2012 LET'S ZYDECO EVENTS RETURN TO CURRENT CALENDAR>>

Curley TaylorHoliday Party!
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2012

CURLEY TAYLOR & ZYDECO TROUBLE
www.curleytaylor.com

"Top Live Show in NY"- TimeOut NY
"Taylor may be the freshest act to come along since Beau Jocque" - Times of Acadia

Son of the famous Jude Taylor, played as a long time drummer with Geno Delafose, Curley Taylor has generated widespread acclaim in his own right. A recent NYC show at Connolly's was arguably one of the best shows of the year, and a previous time he played in NYC at Connollys, Taylor was featured in TimeOut New York as "TOP LIVE SHOW IN NEW YORK."

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


End of Hurricane Posterbye byE hurricane season
FUNDRAISER FOR HURRICANE SANDY VICTIMS
Friday, NOvember 30, 2012

featuring ROSIE LEDET & the ZYDECO PLAYBOYS Plus... Actor Michael Cerveris and his band, Loose Cattle

Plus... a Skype-cast with a New Orleans Benefit, shared champagne toast at 10:30 pm EST to connect 2 hurricane-ravaged, resilient, and musical cities: NYC & NOLA.

Proceeds go to The Siller Tunnel to Towers Hurricane Sandy Foundation

Rosie LedetRosie Ledet, www.rosieledet.net "The Zydeco Sweetheart" from Church Point, Louisiana, has made quite a name for herself....having captured three of the "Best Of The Best" awards from Offbeat Magazine, including "Best Zydeco Band or Performer", "Best New Zydeco Group or Performer", and "Best Vocalist". She is one of the few younger Zydeco musicians who still writes and sings some of her material in Creole French. One of a handful of women in Zydeco, her warm stage presence combined with the infectious Zydeco beat, makes her irresistible to audiences.

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Saturday, November 17th, 2012
Girl Howdy
Classic Honky Tonk
with a Vintage Twang

www.girlhowdyband.com

GIRL HOWDY is high-energy, retro-twang honky-tonk music served up piping hot! Delivering tight vocal harmonies, spare yet punchy arrangements, and an infectious honk- tonk groove, the band has been a favorite at festivals, concerts and dances since 2001. Sweet harmonies, sliding steel, and sawing fiddle -- define Girl Howdy's genuine jukebox sound.

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.
Johnny AceSunday, November 11, 2012
Johnny Ace & Sidewalk Zydeco
www.sidewalkzydeco.com

"Great Dance Grooves"
and
"A Joie de Vivre Attitude"

Johnny Ace & Sidewalk Zydeco have been playing together since September 2006. The band has repeatedly received "Highly recommended" ratings from Time Out NY magazine for it's NYC Let's Zydeco shows, and has also been highlighted in The New Yorker.

A quote from Steve Riley: "Johnny Ace and Sidewalk Zydeco are one of the hottest up and coming groups in Zydeco music outside of south LA! These guys have been listening to and studying Cajun and Zydeco music for years and truly capture the essence of what Zydeco music is about. Great energy, very danceable, solid rhythm, and the laissez les bon temps roulez attitude that makes audiences feel good... These guys love Zydeco music and that comes across in their live performances and "joie de vivre" attitude! NE Zydeco at its finest!"

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Leroy ThomasSUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012    
THE LUSTRE KINGS
 "Rockabilly ...at its Best"
www.lustrekings.com

We're thrilled to be welcoming one of the top Rockabilly Dance Bands to Connolly's for their third LET'S ZYDECO show.

You may have heard THE LUSTRE KINGS at The New Jersey Danceathon, or at some of the Zydeco Festivals... They have accompanied Wanda Jackson for over five years, and frequently work with other seasoned artists like Bill Kirchen, Eddie Angel and Robert Gordon.

Wanda Jackson says, "I have worked with many bands around the world through the years, and none are better than Mark Gamsjager and the Lustre Kings. Their fine showmanship and musical ability make them the greatest in my book. THEY ROCK!!"

The Lustre Kings have a devoted international fan base and they continue to tear up the road every year, performing over 150 dates annually and appearing regularly at events like the Viva Las Vegas Festival (Las Vegas NV), the Heritage Folk Festival (Bangor ME) and the Rockin 50s Fest (Green Bay WI) as well as at famed haunts such as the Continental Club (Austin TX), The Sutler (Nashville TN), The Starr Bar (Atlanta GA), The Hi-Tone (Memphis TN), Johnny D's (Somerville MA), The Big C Jamboree at Martyr's (Chicago IL) and, of course, the Mid-City Lanes Rock 'n' Bowl (New Orleans LA).

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Rosie LedetSaturday, October 13, 2012
ROSIE LEDET & the ZYDECO PLAYBOYS
www.rosieledet.net

"The ZYDECO SWEETHEART returns to NYC" – Offbeats Best of the Best

"Today's premier female artist is Rosie Ledet, whose soulful voice kicks her male counterparts right out of the club"... Wall Street Journal

Rosie Ledet, "The Zydeco Sweetheart" from Church Point, Louisiana, has made quite a name for herself....having captured three of the "Best Of The Best" awards from Offbeat Magazine, including "Best Zydeco Band or Performer", "Best New Zydeco Group or Performer", and "Best Vocalist". She is one of the few younger Zydeco musicians who still writes and sings some of her material in Creole French. One of a handful of women in Zydeco, her warm stage presence combined with the infectious Zydeco beat, makes her irresistible to audiences.

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Jesse LegeSUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2012
JESSE LEGE & BAYOU BREW CAJUN HALL MUSIC OF FAME

"Authentic Louisiana Cajun Music" "Accordionist of the Year"

Jesse Lege is one of the most admired Cajun accordionists and vocalists from Southwest Louisiana. Inducted into the Cajun Music Hall of Fame in 1998, Jesse has also received numerous awards from the Cajun French Music Association, including: "Accordion Player of the Year","Male Vocalist of the Year"
"Band of the Year", And, for 'Memories Dans Mon Coeur' - "Song of the Year"

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


J.J. CaillierSUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
J J CAILLIER & the ZYDECO KNOCKOUTS

Bluesy sounds of Clifton Chenier meets The Funky Sounds of Beau Jocque
www.jjcaillier.com

Don't miss this NYC LETS ZYDECO debut with J.J. Callier & the Zydeco Knockouts. Coming to NYC from Louisiana, the heart of zydeco music, J.J. combines the bluesy style of Clifton Chenier with the funky style of Beau Jocque. In the late 70's, J.J.'s father became a driving force in the Zydeco music revival. He hosted a popular radio show called "Zydeco Gumbo", as well as producing landmark releases by the zydeco greats: Clifton Chenier, BooZoo Chavis, and more. J.J. made his recording debut, playing keyboards, on Clifton Chenier's last album "Country Boy, Now Grammy Award Winner, 1984".

J.J. is a multi-instrumentalist, grew up around all the zydeco greats since the age of 8, and it's an honor to have him play for us in NYC. Just listen to some fabulous sound clips on these sites:
www.jjcaillier.com
http://whiteoakproductions.com/jjcaillier.html

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Leroy ThomasSunday, August 19, 2012
LEROY THOMAS & the ZYDECO ROADRUNNERS
www.zydecoroadrunners.com

"The Jewel of the Bayou"

Pure Louisiana Zydeco ... Great Dance Music with a Great Zydeco Beat Leroy Thomas, "the Jewel of the Bayou", is one of the most gifted, versatile, and dynamic musicians on the zydeco scene. Born in Lake Charles, LA into a very musical family, Leroy picked up the drums at age 8, soon progressed to the accordion, and he has barely stopped since. Leroy is a real showman, and puts on a high level show. With an unmatched repertoire of Zydeco, Cajun, Blues, R&B, and Country music he mixes an ideal combination of traditional zydeco with his own innovative, funky, hard-driving sound. Zydeco's infectious accordion and rubboard driven-party-all-night sound that was born in the bayou and dance halls of SW Louiaiana can now be heard in NYC at Connolly's!

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Cedric Watson

Saturday, June 16, 2012
Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole
www.cedricwatson.com


GRAMMY-NOMINATED!
"Enormous Talent & Seemingly Unlimited Potential"

One of the most noted young talents to emerge in Cajun or Creole music in the past few years, Cedric Watson is a fiddler, vocalist, accordionist and songwriter of enormous talent and seemingly unlimited potential. Cedric has been making quite a name for himself reviving old Creole fiddling styles and injecting a healthy dose of his own personality and ingenuity. All 3 of his CD releases since going on his own have been Grammy-nominated, an indication of the excitement around his emergence as a band leader.

"To propel our Louisiana culture into the future seems to be quite a task, but if one lives for the music as Cedric does, the path seems effortless. These songs may well be early brushstrokes of a life's worth of possibilities, not only for himself, but also for the identity survival of a culture." — Michael Doucet/BeauSoleil

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Jeffery BroussardFriday, May 25th, 2012
Jeffrey Broussard & the Creole Cowboys
www.jefferybroussard.com

Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys features the accordion mastery and soulful vocals of front man Jeffery Broussard, originally from the legendary band, Zydeco Force.

"Accordionist of the Year" - Zydeco Music & Creole Heritage Awards 2007
Louisiana Division of the Arts grant recipient 2007-2008


The band delivers great, pack-the-floor renditions of Creole classics as well as their own brand of contemporary Zydeco. Early Creole music, as played by legends Canray Fontenot on fiddle and Jeffery's father, accordion player Delton Broussard, is experiencing a well-deserved resurgence of interest in Louisiana today.

Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys are taking the next generation's perspective of this music and presenting it with contemporary flair and expertise. They are creating incredible music and outstanding performances, cultivating and inspiring new generations of Creole zydeco fans.

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Ruben MorenoSunday, May 20, 2012
Ruben Moreno & The Zydeco Re-Evolution
www.rubenmusik.com

"A Rising Young Star" "Best New Band" - 2012 Zydeco Music Awards

Pure Louisiana Zydeco with a Great Dance Beat Born and raised in Houston, Texas, and long time musician playing with Andre Thierry, C.J. Chenier, and Leroy Thomas, Ruben Moreno captures both the Louisiana and the Texas Zydeco sound, and presents the music in a new and fresh way.

Ruben Moreno and the Zydeco Re-Evolution, a proud young Chicano-Creole artist from Houston Texas.
 
At the ripe old age of 22 Ruben Moreno is a veteran of the musical road, having begun playing professionally at age 13, and hitting the road at age 15, playing Rubboard with some of Zydeco’s greatest performers such as CJ Chennier and Leroy Thomas. Drawing on his rich musical roots, he brings a fresh new energy and vision to the Creole Zydeco he loves.
 
Watch a video of Ruben Moreno showing how it’s done on accordion at Eagles Hall in Alameda CA

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Rosie LedetSaturday, May 5, 2012
Sammy NAquin & the Zydeco whips
www.sammynaquin.com

This is "The Band to Watch" An Upbeat Blend of Zydeco/Cajun & New Orleans Funk

Sammy Naquin & the Zydeco Whips -- Extremely talented, and able to blend Zydeco / Upbeat Cajun and New Orleans Funk ....  this band is a total winner, and a DO NOT MISS SHOW, even if you haven't heard them yet!

Sammy was brought up in the bayous of South Louisiana, raised in a Cajun family, but by age 16 was playing on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. He has performed with many varied artists, including Jimmy Buffet, Rusty Kershay and Smokey Robinson.  Sammy has received numerous awards. You may have heard his music on the television series "The Big Easy." In between  touring Sammy played on Bourbon Street in New Orleans nightly for the last 22 years and was playing until the night before Hurricane Katrina hit.  I would say this is "The Band to Watch".. With this rare NYC appearance, this is a show not to be missed.

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Rosie LedetSaturday, April 21, 2012
ROSIE LEDET & the ZYDECO PLAYBOYS
www.rosieledet.net

"The ZYDECO SWEETHEART returns to NYC" – Offbeats Best of the Best

"Today's premier female artist is Rosie Ledet, whose soulful voice kicks her male counterparts right out of the club"... Wall Street Journal

Rosie Ledet, "The Zydeco Sweetheart" from Church Point, Louisiana, has made quite a name for herself....having captured three of the "Best Of The Best" awards from Offbeat Magazine, including "Best Zydeco Band or Performer", "Best New Zydeco Group or Performer", and "Best Vocalist". She is one of the few younger Zydeco musicians who still writes and sings some of her material in Creole French. One of a handful of women in Zydeco, her warm stage presence combined with the infectious Zydeco beat, makes her irresistible to audiences.

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Johnny AceSaturday, April 14, 2012
Johnny Ace & Sidewalk Zydeco
www.sidewalkzydeco.com

Johnny Ace & Sidewalk Zydeco have been playing together since September 2006. The band has repeatedly received "Highly recommended" ratings from Time Out NY magazine for it's NYC Let's Zydeco shows, and has also been highlighted in The New Yorker.

A quote from Steve Riley: "Johnny Ace and Sidewalk Zydeco are one of the hottest up and coming groups in Zydeco music outside of south LA! These guys have been listening to and studying Cajun and Zydeco music for years and truly capture the essence of what Zydeco music is about. Great energy, very danceable, solid rhythm, and the laissez les bon temps roulez attitude that makes audiences feel good... These guys love Zydeco music and that comes across in their live performances and "joie de vivre" attitude! NE Zydeco at its finest!"

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Leroy ThomasFriday, March 23, 2012
Leroy Thomas & the Zydeco Roadrunners
www.zydecoroadrunners.com

"The Jewel of the Bayou"Pure Louisiana Zydeco ...
Great Dance Music with a Great Zydeco Beat

Leroy Thomas, "the Jewel of the Bayou", is one of the most gifted, versatile, and dynamic musicians on the zydeco scene. Born in Lake Charles, LA into a very musical family, Leroy picked up the drums at age 8, soon progressed to the accordion, and he has barely stopped since. Leroy is a real showman, and puts on a high level show. With an unmatched repertoire of Zydeco, Cajun, Blues, R&B, and Country music he mixes an ideal combination of traditional zydeco with his own innovative, funky, hard-driving sound. Zydeco's infectious accordion and rubboard driven-party-all-night sound that was born in the bayou and dance halls of SW Louiaiana can now be heard in NYC at Connolly's .

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Leroy ThomasFriday, March 2, 2012
The Lustre Kings
ROCKABILLY ... At It's BEST
www.lustrekings.com

This is a bit of a departure for LETS ZYDECO, but we're thrilled to be welcoming one of the top Rockabilly Dance Bands to Connolly's , for their secondLET'S ZYDECO event. You may have heard THE LUSTRE KINGS at Arn & Gerry's danceathon party a few years ago (I loved them), or at some of the Zydeco Festivals... They have accompanied Wanda Jackson for over five years, and frequently work with other seasoned artists like Bill Kirchen, Eddie Angel and Robert Gordon.

Wanda Jackson says, "I have worked with many bands around the world through the years, and none are better than Mark Gamsjager and the Lustre Kings. Their fine showmanship and musical ability make them the greatest in my book. THEY ROCK!!"

The Lustre Kings have a devoted international fan base and they continue to tear up the road every year, performing over 150 dates annually and appearing regularly at events like the Viva Las Vegas Festival (Las Vegas NV), the Heritage Folk Festival (Bangor ME) and the Rockin 50s Fest (Green Bay WI) as well as at famed haunts like the Continental Club (Austin TX), The Sutler (Nashville TN), The Starr Bar (Atlanta GA), The Hi-Tone (Memphis TN), Johnny D's (Somerville MA), The Big C Jamboree at Martyr's (Chicago IL) and, of course, the Mid-City Lanes Rock 'n' Bowl (New Orleans LA).

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


CJ ChenierSunday, February 19, 2012
MARDI GRAS Party

with C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band
C.J. Chenier's site

As the Chicago Defender aptly stated, "Complex, driving rhythms force you to dance. A powerful, soulful vocal delivery forces you to listen".

The Boston Globe calls him "The Crown Prince of Zydeco."

Living Blues magazine hails him as "The best living zydeco singer and accordionist."


To his legions of fans, he's the man whose music moves them deep in their souls, and to those who love to dance he's the man who makes holes in the soles of their shoes. He is the source of the infectious, rhythmic music fueling the wild dance parties that erupt whenever he plays. He is Clayton Joseph (C.J.) Chenier, son of legendary zydeco master and pioneer, Clifton Chenier.

Carrying on the legacy of his late father, "The King of Zydeco" Clifton Chenier, C.J. has been fronting the famous Red Hot Louisiana Band for almost 2 decades, reinvigorating the genre with his exceptional musicianship. C.J. Chenier records on the Alligator Label. He has garnered several "Zydeco Album of The Year" awards, consecutive Living Blues Critics awards, and a 1997 NAIRD Indie Award.

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Mamou PlayboysTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2012
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys
20 YEARS OF GREAT CAJUN MUSIC!!
POST VALENTINE'S DAY PARTY --
Bring Your Sweetheart or Meet Your Sweetheart

www.mamouplayboys.com

Matching their uncompromising respect for tradition with a forward-looking vision, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys have set the standard for modern Cajun music.

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys began over twenty years ago with a reputation for excellence. Their stunningly clean and cohesive performance of Cajun French music from the backwaters of Southwest Louisiana propelled them into the world music limelight early on, and by their third release had garnered them a Grammy nomination in the worldwide field of traditional folk music, another in 2004, and then another in 2009.

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Cedric WatsonFRiday, February 3, 2012
Cedric Watson
& Bijou Creole

www.cedricwatson.com

GRAMMY-NOMINATED
"Enormous Talent & Seemingly Unlimited Potential"

One of the most noted young talents to emerge in Cajun or Creole music in the past few years, Cedric Watson is a fiddler, vocalist, accordionist and songwriter of enormous talent and seemingly unlimited potential. Cedric has been making quite a name for himself reviving old Creole fiddling styles and injecting a healthy dose of his own personality and ingenuity. All 3 of his CD releases since going on his own have been Grammy-nominated, an indication
of the excitement around his emergence as a band leader.

"To propel our Louisiana culture into the future seems to be quite a task, but if one lives for the music as Cedric does, the path seems effortless. These songs may well be early brushstrokes of a life's worth of possibilities, not only for himself, but also for the identity survival of a culture." — Michael Doucet/BeauSoleil

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


Red SticksSunday, January 22, 2012
THE REVELERS
(The Red Stick Ramblers Minus OnE)

www.redstickramblers.com


Connolly's will be morphed into a wild and wonderful Honky Tonk in South West Louisiana with the rich sounds and rhythms of The Revelers.

The Revelers, founding members of the Red Stick Ramblers and The Pine Leaf Boys... "unquestionably the two groups at the vanguard of the Louisiana cultural renaissance" have joined together on their newest project which combines Swamp-pop, Cajun, Country, Blues and Zydeco into a powerful tonic of roots music straight from southwest Louisiana. As individuals, they are each in high demand having performed and recorded with Natalie Merchant, Linda Ronstadt, Preston Frank, Walter Mouton, Mamadou Diabate, Dirk Powell, Cedric Watson and Tim O'Brien to name a few. As a group they play with a sense of empathy and depth that can only be fostered after years of making music together.

The Red Stick Ramblers, Featured Band at Ninigret and Ashogan:
"Quality Musicianship" .. from Lafayette, Louisiana.
"A vibrant mixture of Cajun, Zydeco, Western Swing, Blues and Old School Jazz"  
"Contagious approach and danceable rhythms prove as tangy and as tasty As crawfish etoufee..."

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.


L'il MoSaturday, January 14, 2012
Li'l Mo & the Monicats
A Classic Country, Rockabilly Swing,
Honky Tonk Good Time
www.reverbnation.com/lilmothemonicats

Monica Passin (Li'l Mo), a regular attendee at Lets Zydeco events, brings her Li'l Mo & the Monicats to Connolly's for our opening event of the Year. A previous show was highlighted in The New Yorker.

"Monica Passin, whose stage name is Li'l Mo, is one of New York's most committed and undiluted country singer-songwriters..her second albumboasts superior writing in a variety of country sub-genres, great taste in cover songs, inspired playing, and vocals that are skilled, sincere, and transporting. Her talent deserves national recognition."- Jim Steinblatt, ASCAP News, Performing Songwriter Magazine

On her latest album, as well as the rockabilly and country influenced songs there are now hints of jazz, Cajun, soul, pop and R&B. Guests include Louisiana musician and Mamou Playboy Steve Riley who adds some accordion and fiddle to the song "Dance Crazed", while Bones delivers some bluesy cornet to the old time tone of "Why Don't You Live With Me?"

Sign up for email updates by emailing [email protected], or for more info, call (212) 685-7597.

ABOUT LET'S ZYDECO
The LET'S ZYDECO music and dance shows (which have previously been held at TRAMPS, LOUISIANA COMMUNITY BAR & GRILL, LA BELLE EPOQUE & SATALLA (all of which have closed), will now be mainly produced at CONNOLLY'S, a wonderful space, with a great wooden dance floor, a full bar, and tasty dinner menu. The popular LET'S ZYDECO shows are set up for listening or dancing. A complimentary dance workshop in the basic zydeco dance styles is provided prior to the musi to help newcomers learn the basic dance steps. You do not need a partner to participate and enjoy.

To be notified of future events, e-mail [email protected] or check this site for updates.

CONTACT NUMBERS
Contact phone: 212-685-7597 or 917-208-2432 or 212-597-5126