(TEE Ah-kah-DEE)
Ti' Acadie is a dance band and folk trio from Maine, part of the region including the Canadian maritime provinces known as Acadia (Ti' Acadie means "a little Acadia"). This versatile group is equally at home playing for concerts, contradances, or Cajun dances. Band members are Pam Weeks on fiddle, mountain dulcimer, guitar, singing; Jim Joseph on button accordion, 5-string banjo, mandolin, fiddle, jaw harp, percussion, feet, singing; Bill Olson on guitar, bass, singing, calling. They play a variety of music including traditional French Canadian and New England dance tunes; Cajun waltzes, two steps, Cajun blues and Zydeco tunes; old time southern tunes and songs often sung a capella in 3 part harmony; original tunes written by band "tunesmith", Pam Weeks, which range from sizzling reels and jigs to mesmerizing aires and sweet waltzes. In a contradance setting, they will get everyone moving to the beat with Quebecois reels and old timey southern "hoedowns", but the evening will often be punctuated by Pam singing a Cajun waltz, or by a contradance done to a set of old time Cajun reels started off with just fiddle and ti' fer (triangle); and when these guys REALLY get going, with fiddle howling, guitar pulsing, accordion pumping, feet tapping.... LOOK OUT!!!
Pam Weeks is a talented multi-instrumentalist as well as a tunesmith.In Ti' Acadie Pam focuses on Cajun, Old Time, and Quebecois fiddle, and mountain dulcimer in an amazing flat-picking style all her own, but occasionally plays piano, mandolin, guitar, viola, cello, Celtic harp, flute,or saxophone. Her solid, rhythmic fiddle and dulcimer playing, often trading off harmony and melody with Jim, is the backbone of the Ti' Acadie sound.
Jim Joseph normally plays three button accordions (a 3 row Castignari A,D,G; a single row Acadian Cajun accordion in C; and a single row Martin Cajun accordion in D). These, along with everything else he plays,make it hard to see him on the stage through all the instruments. But he is back there,having a blast with all his toys!
Bill Olson takes care of the "bottom end" usually on guitar, but
occasionally on upright bass. His driving guitar "chunk" can be heard on
most clearly on the band's Cajun and French Canadian tunes.For old timey
tunes he uses the traditional "bass run" flat picking style. Bill also calls
contradances with Ti' Acadie (while playing! - how does he DO THAT??)and
other bands, and has written scores of dances that are popular with other
callers and dancers worldwide.
For Ti' Acadie
"promo" info click here.
2007 Schedule
January February
March April May
June July
August September
October November
December
Friday,
March 16
Arts in Residency
Hartford-Sumner Elementary School
Rte. 117
Hartford ME
day & evening
Jim and Bill will spend the school day teaching contradancing
while I meet with instrumentalists
teaching traditional New England music. After an afternoon concert
for the whole school
we'll top it off in the evening with a community potluck and contradance!
Friday
& Saturday, March 30 & 31
Downeast Country Dance
Festival
The Orion Performing Arts Center at Mount Ararat Middle School
58 Republic Ave
Topsham, Maine
This year we are one of the featured bands from Maine.
We will be playing for contradance sessions, teaching workshops on
fiddling and calling,
jamming in the hallways and dancing up a storm when ever we're not
working!
Sunday, April 1
private party
Jay, Maine
Friday - Sunday, April 20-22
NEFFA Folk Festival
Mansfield High and Middle Schools
Mansfield, MA
In its 63rd year, this festival is one of a kind! All kinds of folk
dance, music,
storytelling, art, handwork, are represented here. Our sessions will
be:
Saturday 7-8pm: Hotcontrasweetwaltzes w/ Bill calling
Saturday 9-10pm: Old France, New France - w/ other performers
Friday 9-10pm: Open Cajun Dance (as part of Jimmyjo & the Jumbol'ayuhs)
Friday April 27- Sunday, May 6
Ti' Acadie heads South to warmer climes!
Pam's Page
Pam's Tunes
Bill's
Corner
Jimmyjo
& the Jumbol'ayuhs
This page
is created and maintained by Pam Weeks
. Last updated: 11-7-06