Hi ACME dancer,
 
This Friday (January 29 from 8-11 p.m.) we'll be dancing to the Cajun band T-Salé at the Kelly Ingram VFW.  I'm looking forward to this band's return and you can read more about them below. Dance admission is $13/person and don't forget we'll be back at the VFW for this dance (no coolers, please, at the VFW). 

Thanks to all the folks who have renewed their ACME membership; you can see who they are below. We've got two new bands to announce below for summer dances so update your calendar. 

The circus is in town this weekend at the BJCC. We'll have one guard in place by 6 p.m. to keep circus-goers from parking in the VFW's lot, so when you arrive, just tell the guard you are there for the Cajun dance. No clowning around, you're going to like this band!  Hope to see you this Friday.
 
-David Doggett for ACME
Association of Cajun Music Enthusiasts
Birmingham, Ala.
www.acmedance.org
 
 
===== This Friday: T-Salé =====
T-Salé is a group of young Cajun musicians who have been playing together for about 8-9 years -- long enough to release two excellent CDs and make quite a reputation for themselves. When T-Salé played their first ACME dance 2 years ago, one of our ACME members living in Louisiana wrote: "I am glad to see you've got T-Salé booked. I saw them recently at the Blue Moon and they blew the place away. These guys are on a par with The Pine Leaf Boys (who are red hot not only in Acadiana, but nationally as well)."
 
The band's name is T-Salé (pronounced "tee-sah-LAY") and I hope the accent mark over the letter "e" comes across in this e-mail's font. "Sale" without the accent mark means "dirty."  Salé (with the accent mark) is French for "salty" and "T" is short for petit or its contraction 'tit which means "little." So the name means "a little salty" and, as one reviewer wrote, the music is certainly "salted to perfection."
 
T-Salé was formed by Jean-Jacques Aucoin and his brother Louie, the grandsons of legendary accordionist Cyprien Landreneau of Mamou. "Cyp" and his cousin Adam Landreneau on fiddle, performed at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, toured Europe, and played on Saturday morning radio broadcasts from Mamou. The story goes that when Jean-Jacques and Louie's father was courting their mother, future father-in-law Cyp Landreneau laid down a few rules: he was to "show up on time, learn how to dance and how to drink from the bottle." And speaking of learning to dance, Jean-Jacques Aucoin told an interviewer once that he first became really interested in Cajun music while taking a Cajun dance class at LSUE (Louisiana State University - Eunice), where he and his brother both attended before moving on to LSU. The T-Salé repertoire, of course, includes some of the old Adam and Cyp Landreneau songs, but also includes songs the brothers have penned.
 
As is true of most Cajun bands, the members of T-Salé have "real" jobs they must work around in order to play their music.  Accordionist Jean-Jacques Aucoin, for instance, has a job as a microbiologist working in a hospital setting. Guitarist Richard Burgess has family members living in this area and I hope they will come visit at the VFW this Friday. FYI, Richard's wife Anya plays fiddle in the "all-girl" band Bonsoir, Catin which has just been booked to play for ACME in June!  T-Salé also includes Dave Trainer (fiddle, piano) and Todd Aucoin (drums).
 
Check out the T-Salé MySpace page for a 6-song sampler from this fine band.  http://www.myspace.com/tsale  In particular, listen to their version of the zydeco/Creole tune Joe Pitre. Then check out the live version Friday night at the VFW.

[T-Salé will also be playing in Atlanta on Saturday at the Knights of Columbus. Check out the Atlanta Cajun / Zydeco Association's web site at www.aczadance.org for details.]

===== ACME Membership =====
ACME membership renewal time is here and so we included a membership form on the last ACME newsletter/postcard. Check the expiration date on the top line of your mailing label. Even if your renewal month falls later in the year, we can still extend your membership by 12 months if you choose to renew now. The nominal $10/year annual membership helps us cover costs not covered by the dance admission, such as a web site, postal bulk mailing permit, newsletters, fliers, postage and sound equipment that we've purchased in recent years. Please renew your membership or consider joining if you are not yet a member.  Just send a check for $10 to ACME, 5274 Paramont Drive, Birmingham, AL 35210. You can also bring your membership form to a dance class or ACME dance. Your membership has helped bring this wonderful music to Birmingham for over 17 years! 
 
Many thanks to these people who have renewed or joined within the last 3 weeks:
 
Joy Aldridge, Willard & Teresa Alvis, Bob Apol, Karen & Bill Barger (Tuscaloosa), Wanda & Jeff Bodtke, Cheryl & Richard Brewer, Trish Cannon, Sandy Captain, Pat Chumbley, Mike & Glynda Cosky, Marsha Crowder, Susan Davis, Judy Dial (Blountsville), Bill Duffey, Judy & Bob Eberhart, Joan Faulkner (Sterrett), Pam & Sammy Freeman, Allen & Betty Fulton (Montevallo), Les Goins, David Gray, Wendell Harless, Debbie & Ollie Harrell, Kurt & Lisbeth Herbst, Roger & Linda James, Johnny Johnson (Cottondale), Dewaine Jones (Chelsea), Joan Karr (Decatur, Ga.), Jane Kelly, Karl Kuyrkendall (Hayden), Dave Lamon (Decatur, Ala.), Connie LaMonte, Joe Leamon, Beverly LeBoeuf, Sun Lee, Ruthan Massey, Bill & Colleen Maxwell, Beth McCulley, Natalie McGee, Delores McGill, Victoria & Bob Miller, Bill Morrow, Mike Mullen (Montgomery), Bill Munch, Brenda Music, Tim Phillips & Stacey Haire (Marietta, Ga.), Robert & Darien Roche, Sue Ann Scarborough, Linda Sears, Dominick & Josi Silla (Sylacauga), Jerri Simmons, Bob Simpson, Joe & Daphne Sprigg, Baynard & Sandra Starr, Laura Strubel, Edward Thomas, Charlie Thompson & Mariann Schmitz, Harold Thompson, Louise Ayer Tommie, John Weaver, Martha Weber, Bill Whitmire (Leeds), and Kat Wilson (Montgomery).

===== ACME Photos =====
Photos by John Krupsky from the last ACME dance with Curley Taylor are online for viewing. That was the bitter cold night following a day of snow flurries. Check out all the people who braved the cold to stay warm with Curley Taylor. Great dance! Go to www.acmedance.org and click on photos, then John Krupsky, and finally look for "ACME Dance Events."
 
===== Vestavia Hills 2010 Cajun/Zydeco Dance Classes =====
Mamou II - Feb. 1, 3 (Prerequisite: Mamou I; $10/$7 to repeat this class)
Whiskey River Jitterbug - Feb. 8, 10, 15 (Prerequisite: Mamou II; $15/$10 to repeat this class)
Intro to Zydeco - Feb. 22, 24 (Prerequisite: none; $10/$7 to repeat this class)
Zydeco II - Mar. 1, 3 (Prerequisite: Intro to Zydeco; $10/$7 to repeat this class)
Zydeco 2.5 - Mar. 10 (Prerequisite: Zydeco II, $5)
Beginning Cajun Dance - Mar. 17, 22, 24 (Prerequisite: none; $15/$10 to repeat this class)
Intermediate Cajun Waltz & Two-step - Mar. 29, 31 (Prerequisite: Beginning Cajun Dance; $10/$7 to repeat this class)

Class location: Vestavia Hills Civic Center, 1973 Merryvale Rd., Dogwood Room from 7:00-8:30 p.m. each night. Instructors: Dolores Hydock and David Doggett. Simply arrive 10-15 minutes early to register before the initial class of each session. You may attend classes with or without a dance partner. Check web site www.acmedance.org for full class descriptions. Call if you have questions (David Doggett, 951-3463).
 
===== ACME's 2010 Dance Schedule =====
Two new dances to announce!
 Friday, Jan. 29 - T-Sale' Cajun Band (Kelly Ingram VFW)
Friday, Mar. 12 - Joe Hall & the Louisiana Cane Cutters (zydeco, Concordia Club)
Friday, April 9 - Basin Brothers Cajun Band (Kelly Ingram VFW, ACME 18th anniversary dance)
Friday, May 7 - Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys (Concordia Club)
Friday, June 4 - Bonsoir, Catin (Cajun "all girl" band, Concordia Club)
Friday, July 9 - Leon Chavis & the Zydeco Flames (Concordia Club)

Dances are at either the Kelly Ingram VFW, 1801 11th Ave. North or at the Concordia Club, 3400 1st Ave. North in downtown B'ham. Dances are from 8-11 p.m. Admission is $13/person. No coolers, please at the VFW. BYOB permitted at Concordia Club.

===== Kelly Ingram VFW Info =====
Directions: Kelly Ingram VFW, 1801 11th Avenue North, Birmingham, 35234.
From I-59/I-20: Take the 22nd Street exit and head south for half a block on 22nd Street (a one-way street). At the light, turn right onto 8th Avenue North. Drive four blocks and turn right onto 18th Street (a on e-way street). Drive three blocks and turn right onto 11th Avenue North. The Kelly Ingram VFW Post is on the right. Drive past the building and turn right into the lot. There is parking for about 100 cars inside their fenced lot and overflow parking on both sides of 18th Street (a 1-way street). Enter the hall through the back door off the parking lot.
 
The VFW maintains a bar, so please don't bring coolers or any alcohol. Purchase any beer or wine from the VFW. ACME will provide free soft drinks, ice water, cups, and ice. Smoking is not permitted in the dance hall, but is permitted in the bar area. Our guard will be on duty in the parking lot starting at 6 p.m.