Lisa Haley

Lisa Haley, a fourth-generation fiddler trained by acknowledged masters of the Cajun Way including Queen Ida, Joe Simien, and Canray Fontenot, seeks to propel Cajun and Zydeco traditions forward into the twenty-first century through the distinctive blend of heritage and newly composed material that defines the sound of Lisa Haley & the Zydekats.

Her recording résumé encompasses sessions with John Hyatt, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Dramarama, and Zydeco Party Band, while her stage collaborations have extended to Randy Newman, Lyle Lovett, and Queen Ida. Her fiddle work appears throughout the soundtrack of The Waterboy, and she has performed on the Tonight Show, Good Morning America, the Family Channel, and various European television programs.

The Zydekats feature David Jackson on accordion and vocals; his contributions can be heard on recordings by John Denver, Andy Williams, Hoyt Axton, and Bruce Cockburn, and he has appeared on the Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live. On guitar, slide, dobro, mandolin, and vocals, Randy Mitchell began playing at age four on a Popeye handcrank toy before advancing to professional instruments and recording with Donna Summer, Michael Martin Murphy, and Hank Ballard; his television credits include the Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, and Good Morning America. Jim Hanson, handling bass and vocals, has recorded with Carlene Carter, Bruce Springsteen, Rosanne Cash, and Rodney Crowell, and has performed on the Tonight Show alongside Carlene Carter as well as at the Grammy Awards with Bruce Springsteen. Completing the lineup, Michael Jochum plays drums, percussion, and washboard; his album work includes Jackson Browne and Boy Meets Girl, while his television placements appear regularly on Beverly Hills 90210, Home Improvement, and The Muppet Show, with additional placements on the soundtracks of The Chase and Days of Thunder.

The group’s releases comprise the 1999 critically acclaimed album Waiting for the Sky, followed by King Cake in 2007 and Lisa Haley & the Zydecats in 2008.