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RICK: Robin, welcome in, once again, to The Madison Theater. ROBIN: Thank-you, it's always good to be here. RICK: Now, you've played here a lot, haven't you? ROBIN: A lot, yes. We have a good time here. RICK: I know that you and I have worked together before, on other venues, but exactly how long has your band been here in Cincinnati? ROBIN: 1989 was the first year we started. RICK: Are you originally from this area? ROBIN: I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. RICK: You know, I got the word from my New Orleans friends, who just talked to me on the phone, that you were just down in New Orleans. ROBIN: We go there every chance we get--at least every year for The Jazz & Heritage Festival. RICK: You were down there playing? ROBIN: No, we weren't down there playing. We were just down there--just networking! RICK: Networking? Ahh, now, I've got it! OK. ROBIN: Just down there networking, yes. RICK: Mardi Gras, for a band like yours, Dezydeco, is a pretty important event. |
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ROBIN: It's usually...this year, it comes so early in the year, we lose a lot of work because of it because people usually party all the way up to Mardi Gras time and this year it comes right up at the top of the month. But yeah, we get a lot of work because of this. Everything that has a New Orleans flavor, or any kind of Mardi Gras theme, or whatever, we get called in to do that job. RICK: There are some tremendous acts that play the Zydeco music. I've seen them, personally--acts like Buckwheat Zydeco and C.J. Chenier. Both of them have played many times, right here in Cincinnati, and your audience has an affinity for that kind of music, you think? ROBIN: I think a lot of the people that know about Zydeco music at all, here in Cincinnati, know about it because of us. When we first started doing it, nobody even knew what we were doing. Then they started getting hip to Buckwheat. We would do an opening act for him. Then Queen Ida would come through. We got all the opening acts for all the big people that would come through because we were the only people doing it. The people learned about it. They would come to see us because they liked us. They learned more about Zydeco in New Orleans--the whole thing. RICK: You're right, because I...correct me if I am wrong...but I don't believe there is another Zydeco act in Cincinnati, except for you. Is that right? ROBIN: I don't know that there is either. There's more of a Cajun band, Lanyap, that does more of the Cajun sort of stuff, instead of Zydeco. Up in Dayton, we've got some friends, Zydeco Fire, that do more ''Cajun-y Zydeco'' but we do a little more New Orleans flavored, Buckwheat-style, R & B, Zydeco--the old ''Clifton Chenier style'' Zydeco. RICK: Yes, and that was his (C.J. Chenier's) Daddy. ROBIN: That was his Daddy, yes. RICK: Correct. Now, I see you've got the beads up on stage. You are certainly equipped. You are ready to go! ROBIN: We are equipped! Plenty of beads...plenty of beads! RICK: Along with plenty of beads, we ought to have a good crowd here for the Mardi Gras party tonight. ROBIN: We're hoping the weather doesn't keep everybody home. We should be nice and toasty. |
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RICK: I want to ask you how do you like The Madison Theater? ROBIN: I love it at The Madison Theater. Everybody takes great care of us. It's a beautiful room to play in and the sound is great--can't be beat! RICK: Good staff? ROBIN: Great staff! RICK: Good crowds? ROBIN: Good crowds and nothing but fun. We always have a great time here. RICK: When people leave the theater tonight, after our ''Fourth Annual Mardi Gras'' party, what do you want them to take home with them? ROBIN: I hope everybody's feeling good--warm and toasty at the top of February--and has got a good feeling in their heart. And, I hope that they think a little bit about New Orleans and how much they still need down there to help them out. RICK: You just came back from there but the last time I was there it was ''Pre-Katrina.'' ROBIN: OK. RICK: What is it like down there now? ROBIN: It's still pretty rough. A lot of the buildings on Canal Street, the main drag down throughout the middle of the city, are still not inhabited and boarded up. They still don't have all the trolley lines running again yet. The French Quarter is pretty much the same as it always was. It really didn't get hurt. But, the Ninth Ward is totally gone and they're building a few houses down there, but downtown--the whole place is pretty much just working its way back to survival. RICK: I wanted to ask you about that instrument you play. Is that a Concertina or is that an Accordion? |
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ROBIN: It's called an Accordion. It's a Cajun Accordion or an Acadian Accordion. RICK: Now a real Accordion, for example, the type we would see Myron Floren play, on the old ''Lawrence Welk Show''... ROBIN: Or...even Buckwheat plays the regular ''piano style'' accordion. RICK: Oh yes. His Accordion has genuine ''Mother Of Pearl'' inlays that spells out his name ''Buckwheat'' on it. ROBIN: Yes! (laughing) RICK: That is the type of Accordion that most people are used to seeing and thinking about when they think about an Accordion. ROBIN: Yeah. RICK: An Accordion that has ''piano style'' keys on it, if you will. ROBIN: Yes. RICK: Yours does not have that. What does yours have? ROBIN: Mine has buttons and it's more...technically, it's called a ''Diatonic Accordion.'' When you pull on the button, when you pull on the note, you get one note. When you push on the button you get another note. Every time you push and pull---with a regular accordion, as long as there's air going through it, you get the same note that you put your finger on--as long as you keep air going through it. This one depends on which direction, and which button you push, to make the sounds--so it's a little bit different. |
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RICK: What is the difference between that instrument you play and a ''Concertina''? ROBIN: It's the same theory. It's tuned a little differently. It's a little higher pitched and it's just a little smaller box. Basically, what I've got is a harmonica in a box. It's just a great big harmonica and, instead of blowing on it, you push and pull. RICK: A harmonica is a reed-driven instrument. ROBIN: Same as this. It's got reeds inside. RICK: With a harmonica, you're blowing into it... ROBIN: Or sucking on it. RICK: And, with your instrument, the motion of your hands creates the air that hits the reeds. ROBIN: Exactly...exactly...yes! RICK: There we go! ROBIN: (laughing) RICK: For a drummer, I'm not half-bad, am I? ROBIN: (still laughing) You did good! RICK: Hey! Thanks a lot! OK, listen Robin, I know you're just getting ready to go on stage tonight. Thank-you for taking the time to talk to The Madison Theater Fan Site. ROBIN: Thanks for having us. RICK: We'll see you next time and ''Happy Mardi Gras!'' ROBIN: It's always great! Thank-you so much! RICK: Thank-you Robin. |
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