The New Iberians are an energetic, festival and
club favorite from the Pacific Northwest, guaranteed to get the crowd up
and dancin'!
Our band takes its name from the gulf coast town New Iberia, Louisiana, Queen City of the Bayou Teche, Cajun Capital, famous for its red pepper hot sauce.
Our music reflects our roots: Louisiana Zydeco, Northwest Rock,
Chicago Blues. Bandleader Evan Shlaes was born in Chicago. He studied
accordion and as a teen played blues piano in local bars and
coffeehouses. After moving to the Pacific NW he was active as a sound
engineer when he first heard Queen Ida's Bon Temps Zydeco Band and
Clifton Chenier. In the late 90's he hooked up with Cajun rubboard
player Paul Bassette and formed the New Iberians Zydeco Band.
Our
first CD was released in 2002, with Robert Lee on fiddle. After Robert's
departure harmonica man Claes Almroth added his vast knowledge of
Blues and R&B and the band became the New Iberians Zydeco Blues
Band. We've released 2 CD's under that name, in 2008 and 2011. We are
currently working on our fourth CD.
Our music is upbeat, and
includes many original tunes as well as traditional Zydeco, Blues and
New Orleans Rock'n'Roll. We perform as a six piece ensemble with drums,
bass, and electric guitar or can work as a smaller "unplugged" unit as needed.
We're family friendly, and fun to watch.
We are based in Portland. Oregon and regularly play to audiences in the Bay Area, Puget Sound area, Idaho, Montana and even as far east as Chicago.
Instrumentation
Evan Shlaes - piano, B3, Accordion
Paul Bassette - Washboard, Percussion
Fred Ingram - Drums
Claes Almroth - keyboards, harmonica
Steve Davis - Guitar
Linc McGrath - Bass
Discography
CD "Stumptown Zydeco" Released 3/2011 on the Argess Label
CD "Bon Temps Rouge" on the PsycheDelta Label (Dist. by Burnside) Released Spring 2009
Self produced CD "Drums Dont Stop" released 2002
Recent notable shows include the Rocky Mountain Accordion Celebration (Phillipsburg MT,) NW Folklife (Seattle WA) Point Richmond Music Festival (Pt. Richmond CA)
Glenwood Arts Festival (Chicago IL) The Bite of Oregon, Portland Rose
Festival, the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, Oregon Wine and Brew
Fest, Bones & Brew, Give Green, the Mt Hood Crayfish Fest, the Mt.
Hood Festival of the Forest, the Portland Festival of the Arts,
Kruger’s Farm Harvest Celebration, Music in the Park at Mt. Tabor, and
Fat Tuesday at the Crystal Ballroom, In addition we appeared with the
late Mr. Bo Diddly at the Columbia River Festival (Hood River OR) and opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Roseland Theater. We
also play numerous club gigs around the NW region (check our calendar
page), and can be seen in a somewhat abbreviated form most Thursday nights
at the East Portland Eagles, 4950 S.E. Hawthorne, Portland 97214
OUR INFLUENCES include Clifton Chenier, Muddy Waters, Beau
Jacques, Buckwheat Zydeco, Buck Owens, Little Walter, the Wailers, the Meters, Fats Domino, the
Holy Modal Rounders.
WHAT IS ZYDECO?
Zydeco (French: "les haricots" or "le zaricot", English: "snap beans") is a form of American roots music that evolved from the multiracial French-speaking Creoles of south and southwest Louisiana.
Usually fast-tempo, and dominated by the button or piano accordion and a form of a washboard known as a rub-board or frottoir,
zydeco music was originally created at house dances where the blacks
and free people of color of south Louisiana would gather for
socializing.
Today, the tradition of change
and evolution in the music continues always keeping relevant while
integrating genres like blues. rock and roll, reggae, urban hip hop,
R&B, soul,brass band,Afro-caribbean and other styles in addition to
the traditional forms. (edited from WIKIPEDIA).
