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The Red Stick Ramblers

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Red Stick Ramblers
Red Stick Ramblers performing April 20, 2008, during the Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week at Chicot State Park.
Red Stick Ramblers performing April 20, 2008, during the Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week at Chicot State Park.
Background information
OriginLouisiana, United States
GenresCajun
MembersLinzay Young
Daniel Coolik
Chas Justus
Eric Frey
Glenn Fields
Blake Miller
Past membersJosh Caffery
Joel Savoy
Richard Burgess
Ricky Rees
Kevin Wimmer

The Red Stick Ramblers were a Cajun Music and Western Swing band formed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1999 while some of the members were attending Louisiana State University. Their name comes from a translation of Baton Rouge, which means "red stick" in French. The most recent line-up consisted of Linzay Young (fiddle, lead vocals), Daniel Coolik (fiddle, mandolin, electric guitar), Chas Justus (guitar, vocals), Eric Frey (Upright Bass, Vocals), Blake Miller (accordion and acoustic guitar) and Glenn Fields (drums). Past members include Josh Caffery, Joel Savoy, Oliver Swain, Kevin Wimmer, Wilson Savoy and Ricky Rees.

The band played a combination of traditional Cajun songs (sung in Cajun French), as well as covers of Western Swing classics (particularly the songs of Bob Wills), early American jazz and blues covers (Stuff Smith, Count Basie, Fats Waller and more), and honky tonk and dance-hall music, as well as dozens of tradition-inspired original songs.

The Red Stick Ramblers have appeared in a season finale of the Travel Channel's "No Reservations", with chef Anthony Bourdain, entitled "Cajun Country". Following this appearance the band scored a role in the third season of HBO's Treme, starring as Lucia Micarelli's character Annie's band the "Bayou St. John Playboys" and later "Annie T's Bayou Cadillac." Three Red Stick Rambler original songs, Made in the Shade, Katrina, and Morning Blues, are featured in season three of Treme. The band also returned to appear in the final abbreviated 4th season of Treme.

The rhythm section of the Ramblers performed as the backing band on several tracks of Linda Ronstadt and Ann Savoy's 2007 release Adieu False Heart.

On 26 October 2013 at the Black Pot Festival in Lafayette, LA, a festival started by the Red Stick Ramblers in 2006, the band announced that this would be their last show as The Red Stick Ramblers. 5/6th of the members of the most recent personnel of the band have gone on to form The Revelers, which is currently active.

Discography

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