- Fiddle

• Ryan Guillory- Bass

4. Creatures- Dorian Phibian

Recorded April 12, 2016
Written by Dorian Phibian & Tif Lamson

This was the first time I really and truly got to experience the musical force that is Tif Lamson- I had spent a bunch of time with Tif before but we had never worked together in the studio- Wow!! One day out of the blue, Jake Hebert (aka Dorian Phibian), contacted me about recording one of his songs with her and we all spent a lovely day together in the studio. After cutting the basic, Jake and I pretty much just turned Tif loose and let her do her thing and I love the way it turned out! FYI for the believers- this was my first experience with a Casio DG-20 Digital Guitar. I now own one, thanks Jake! 

• Dorian Phibian- Guitar and Vocals

• Tif Lamson- Casio DG-20 Digital Guitar, Sk-1 Keyboard, Harmony Vocals, Percussion and Drums

• Joel Savoy- Acoustic Guitar

5. Lorene- Reeb Willms and Kelli Jones

Recorded March 6, 2014
Written by The Louvin Brothers

I just love the Louvin Brothers! Man this was 6 years ago and I don’t remember the details but looking at the audio files I know that it was recorded late at night and again Reeb and Kelli sang live on one mic which I think is just stellar! If you don’t know ‘em, Reeb Willms and Caleb Klauder are based in Portland Oregon and they’re half of the great Foghorn Stringband- great people and great musicians. Years after this session, during one of our many tours together, late one night we came up with a harebrained scheme to convene in the great city of  New Orleans for their consecutive birthdays. I picked them up at the airport, we had lunch, and then I ended up having food poisoning the entire 24 hours they were in town and missed all the fun. We’re due for another one soon!

• Reeb Willms and Kelli Jones- Vocals

• Caleb Klauder- Acoustic Guitar

• Albanie Faletta- Electric Guitar

• Joel Savoy- Fiddle and Bass

6. I’ll Be There- Kelli Jones and Joel Savoy

Recorded June 23, 2013
Written by Ray Price and Rusty Gabbard

Hmmmm how to explain this masterpiece… Well Kel and I had some free time one day and we wanted to record something. I went to the store and when I got back Kel was on the screen porch playing this song on the accordion and I guess that’s the end of the story? I made a loop of kick and snare, Kel layed down the accordion part and the vocal and I did the guitar and bass after. As luck would have it, our neighbors Linzay and Emma dropped by just in time to give it the perfect polishing! We made it in the early summer but before leaving to go on tour I emailed it to my longtime DJ friend Todd Ortego at KBON who put it on the air and until very recently (almost 7 years later) it was the single most-requested song on KBON! Rockin Sidney vibes I guess!

• Kelli Jones- Accordion, Vocal and rubboard

• Joel Savoy- Guitars, Bass and Drums

• Linzay Young- Hype Man Vocal

• Emma Young- Harmony Vocal
  
  
  

7. Le Vol de la Faquetaique (The Flight of the Turkey Hen)- Linzay Young and Joel Savoy

Recorded December 18, 2018
Composed by Linzay Young

Linzay and I grew up together and we have been playing fiddles together since I was twelve years old. He’s a great musician, singer, and songwriter, and I always love a moment to sit with him in the studio to work up new tunes. This is one of his named after our neighborhood and the courir de mardi gras that we started. I’m still not 100% satisfied with my part, but we did three takes live in front of a Blumlein microphone pair and this was my favorite. Fly turkey, fly!

• Linzay Young and Joel Savoy- Fiddles

8. Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer- Roger Kash

Recorded November 5, 2019
Written by Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson

Well as many of you know our pal Chas Justus got married last year, congrats to Chas and Maggie! We invited them over to their honorary recording session two days after the wedding but I guess the honeymoon got in the way. However, it was another one of those times when there was an event, and after that event friends stayed around and a lot of them stayed at my house, and there were dinners, and recording sessions, and more haha. We had our pal Matty Meyer in town from Nashville- he’s a great drummer and just an all around great guy (and WHAT a smile!). In addition, my multi-talented friend Nokosee Fields had recently relocated to Lafayette, so we assembled the troops for a meal and then recorded five songs after a lovely Sabra dinner- I think we went til like 4am in the studio! You all know Roger so I’m not going to introduce him, but he and I both love this song and decided this was the one he had to sing that night. I heard a version of it from my mom as a teenager- it was Joseph Spence, the Bahamian guitarist playing it- then I fell in love with Ry Cooder’s version on Boomer’s Story. For this session Roger went last after dinner (probably because he was late?!?!), so he may sound a little sleepy, but I love the way it turned out! I was in the booth with my electric guitar, Matty was in the drum room, and everyone else, including the peanut gallery on the couch at 3am was in the main room. Everything was done live, the way it should be :)

• Roger Kash- Mandola and Vocals

• Kelli Jones- Fiddle

• Matt Sircely- Acoustic Guitar

• Joel Savoy- Electric Guitar

• Nokosee Fields- Bass

• Matt Meyer- Drums

9. Louisiana Fairytale- Albanie Falletta

Recorded March 6, 2019
Composed by J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie, Lyrics by Mitchell Parish
Adapted by Albanie Falletta 

Honestly I don’t even remember who all was around for this- Cindy McDermott and Ronnie, Albanie, Krissie Nagy, Ryan Guillory, Kel? Flannery? Mollie? This was one of those post mardi gras maniacal sessions- recorded after… yep you guessed it, a family dinner the day after mardi gras! There were so many good back porch jams that should’ve been recorded instead but anyway, we spent a few hours making this….

• Albanie Falletta- Casio DG-20 Digital Guitars and SK-1 Keyboard

• Cindy McDermott- Vocals

• Ronnie Ontiveros- Bass

• Krissie Nagy- Mouth Trumpet

• Maggie Teachout- Fiddle

• Cy Brown and Tina Antolini- Backup Vocals and Animal Noises

10. When You Go- Matt Sircely

Recorded November 5, 2019
Written by Matt Sircely

Matt Sircely is one of my favorite people. I met him in Port Townsend, WA, at Fiddle Tunes.  It seems like forever ago but it’s probably really 10 years ago or so. He’s a great musician- mandolin, guitar, singer, songwriter… and he’s a great human being. We’ve spent a lot of time together and I’m so happy to be able to include his song here as part of the Chas and Maggie wedding session- Matt was the musical director at the wedding. We all learned and arranged this song that night after dinner- me and Matty in our booths and Nokosse and Matt in the main room tracking live. I just love Matt’s live vocal performance here. Also there is lots of kale growing all around my yard that he planted the day after this session haha.  Also, Matt and I were on the Kelley and the Cowboys session together (see below)!

• Matt Sircely- Acoustic Guitar and Vocal

• Joel Savoy- Electric Guitar

• Nokosee Fields- Bass

• Matt Meyer- Drums

11. One Foot in My Door- Jones and the Giants

Recorded April 6, 2010
Written by Kelli Jones

Since Kel moved here in 2006 she has become a serious fixture in the Acadiana music scene. As a songwriter she’s had several  combinations of musicians backing her up and right now she’s got a new record that’s just been mastered with a slightly different band that will be out before too long, finally! Over the years we have made so many different arrangements of these songs and it’s fun to go back and listen to earlier versions like this one that’s not on the new LP, but did end up on Feufollet’s “Two Universes”. I have this little Alamo guitar amp that looks and feels like a toy- it weight about 2 pounds- and if you turn it up all the way, it kinda sounds like Brian May’s guitar tone, and so my guitar track in the DAW session was named “Brian May” haha. Side note- I found that amp in a trashcan. It needed a $2 part and has become my favorite amp ever!

• Kelli Jones- Vocals and Acoustic Guitar

• Chris Stafford- Electric Guitars

• Joel Savoy- Electric Guitars

• Philippe Billeaudeaux- Bass

• Peter Dehart- Drums and Percussion

12. Reason to Go- Miss Tess

Recorded February 3, 2014
Written by Chas Justus

Wow 2014… Is it just me that feels like that was so long ago?! I met Chas I think in 1999- we were both at LSU- but to this day I still don’t actually don’t know what Chas did there.  I can tell you that he and I spent a heck of a lot of time playing music together- spending hours on my porch overlooking Chimes Street in Baton Rouge working out Django Reinhardt melodies and drinking coffee or busking on the street in front of Highland Coffees. We went on to found The Red Stick Ramblers together and have been through a lot of fun stuff together- he even lived out here in the neighborhood for a good while. This was another post-mardi gras session- we had a big family dinner and then went out to cut a song as per tradition. The ever- inspiring Miss Tess was in town and she and Kel sat in the drum room playing and singing while I played bass in the main room next to Chas, who’s amp was in the booth. 

• Miss Tess- Vocal and Acoustic Guitar

• Kelli Jones- Harmony Vocal

• Chas Justus- Electric Guitar

• Joel Savoy- Bass

13. Red Gravy Baby- Sabra Guzmán

Recorded November 5, 2019
Written by Sabra Guzmán

Well this one is another part of the Chas “Wedding Sessions” as my ProTools session is named. I had the pleasure of playing electric guitar with another transplant to Acadiana, Sabra Guzmán, in her band Sabra and the Get Rights for a number of years and now she’s got a great new band with a new album in the can. Sabes is a great friend and a great cook and I’m glad that she participates in a whole lot of meals and recording sessions out here.

• Sabra Guzmán- Acoustic Guitar and Vocal

• Kelli Jones- Fiddle

• Matt Sircely- Mandolin

• Joel Savoy- Electric Guitar

• Nokosee Fields- Bass

• Matt Meyer- Drums

14. I’m Breaking Camp While the Sun Shines- Johnny Nicholas

Recorded November 5, 2019
Composed by Johnny Nicholas

I started hearing about Johnny Nicholas about 5 or 6 years ago, but hadn’t heard him or played music with him until maybe this last year. Johnny hired me to produce and engineer his new album (which is fantastic btw- look for it this fall/winter), and we got to be friends around Black Pot 2019. Way before making the record, right after Chas’ wedding, I thought it’d be fun to include him in our dinner/recording party- also I heard that he makes a really good salad (which is true!)- so he came over and we had a blast cutting this song of his. Again, it’s all live, me in the booth with my amp, Matty in the drum room, and everyone else in the main room partying haha

• Johnny Nicholas- Resonator Guitar and Vocal

• Sabra Guzmán- Acoustic Guitar and Harmony Vocal

• Kelli Jones- Fiddle

• Matt Sircely- Mandolin

• Joel Savoy- Electric Guitar

• Nokosee Fields- Bass

• Matt Meyer- Drums

15. Solstice Carol- Tony Davoren

Recorded December 17, 2019
Written by Tony Davoren

Who doesn’t love our resident Irish guy, Tony Davoren?! I met Tony shortly after he moved to Louisiana and he’s been a great friend. One day he showed up at my house unannounced with his trailer and said, “Joel we’re going to build you a path today.” He knew that the little walkway leading from my driveway was always a mud pit, so when he found himself having some extra pavers and some gravel after an Irish Guy Landscaping job, he took it upon himself to fix me up. So anyone that has enjoyed not getting their feet muddy walking up to my porch can thank Tony and my cousin Philippe Billeaudeaux for their great job! Tony wrote this song for his family this winter and he’s now working on a record here with a bunch of his friends. At one point he and Toby Rodriguez were doing a live podcast from my kitchen, which he has since been rekindled with the great singer Marc Broussard from, yep, my kitchen! Stay tuned!

• Tony Davoren- Vocal, Bouzouki, Guitar and Bodhran

• Joel Savoy- Fiddle

16. Tryin’ to Get to You- Kelley and the Cowboys

Recorded June 2009
Written by Rose Marie McCoy and Charles Singleton

I met Kelley and Nick at Fiddle Tunes probably in 2008 and they became regular fixtures in the community down here for several years, often staying for a month at a time. Somehow, myself and Matt Sircely from up in Port Townsend, Washington, and his friend Ray Wood from Olympia (a killer guitarist!) ended up joining Kelley and the Cowboys and we cut maybe a dozen tracks at the old Whirlybird in Opelousas- I don’t really remember why we did it there, but I hauled all of my gear over and it was a really fun time- all set up tracking live- vocals included- old school. We even did a few tours together, or maybe just one? Can’t remember! But Kelley is a lovely singer and she and Nick are also great Old-Timey Appalachian musicians in the Tommy Jarrell Round Peak style. 

• Kelley Breiding- Vocal

• Matt Sircely- Electric Mandolin

• Ray Wood- Electric Guitar

• Nick McMillan- Bass

• Glenn Fields- Drums

  
  

17. You Don’t Own Me- Kelli Jones

Recorded November 5, 2019
Written by John Madara and David White

This is yet another post Chas and Maggie wedding song- man, we did 5 songs that night even though we went into the studio having no idea what we were going to record! Kel has this knack of pulling out the right song at the right time and she just killed it on the vocal on this one that she got from Lesley Gore- totally live, even with two modulations! Sweet mando section by Mr Sircely! And Matty played a triangle with a triangle for that verby CHINK!

• Kelli Jones- Vocal

• Matt Sircely- Mandolins

• Joel Savoy- Electric Guitar and Electric Baritone Guitar

• Nokosee Fields- Bass

• Matt Meyer- Drums and Percussion

18. As Soon As I Hang up the Phone- Anna Laura Edmiston

Recorded October 2010
Written by Conway Twitty

Anna is a fantastic singer and she sang on a lot of early Valcour recordings. She and Kelli were my “go to” backup singers on a lot of sessions- you can hear ‘em all over the first two Cedric Watson records. This track and the one after it came from a session I organized with some friends to have her sing some stuff outside of her normal repertoire (she was in Feufollet at the time). My old friend Chris Bertrand who I’ve known since highschool played dobro and we cut four songs.  I wanted to put them all on here, but I guess I’ll save the other two for another compilation. These songs were recorded analog and I don’t even know if I still have the tapes- Luckily I found these mixes on my old Masterlink 2-Track Recorder. 

• Anna Laura Edmiston- Lead Vocal and Harmony Vocal

• Chris Stafford- Acoustic Guitar

• Dobro- Chris Bertrand

• Eric Frey- Bass

• Chris Courville- Drums

19. I’m Writing a New Song- Albanie Falletta

Recorded January 2, 2019
Written by Albanie Falletta

I don’t even know if I should actually include this one… but, hey, why not! A violinist from Colorado, Vi Wickham, contacted me about producing and recording a record of him with my pal, jazz violin virtuoso Paul Anastasio from Seattle, with our friends Albanie Faletta on guitar and Ben Fox on bass.  It sounded like a dream come true to me- in fact we just finished mixing the album and it is currently being mastered so be sure to follow Vi Wickham for updates! Anyway, one night after the session we all had dinner and Paul and Vi left and naturally we migrated back out into the studio to play around. Albanie wanted to make a crazy version of this cut from the record so we sampled Paul’s hot violin solo and time-stretched it to fit the “remix”. Gotta love technology! FYI, Albanie is moving into my neighborhood in Eunice next week so get ready for lots more from us!

• Albanie Falletta- Vocal, Casio DG-20 Digital Guitar

• Paul Anastasio- Sampled Violin

20. Fairweather Friend- Anna Laura Edmiston

Recorded October 2010
Written by Chas Justus

Chas wrote this one and I love the direction the band took it- monster musician Chris Stafford killin’ it on everything! Also great to include Eric Frey here on the compilation because E played bass on tons of early Valcour and non-Valcour sessions that I did before he moved up to Nashville, I also almost forgot that Chris Courville played drums on this session because so often I used Glenn Fields. So many talented folks around here!

• Anna Laura Edmiston- Lead Vocal and Harmony Vocal 

• Chris Stafford- Rhodes Piano, Electric and Acoustic Guitars

• Eric Frey- Bass

• Chris Courville- Drums

21. What This Old World Needs- Kelley and the Cowboys

Recorded June 2009
Written by Jimmy Dean and Shannon Dick

Fun arrangement on this one- I had forgotten about this stuff! Tony and Toby were hosting their “Podnacast” program at my kitchen around the time we cut these recordings and if you ever tuned in.  More times than not you can hear and see Kelley and Nick jamming in the living room- seems like they were just always around in this era! This is another session recorded to analog tape- right before I made the switch to digital.

• Kelley Breiding- Vocal

• Matt Sircely- Electric Mandolin

• Joel Savoy- Fiddle

• Ray Wood- Electric Guitar

• Nick McMillan- Bass

• Glenn Fields- Drums