WILSON SAVOY, accordion & fiddle & vocals,was born and raised near Eunice, Louisiana. Steeped in Cajun music as a child from his parents, Marc and Ann Savoy, as well as friends of the family, such as the legendary Dennis McGee and Dewey Balfa, Wilson learned songs many years before he even touched the accordion or the fiddle. In his early teens, his father gave him a homemade accordion built from the wood of a Sasaffras tree that his grandfather planted. Wilson intensely studied the styles of Amede Ardoin and Iry Lejeune, as well as his father and soon developed a style of his own, full of punch, Creole syncopation, and energy.

When not on the bandstand, Wilson is a frequent visitor at jam sessions at his father’s music store or the Blue Moon Saloon, or he is teaching at music camps all over the world including Fiddle Tunes, Augusta, and Tikendalch in France. Wilson has played in many groups over the years like the White Mule Boys, the Red Stick Ramblers, the Savoy-Family Band, the Chuch Point Aces avec Paul Daigle and Mitch Reed, and his heart has always been with Cajun music. In 2006, Wilson debuted in the film “All the King’s Men” as a piano player alongside actor Sean Penn.

Wilson Savoy, le Grand, qui aussi s'appelle 'Wiltar' à l'âge de 15 ans, a sauvé un bus entier rempli de Mexicains sans defense lorsque ce même bus était sur le point de plonge dans le Fleuve. C'est à ce moment là, sans la moindre hesitation, que Wilson a sauté pour sauver tout ces gens de la noyade. Parmi les autres faits notoires de la vie de ce heros, il a egalement trouvé le remède miracle contre l'ennui! Bravo Wilson!

COURTNEY GRANGER, fiddle & vocals, was born in Eunice, Louisiana where he lives today. Master fiddler and extraordinary strong singer, Courtney hails from the Balfa family lineage, which is evident in his powerful vocals and heavily Balfa-influenced fiddling. Courtney produced his own solo CD in the mid 90s, which brought him praise from the Cajun music scene, landing him x CFMA awards. In 2002, Courtney joined Balfa Toujours on bass and fiddle, playing alongside the great Kevin Wimmer. Courtney’s endless repetoire of both Cajun and classic country tunes, as well his impecable thoughtful fiddling and soulful singing, has made him one of the most sought-after Cajun fiddlers in the world, playing with legends Jason Frey, Dirk Powell, and Horace Trahan. The Pine Leaf Boys are honored to share the stage with Courtney, who joined the group in summer 2008

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DREW SIMON, drums & vocals, Drew Simon was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana and developed an interest in Cajun music in his late teens.  At 18, he started playing drums and singing with his brother in a local group called Acadien.  Soon after, he learned how to play the accordion, guitar, and bass and developed a great passion for singing some of the forgotten cajun classics by the likes of Belton Richard, Lawrence Walker, Philip Alleman, Vorence Barzas and the Balfa Brothers.

Drew is strictly a traditionalist, playing and singing in a style which has been described as a "simple, older, blue collared cajun."  As he sits behind the drumset or the accordion, he hopes to bring back some of the memories, spirit, and soul of a generation long ago, of Cajun musicians who told their life sorrows and pains through their music. He is currently a student at UL-Lafayette in Anthropology.

Drew Simon est né et été élevé près de Lafayette, mais pour Drew, les choses sont toujours à la renverse. Comme Merlin le magicien, Drew vit sa vie à la renverse, qui veut dire que quand il est né, il est mort comme un petit bébé, et quand il va être naître, il sera un vieux homme à la fin de sa vie. Ouais, on sait que c'est un peu compliqué, cette condition, mais c'est par rapport à ça que Drew a l'esprit d'un vieux Cajun, comme ses sentiments et sa passion quand il chante. Sa voix émotionnelle se donne les frissons à lui-même, mais sa voix perçante donne les frissons et les larmes de passé à son public qui crie seulement... "Drew!"

JON BERTRAND, guitars, was raised in the thriving hub of Jeff Davis Parish that is Pine Island or Crapeauville where he began life as a cowboy. He began playing guitar and quickly became a rhythm machine, playing with Dexter Ardoin, Cory McCauley, and the Lost Bayou Ramblers.

Jon's major influences are Cory McCauley, Harry Choates, the Hackberry Ramblers, Iry LeJeune, Austin Pitre, and Sonny Meaux. Jon completed his studies at UL in French and today lives with the rest of the Pine Leaf Boys in Lafayette, LA. Jon is a rocker, and he is influenced by many groups, not just Cajun.

Jon Bertand est un homme qui ne joue pas par les règles. Il joue sûrement de la guitare, mais il y n'a pas un tas de monde qui sait que Jon est actuellement un homme qui a commencé sa carrière comme un strip-teaseuse. Tout le temps en temps, on peut voir Jon entrain d'enlever ses vêtements pour faire crier son public. Mais la plus grande surprise est... "Il est actuellement une femme."

THOMAS DAVID, bass, was born and raised in Lafayette, LA.  By the age of 8 he was playing drums alongside his father, Ken David, bassist with Jambalaya Cajun Band.  At age 16, his father bought an upright bass and Thomas immediately fell in love with the instrument, and Thomas quickly became become a rock-solid bass player in both Cajun and Zydeco music. Thomas’ influences are Bob Wills, Asleep at the Wheel, D.L. Menard, Jambalaya Cajun Band, Aldus Roger, Adam Hebert and his biggest, his Dad. 

 

 

From the press: "The fabulous Pine Leaf Boys hail from the soggy prairies and bayous of southwest Louisiana and play the traditional Cajun and Creole music of that region with a youthful vitality that gives an extra kick to that already vibrant music. All twentysomethings, the Boys are thoroughly steeped in Louisiana roots, but are already prolific writers and innovators who love to mess with things. On the quintet's latest, Blues De Musicien (Arhoolie), for instance, fiddler Cedric Watson's Creole blues tune "Ma Petite Femme" is goosed by Wilson Savoy's raucous piano pounding and Jon Bertrand's sizzling electric guitar. Watson's scorching version of Canray Fontenot's "Jig Cajin" rocks hard, as does Savoy's "Pine Leaf Boogie," propelled by wild shouts and Bertrand's snaky guitar. Watson has so mastered the nuances of the late fiddle icon Canray Fontenot, as well as some of his mannerisms, that you can almost see Fontenot's trademark grin glittering on Watson's face when he plays." - Rick Mason, City Pages, Minneapolis, MN "The live performances of the Pine Leaf Boys are a revelation of anarchy and reverence and manic exuberance funneled through traditional musical forms. Imagine a wide river, storm-tossed and swollen with rain, staying within the banks but cutting a deep channel. Or, imagine a vintage tube amplifier driven to its electrical limit. A Pine Leaf performance is like that. Full-throttle and wide open, The Pine Leaf Boys heat the tubes of the old music until they break up into the sweetest distortion imaginable." - Josh Caffery, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana "I went to hear and dance to the Pine Leaf Boys last night here in Atlanta. I think they are one of the best new young bands from the genre that I have heard in a very long time. Cedric Watson (fiddler extraordinaire) and Wilson Savoy (brilliant - accordion, vocals, and fiddle) capture the soul of so many of the older artists, including musicians such as Canray Fontenot through Danny and Edward Poullard (to whom they recorded an homage on their CD entitled La Musique). Their music is infused with such enthusiasm and energy..." - Local review of show in Atlanta, Georgia "THE STAGE is covered in people: It's the end of a set and the band has hurriedly pulled folks out of the front rows. You can't see the drummer, girls have surrounded the guitar player, and one guy is shouting in the singer's mike... "Everything about the Pine Leaf Boys on its surface goes against the traditional notions of Cajun music, which on record and in performance often sounds like the forlorn music of days gone by... but it all comes from an exploration of the roots of their music, "We're trying to go back as far as we can for inspiration, " Watson says. - Alex Rawls