Dennis McGee
| Dennis McGee | |
|---|---|
Dennis McGee on PBS's American Patchwork
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | January 26, 1893 |
| Origin | Eunice, Louisiana |
| Died | October 3, 1989 (aged 96) |
| Genres | Cajun |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, fiddler, barber |
| Instruments | Vocals, fiddle |
| Labels | Vocalion |
Dennis (Denus) McGee (born January 26, 1893, Eunice, Louisiana, USA – October 3, 1989) was one of the earliest recorded Cajun musicians.
A fiddle player, he recorded and performed with Creole accordionist and vocalist Amédé Ardoin, with accordionist Angelas LeJeune, and with fiddlers Sady Courville and Ernest Frugé. The recordings with Courville and Frugé are among the few surviving examples of Cajun music as it existed before the influence of the accordion became prominent.
McGee's repertoire included not only the waltz and the two-step common to Cajun music but also such dances as the one-step, polka, mazurka, reel, cotillion, the varsovienne, and others.
Dennis McGee was the son of John McGee, Sr. who was of Irish ancestry and Amelia, of French and Seminole Indian ancestry. Amelia died when Dennis was two years old. He received his first violin at the age of 14, and started playing dances within 6 months.
In the 1970s and 80s, McGee continued to perform with Sady Courville at festivals and special concerts and recorded for various American and French labels including Morningstar, Cinq Planetes, Swallow, and Music of the World.
His records are contemporary with Joe and Cléoma Falcon's. Also, his legacy includes his knowledge of playing older styles of Cajun music before the 1900s, when the accordion was introduced.
1929 New Orleans Session with Amédé Ardoin
1930 New Orleans Session with Amédé Ardoin
1934 San Antonio Session with Amédé Ardoin
1929 New Orleans Session with Sady Courville
...
Wikipedia