Annotation:Perrodin Two Step
PERRODIN TWO STEP. AKA and see “Ardoin Two-Step,” "Two-Step des Perrodins." Cajun, Two-Step (4/4 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Francois): AA'BB' (Reiner & Anick). The song is named for the Perrodin family; according to Marc Savoy the Perrodins were two brothers who requested the tune frequently at dances. It was first recorded in New Orleans in 1929 by Angélas LeJeune (b.c. 1890-), Dennis McGee and Ernest Frugé. As the story goes, LeJeune, accompanied by McGee and Frugé, won an accordion contest sponsored by a weekly newspaper, the Opelousas Herald, the grand prize of which was a trip to the city to record for Brunswick Records. John Lomax, working for the WPA, made a field recording [1] of the tune played by Creole accordion player Oakdale Carrière in the Angola State Prison, Louisiana, in July, 1934. A related tune is Merlin Fontenot's "Pas de Deux a Elia," according to Raymond Francois. See also versions of "Perrodin Two-Step" recorded under the titled "Round Up Hop" (1937, by Miller's Merrymakers) and "Jolly Boys' Breakdown" (by the Jolly Boys of Lafayette). Wallace "Cheese" Read's "Mamou Breakdown" is also considered a version.
According to Raymond François (1990), the beat and rhythm are extremely important (and confusing in the 'A' part), so that among Cajuns anyone who can play this song well is considered a good musician. It is a favorite in southwest Louisiana accordion contests.
