An introduction to traditional Cajun-Creole dance music. Blair and Steve (who play accordion and fiddle with Sauce Piquante) will lead you through a waltz, a two-step, and a bluesy shuffle. Since Blair plays a “D” accordion, tunes will be in D and A. Best for those with basic proficiency on their instruments, but all are welcome to listen and learn.
Blair Kilpatrick (Cajun accordion, vocals) and Steve Tabak (fiddle, guitar) have been active members of the Bay Area’s vibrant Louisiana French music community since they moved to Berkeley from Chicago in the late 1990s. Since 1999, their band Sauce Piquante has performed at festivals and venues throughout the SF Bay Area, which is home to the largest Cajun-Zydeco music community outside the Gulf Coast. Before the pandemic, they hosted regular jam sessions in their home.
Their music is rooted in two traditions: Cajun and old-time Creole. Whether they play as a duo or as part of a full dance band, Blair and Steve try to capture the authentic sound of South Louisiana’s dance halls, house parties, and church dances.
Their band’s debut recording “Sauce Piquante Live” got a thumbs-up in a Dirty Linen magazine review. Blair is also the author of “Accordion Dreams” (U. Press Mississippi, 2009), which documents her musical journey. She and her fiddler-husband Steve were among the musicians profiled in “Zydeco Nation,” a public radio documentary about the Louisiana Creole migration to Northern California.
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