The Rochester Cajun ZYDECO Network launches our 2024-25 series of monthly music and dance shows with ZYDEGROOVE at Harmony House!!!
ZYDEGROOVE is a New York / New England based zydeco band with one prime directive, to deliver the most irresistible dance grooves possible. Their signature Country Zydeco sound along with an unchained performance style, sets this band in a category all its own. Started by Laren Droll on accordion, Zydegroove has been brewing for many years and has coalesced around a remarkable group of fine musicians who love rhythm and love to Zydeco.
ZYDEGROOVE takes pride in capturing the flavor of music normally only found in the vicinity of Lafayette, Louisiana. Their reputation as a highly danceable band has garnered them many engagements at dance-oriented festivals and Zydeco community dance events.
ZYDEGROOVE … Fresh yet ole, Creole Zydeco Sound ... Irresistible Dance Grooves
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PRESENTED BY
Rochester Cajun Zydeco Network with Support from Lafayette Travel – www.lafayettetravel.com
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EVENT DETAILS:
LOCATION: Harmony House, 58 East Main St, Webster, NY 14580
DATE: Saturday September 28
TIME: 7:15PM - Zydeco dance lesson / 8-11PM – It’s show time!!!
TICKETS: $15 Advance / $20 Day of Show / $10 w/ student ID … Children 14 & under are free
INFO: (585) 727-4119 / www.rochesterzydeco.com
ROOTS OF ZYDEGROOVE:ZYDEGROOVE ROOTS … TIED TO ZYDECO ROOTS - Band leader, Laren Droll, learned much of his zydeco repertoire from some old Creole musicians nearly twenty years ago, artists who epitomized the heritage of early Creole and Zydeco music. The Creole Sound and Zydeco groove is as inspiring to Laren and the whole ZydeGroove krewe today as it ever was. Delton Broussard and Calvin Carriere were especially influential then and now. Their music had a Caribbean pulse, while tunes largely came from French Cajun and Blues sources. Calvin's father, Eraste, was among the first to record Creole music along with his renowned fiddler uncle, Bebe (pronounced bay-bay) Carriere. Delton and Calvin later played together in one of the early zydeco bands, the 'Lawtell Playboys'. Laren was fortunate enough to meet both of these fine musicians and record their repertoire, which he continues to study today and roll into ZydeGroove.
ZYDEGROOVE is unique because of its connection to roots of Zydeco, learning from the best; inspiring us to bring this special Zydeco Groove to the Northeast.
The musical careers of their six band members are long and deep in both Cajun and Zydeco:
• Accordion - band Leader Laren Droll has been playing accordion for 25 years and with many bands over the years including Dirty Rice, Flames of Hell, Krewe de la Rue, and Bunkhouse Boys (a new Cajun trio).
• Fiddle - Roger Weiss honed his skills playing fiddle in a Cajun duo “Cleoma's Ghost”, and is now active in the Cajun Band Krewe de la Rue and the Cajun trio Bunkhouse Boys.
• Guitar - Gary Graeff on electric guitar learned to play as a youth in Lafayette, Louisiana. Born to a Cajun Mom, Gary is a fine drummer in addition to his prodigious skills on guitar. Gary has played with the likes of Chuck Berry, Big Mama Thornton, Jimmy C Newman, Rufus Thibadeaux, Steve Riley, Joel Savoy, Jesse Lege, and numerous other bands.
• Bass - Alan Bradbury is one of the coolest bass players around, especially for zydeco. Alan also plays accordion and fronts the band Magnolia.
• Drums - Doug Chapman on drums has played with many bands over the years such as Little Ann and Hot Cayenne.
• Rubboard - Maggie McManus is known as a fabulous zydeco dancer as well as long time rubboard star of Dirty Rice, Krewe de la Rue, and ZydeGroove.
