Accordion | Jimmy Breaux | Intermediate/Advanced | Period 3 | Week 1 (July 6-10, 2026)
This intermediate/advanced accordion class explores the distinctive playing style and repertoire of Cajun music pioneer Lawrence Walker. Walker wrote many enduring Cajun standards that remain central to the tradition (Evangeline Waltz, Bosco Stomp, and Mamou Two Step, to name a few!), and his music helped define the accordion-driven dance hall sound of the mid-20th century. The class will celebrate his legacy through learning tunes in his style.
About the Instructor
Jimmy Breaux is acknowledged to be one of the best Cajun accordionists of the modern era. The accordion player for the Grammy Award-winning group Beausoleil for over 25 years, he is in the fourth generation of his family to play Cajun music. His great-grandfather was Auguste Breaux and his great aunt, Cléoma Falcon Breaux, sang and played on the first Cajun recording, “Allons à Lafayette.” His grandfather, Amédée Breaux, made the first recording of “Jolie Blonde.” Jimmy’s first solo album, Un ‘Tit Peu Plus Cajun, was recorded in 1991 and is mainly a collection of traditional tunes. His second, Le Chemin Que T’as Pris, was chosen as the best album of 1997 by the Cajun French Music Association. Jimmy Breaux and Friends: Live at Festivals Acadiens was released in 2008. Since retiring from Beausoleil he has enjoyed playing around home with a variety of great musicians.