The Red Stick Ramblers
The Red Stick Ramblers were a Louisiana dance band that played Cajun songs in French next to Bob Wills-style Western swing, hot jazz and honky-tonk. They formed in Baton Rouge in 1999 and played their last show as the Red Stick Ramblers in 2013.
- Formed
- 1999, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, while some members were at Louisiana State University
- Name
- "Red stick" is the English for bâton rouge
- Style
- Cajun French songs, Western swing, early jazz and blues, dance-hall music and original songs
- Last show
- 26 October 2013, Black Pot Festival, Lafayette
Members
The final lineup was Linzay Young (fiddle, lead vocals), Daniel Coolik (fiddle, mandolin, electric guitar), Chas Justus (guitar, vocals), Eric Frey (upright bass, vocals), Blake Miller (accordion, acoustic guitar) and Glenn Fields (drums). Earlier members included Josh Caffery, Joel Savoy, Wilson Savoy, Kevin Wimmer, Oliver Swain and Ricky Rees.
The sound
Two fiddles sat at the centre of the band, as in older Cajun music, but the Ramblers were just as happy swinging a Bob Wills tune as playing a Cajun waltz. That mix of French-language songs from southwest Louisiana and Texas-style swing made them a favourite at dances, and it is a good way into both traditions. For background on the fiddle at the heart of it, see our fiddle guide.
Albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Red Stick Ramblers | Louisiana Radio Records |
| 2003 | Bring It On Down | Memphis International |
| 2005 | Right Key, Wrong Keyhole | Memphis International |
| 2007 | Made in the Shade | Sugar Hill |
| 2009 | My Suitcase Is Always Packed | Sugar Hill |
The band also released EPs on Sugar Hill in 2007 and appeared on the 2006 Valcour Records compilation Allons Boire un Coup, a collection of Cajun and Creole drinking songs.
Treme, Bourdain and the Black Pot Festival
- HBO's Treme: the band played the backing group of Lucia Micarelli's character Annie, and three of their original songs were featured in season three.
- No Reservations: they appeared in the "Cajun Country" season finale of Anthony Bourdain's Travel Channel show.
- Linda Ronstadt and Ann Savoy: the rhythm section backed several tracks on the 2007 album Adieu False Heart.
- Black Pot Festival: the band started this festival in Lafayette in 2006, and it was where they said goodbye in 2013.
After the Ramblers
Five of the six final members went on to form The Revelers, another Louisiana band. If you enjoy the Red Stick Ramblers, the old-time and string-band sound of the Red Clay Ramblers (a different band, from North Carolina) and our folk radio stations are good places to go next.