"Louisiana's music is a huge part of our culture here. Carnival Season, Festival Season, and believe it or not, we have seasons for our cuisine, and the music of Louisiana is enjoyed in each part of that. Our music and our celebrations are simply a way of life here. That's why there is such a devoted following."

Pontchartrain Shakers: Creole Soundtrack

The Pontchartrain Shakers are a new Blues Band featuring Amedee "A5" Frederick and Jojjo Wight as the shredding leaders of the stage. Their debut self-titled album "The Pontchartrain Shakers" released in April 2024 by Southland Records. Amedee 'A5' Frederick and Jojjo Wight both grew up performing with their fathers and today they strive to carry on the music tradition of their familys’ heritage. Amadee 'The Creole Blues Man' Frederick, A5’s father, was born in the countryside of Southeast Louisiana. His Creole roots run deep, with five generations making music. As a boy, Amedee was exposed to many Delta musicians who jammed with his father. He shared stages with Lightnin' Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, Jesse Hill, and many others. He toured in the United States and abroad especially enjoying performances in Spain. During a private performance, Andres Segovia, was very complimentary of his guitar playing and enjoyed it immensely. A5 started playing music with his dad as a child. At 7 he made his first appearance at the Gibson Street Bar on Mardi Gras Day dressed up by Coco Robicheaux. He started gigging seriously with his Dad at age 12 and began regular gigs in New Orleans at 15.                                     (The Pontchartrain Shakers, Louisiana 2024 / Photo by Tomas Raul)

Amadee has been battling stage four stomach and pancreatic cancer for five years now and still enjoys occasionally performing with his son and daughter-in-law, Jojjo, who lead the Pontchartrain Shakers. Jojjo’s father Jamie Wight, born in Port Clinton, Ohio, near Lake Erie, is one of the great traditional jazz revivalists of the 1960s. Leading his own New Orleans Joymakers, he invited Wild Bill Davidson, Orange Kellen, and John Royen to join his band on tour. After moving to New Orleans, LA, Jamie took many opportunities to tour the world. Favorite performances include the 1997 Handover of Hong Kong between Great Britain and China, four United States presidents, the crown prince of Norway, and the King of Bangladesh. He was Grammy-nominated with the Dukes of Dixieland. He enjoyed regular gigs at Preservation Hall and Palm Court and led bands on Bourbon Street for three decades. Jamie has enjoyed performing with his son-in-law and daughter with their blues band but is postponing all musical performances currently as he fights colorectal cancer, having received his diagnosis in June 2024.

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the music influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

Amedee: I think food and music is a big part of traveling in the world and I've enjoyed eating the food and listening to the music on my travels. I look forward to doing plenty of that in the future.

Jojjo: As a child, I spent a great deal of time with my dad in the French Quarter, attending his performances and sharing the stage by the time I was a young teenager. Music has allowed me to meet people from around the world and to learn about their culture and share in many wonderful experiences. I have been extremely fortunate in that of all the people I have met. We share a mutual joy in music, whether that is creating it, performing it, or listening to it.

How do you describe Pontchartrain Shakers sound, music philosophy and songbook? What is the story behind band´s name?

Amedee: Being from Southeast Louisiana it's a tasty gumbo infused with the influences of several sub genres of Blues, Rock n roll, country, and gospel music that creates a hybrid Louisiana style sound "Creole". As far as music philosophy goes, we just take everyday emotions like love, loss, triumphs, overcoming tribulations, enjoyment, wants and desires, and let it fly in the air. Time To Make A Change uses the lyrics "There's a hurricane in my house" as a metaphor for overcoming drug addiction.

Jojjo and I share some solid familiarity with music and living arrangements from an early age. We grew up on both sides of Lake Pontchartrain which is connected by the longest bridge over water in the world. Both of our parents split up when we were children and we spent many years going back and forth from the Northshore to the Southshore. We grew up working and living on both sides and doing so much traveling this way made the Pontchartrain Shakers name most fitting.

"Being from Southeast Louisiana it's a tasty gumbo infused with the influences of several sub genres of Blues, Rock n roll, country, and gospel music that creates a hybrid Louisiana style sound "Creole". As far as music philosophy goes, we just take everyday emotions like love, loss, triumphs, overcoming tribulations, enjoyment, wants and desires, and let it fly in the air." (The Pontchartrain Shakers: Amedee 'A5' Frederick and Jojjo Wight, Louisiana 2024 / Photo by Tomas Raul)

When did the idea of band come about? How do you prepare for band’s recordings and performances to help you maintain both spiritual and musical stamina?

Jojjo: Amedee and I formed the Pontchartrain Shakers in 2018 after many years of being friends. One day, we decided that we should combine our musical efforts to create a very special band. As far as preparing for recording, it is important to understand the layout of the songs and perform them live to really have them be able to grow organically with a live audience and become ready for the studio. To prepare for live performances is all about being happy. Be happy to go and entertain, be happy to bring joy to others, and be happy to represent ourselves and our music with professionalism.

Why do you think that Louisiana’s music continues to generate such a devoted following?

Amedee: It's just as strong as our food is and where we are from everybody's a musician. Everyone plays music, there are so many great bands and great artists. Musicians that aren't from here, move here to claim Louisiana as their turf and their music. This combination of sounds is what keeps our music rich.

Jojjo: Louisiana's music is a huge part of our culture here. Carnival Season, Festival Season, and believe it or not, we have seasons for our cuisine, and the music of Louisiana is enjoyed in each part of that. Our music and our celebrations are simply a way of life here. That's why there is such a devoted following.

Which meetings have been the most important experiences for you? What was the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Amedee: Some of the best advice came from the great drummer Willie Cole who toured with Issac Hayes for many years. It was right before we stepped on stage for the first Jazz Fest, I ever played with the J Monque'd Blues Review. I was nervous and asked Cole what to do. He'd played huge 80,000-person stadium concerts. Cole told me a story about how Issac Hayes would hire young guys for their energy and one time a young kid got nervous and threw up and passed out. Cole gave me the same advice as he gave that kid. You don't worry about anything but doing what you've done to get yourself here. That's why the people come and what they're here for. You don't have to worry about impressing anyone, you've done that with enough folks and that's why you're here. You've just got to keep doing what you've been doing. After that it was like a dark storm vanished and the sun came out shining. That was the moment I knew I should just keep doing what I'm doing and it'll all be okay. That's got to be the best advice I've ever gotten. Also, from my mother and father, telling me that I'm good enough and believing in me.

"It's just as strong as our food is and where we are from everybody's a musician. Everyone plays music, there are so many great bands and great artists. Musicians that aren't from here, move here to claim Louisiana as their turf and their music. This combination of sounds is what keeps our music rich." (Photo: The Pontchartrain Shakers featuring Amedee "A5" Frederick and Jojjo Wight, Louisiana)

Are there any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

Amedee: Some of my fondest memories is playing the bass with my father in his band. When he was in his prime after coming back from a year long tour in Europe, we held down a steady gig as the house band at the world famous Port Orleans on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. It was a music club that had an oyster bar with an oyster shucker that faced the street from a window so everyone passing could see him work his magic shucking the oysters. I also learned how to be able to shuck oysters efficiently in seconds. We held that gig down for over two years four nights a week while I was still in high school.

Also, when I was 12 years old, I got to open up for Dr. John at Tipitina's and everyone treated me like a star. I signed autographs for everyone I ran into. That gig put a fire under me, fire under my feet, and gave me a righteous path to chase. I always wanted to be like my father because women wanted him, and men wanted to be like him.

Jojjo: Last weekend, we played a gig at The Hitch in Ponchatoula Louisiana. One of the songs I sang brought a woman to joyful tears. She just had to come up and tell me how the music had made her heart sing. She recently lost her husband, and the music made her feel like he was right there standing with her. Moments like that are truly special when they reach out and connect with a person in that way.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

Amedee: I don't know. Of course everyone misses musicians they used to perform with, venues they used to frequent. But I think we are doing it better now than we ever have. The evolution of music has come a long way. The only thing I have fear of is fear itself and I don't like that feeling. All you need is faith the size of a mustard seed and you can move a mountain.

Jojjo: I miss the people that we've lost the most. The musicians, the fans, the clubs that have changed over the years. I hope that the future is good, and that people will continue to step up and be torch carriers. As a musician, there is always a lot of hope. As far as fears go, I'm a firm believer that the music will go on. Mostly, I worry about my kids and what kind of future they are going to have, and that's what everyone wants, to see their kids be good people and be happy.

"Music is a huge part of culture, and to be able to share our cultural heritage with others in music helps to keep it alive. Our number one priority is to bring happiness to others, and if that opens up someone asking about what a Creole Woman is or a Cain Snake, then it opens up a conversation about culture into something shareable." (The Pontchartrain Shakers, Louisiana 2024 / Photo by Tomas Raul)

What does to be a female artist in a Man’s World, as James Brown says? What is the status of women in music?

Jojjo: I think that there is a great deal of room for women in music to make an impact and that some are leading the way for more. When I started studying classical guitar at Southeastern Louisiana University, I was the only woman in the program. By the time I finished, there were four women in the program. I will say that it is not always easy to be the only woman in the room, but also, if you are a woman who will work hard and do your best, you can absolutely be successful.

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want the music to affect people?

Amedee: I talk about pollution in my back yard where I was born and raised but that affects the entire planet and people understand it. When I talk about needing a Creole Woman who knows how to cook good red beans and rice that opens the door up for good conversation. I come from a Creole family, and I've been asked what that is. What is Creole? Creole is a family that shares multi-cultural identity. As our music travels, it's pretty cool to be able to share who we are and where we come from as well as receiving that from others as well just by meeting others with music.

Jojjo: Music is a huge part of culture, and to be able to share our cultural heritage with others in music helps to keep it alive. Our number one priority is to bring happiness to others, and if that opens up someone asking about what a Creole Woman is or a Cain Snake, then it opens up a conversation about culture into something shareable. I always enjoy learning something new and usually get a great opportunity to do that in these types of discussions.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Amedee: Timing is everything. Arrive on time, play in time, and leave on time.

Jojjo: The best lesson I've learned is that you don't have to live the song to sing the lyrics of them. A lot of people say you've got to suffer to play the blues, and we've all had our own trials and tribulations in life. Also, to never judge someone for what they look like. A face is just like the cover of a book, and once you start reading it and getting to know their story, in the end, the cover isn't really as important.

The Pontchartrain Shakers - Home

(Photo: The Pontchartrain Shakers)