Broussard will play just about any instrument you hand him. In addition to accordion and fiddle he plays bass, drums, and guitar. So it's no surprise there are many musically inclined youth in Broussard’s
hometown of Opelousas LA who have approached him for lessons. Like a lot
of kids before them their first instinct is to infuse a contemporary feel into otherwise
customary music forms like blues and bluegrass. When aspiring musicians arrive
at the doorstep of Jeffery Broussard he often has to break it to them that he
prefers the more time-honored method of instruction.
“When they first show up I have to ask them, what is it you
want to learn?” Broussard said during a recent interview. “I tell them if
they’re looking for the hip-hop style of zydeco you’re in the wrong place. They
have to know up front that I teach to keep the traditional style of zydeco
going.”
Get an early start on the Mardi Gras carnival season on January
26 when Jeffery Broussard brings his band, the Creole Cowboys, to Founders Brewery in Grand Rapids.
You can say Broussard came by the tradition honestly. He was
born into a zydeco family. His father Delton Broussard was a noted zydeco accordion
player who fronted his own group, the Lawtell Playboys. Jeffery was
eight when he began playing drums with the family band. Back then Delton
Broussard & the Lawtell Playboys were known as innovators in Cajun country by
how they melded modern R & B and funk with the well-established roots
sounds of people like Clifton Chenier. Later on Jeffery’s first band, Zydeco
Force, also became part of this nouveau zydeco movement.
But Broussard ultimately preferred the more standard
approach to music. He often plays the single note accordion, frequently
used for the time-honored two-step social dance. He’ll also break out the
fiddle once or twice during the night if someone calls out a waltz.
Broussard doesn’t read music; he is self taught and plays
everything by ear. This can pose a challenge when it comes to teaching.
“I advise my students to bring a camera or cell phone to
record their lessons,” Broussard said. “I’ll play the song at normal speed then
I’ll break it down slower and slower until I’m playing just one note at a time.
Then they can watch the recording at home when they practice.”
Broussard is not the only multi-instrumentalist in the
Creole Cowboys. Jeffery says that he and his bass player, who also plays
fiddle, will switch axes on certain songs to further the dynamic of the performance.
There must be something about playing zydeco music at this
time of year that makes Jeffery Broussard want load up the van again and drive all
the way up north in the snow.
“I grew up around it,” he said of the zydeco tradition. “It’s
about our culture. After my father passed I felt like I wanted to do something
to keep his legacy going. This is one way I can do that.”
Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys, 8:30 pm, Jan 26 at
Founders Brewery. Free.
More info about the band: jefferybroussard.com
