Biography
Jimmy Breaux ranks among the foremost Cajun accordionists active in recent decades. Serving as the button-accordion voice of the Grammy-winning ensemble Beausoleil, he belongs to a storied Louisiana lineage steeped in the same regional traditions.
Four generations of his family have performed Cajun music. The roster includes father Preston Breaux, grandfather Amédé Breaux, brother Pat Breaux, great-grandfather Auguste Breaux, and great-aunt Cleoma Breaux, who wedded Joe Falcon, a towering figure among 1930s Cajun artists. That couple opened pathways for later musicians, among them their great-nephew. Born in 1967, Breaux grew up while Louisiana Cajuns still faced cultural marginalization and penalties for using French. Fiddler Dewey Balfa first drew broader national notice to the idiom, after which Beausoleil, which Breaux entered in 1988 at age twenty, carried Cajun sounds across the globe; the album Cajunization captures the group’s mission succinctly.
Within the band Breaux’s low-profile demeanor contrasts with the fiery execution he produces on button accordion. Only his fingers appear animated, racing at extraordinary velocity. Bandleader and fiddler Michael Doucet has repeatedly voiced admiration for his principal squeezebox player. The 2001 live recording Looking Back Tomorrow Beausoleil Live highlights Breaux at peak form, where technical complexity and fresh ideas coexist with deep-rooted heritage yet never call attention to the effort involved.
His debut solo album, Un 'Tit Peu Plus Cajun, appeared in 1991 and enlisted Beausoleil associates Michael Doucet and David Doucet. The set centers on dance-oriented traditional pieces such as “Creole Stomp” and “La Valse de Meche,” interspersed with selections from more recent composers. Breaux’s follow-up, Le Chemin Que T'as Pris, earned widespread praise and was named Album of the Year for 1997 by the Le Cajun Music Awards. Dedicated to his parents, the record blends longstanding repertoire with original material; its title track, rendered in English as “The Road You Took,” was composed by Preston Breaux. Additional contributors include Steve Riley, David Doucet, and stepfather U.J. Meaux. Whether leading his own ensemble or occupying his customary post with Beausoleil, Breaux continues to deliver music of lasting quality.
Four generations of his family have performed Cajun music. The roster includes father Preston Breaux, grandfather Amédé Breaux, brother Pat Breaux, great-grandfather Auguste Breaux, and great-aunt Cleoma Breaux, who wedded Joe Falcon, a towering figure among 1930s Cajun artists. That couple opened pathways for later musicians, among them their great-nephew. Born in 1967, Breaux grew up while Louisiana Cajuns still faced cultural marginalization and penalties for using French. Fiddler Dewey Balfa first drew broader national notice to the idiom, after which Beausoleil, which Breaux entered in 1988 at age twenty, carried Cajun sounds across the globe; the album Cajunization captures the group’s mission succinctly.
Within the band Breaux’s low-profile demeanor contrasts with the fiery execution he produces on button accordion. Only his fingers appear animated, racing at extraordinary velocity. Bandleader and fiddler Michael Doucet has repeatedly voiced admiration for his principal squeezebox player. The 2001 live recording Looking Back Tomorrow Beausoleil Live highlights Breaux at peak form, where technical complexity and fresh ideas coexist with deep-rooted heritage yet never call attention to the effort involved.
His debut solo album, Un 'Tit Peu Plus Cajun, appeared in 1991 and enlisted Beausoleil associates Michael Doucet and David Doucet. The set centers on dance-oriented traditional pieces such as “Creole Stomp” and “La Valse de Meche,” interspersed with selections from more recent composers. Breaux’s follow-up, Le Chemin Que T'as Pris, earned widespread praise and was named Album of the Year for 1997 by the Le Cajun Music Awards. Dedicated to his parents, the record blends longstanding repertoire with original material; its title track, rendered in English as “The Road You Took,” was composed by Preston Breaux. Additional contributors include Steve Riley, David Doucet, and stepfather U.J. Meaux. Whether leading his own ensemble or occupying his customary post with Beausoleil, Breaux continues to deliver music of lasting quality.
Albums
