Abita Springs Opry Media - 2005-10 Featuring the Abita Strings, Justin & Katie Nunez, Luke Thompson, the Back Roads Pickers and Cedric Watson

MEDIA - AO2005-10

The Abita Springs Opry is a series of music concerts held six times a year and is produced by a nonprofit organization, Abita Opry Inc. The show has the mission of preserving and presenting Louisiana "Roots" music. Our music is played primarily acoustically, in its original form.

Our main thrust is old-time Country, Bluegrass, and traditional Southern Gospel music, but we often present other forms of traditional Louisiana music such as Cajun, Zydeco, Irish, or other types that reflect the many different groups of people who are part of our diverse culture.

Abita Strings

This home town bluegrass ensemble is one of the Opry's "House Band". Setting the pace for every show, the Abita Strings have taken Traditional to another level.

Justin & Katie Nunez

Justin and Katie Nunez are a couple of roots music prodigies who combine superior musicianship with youthful drive and enthusiasm that is a sure audience pleaser. They are joined by a youthful banjo player, Lucas Poole from Mountain View, Arkansas The group is rounded out by Lucas' father, Scott Poole who owns a music store in Mountain view and heads up the Mountain View Bluegrass Association. This group is a real treat.

Luke Thompson and the Green Valley Cut-ups

Louisiana is strongly identified with many styles of music such as Dixieland-style jazz and blues, country, zydeco, Cajun, and even rock. But one typically doesn't associate the Bayou State with bluegrass. Luke Thompson has been working for the past 40 years to change that. Luke's musical roots go back to his childhood in Natalbany, Louisiana. Thompson's grandfather was an old-time fiddle player who encouraged Luke and his brother, Cecil, to nurture their musical talents. Both began as guitar players, but eventually moved on to other instruments.

Luke first switched to a fiddle, then to a four-string banjo, and lastly to a mandolin. Cecil soon switched to a five-string banjo. Luke and Cecil's music was at first influenced by artists such as Eddy Arnold and Hank Williams. They then discovered the sound of Bill Monroe-an artist who would influence the Thompson boys' music from that point on.

Steve Anderson and the Back Roads Pickers

Steve knows all of the classical country tunes that we all love, and his deep, rich voice rolls them out in a style that grabs all attention.

Cedric Watson and the Pine Leaf Boys

One of the most noted young talents to emerge in Cajun or Creole music in the past few years, Cedric Watson is a fiddler, vocalist, accordionist and songwriter of seemingly unlimited potential. Born in 1983, Cedric grew up in San Felipe, Texas surrounded by the sounds of blues, old soul, country and zydeco. Unlike his hip-hop focused peers, Cedric was drawn to the old-style French songs of Southwest Louisiana and the greater Houston area. He soon made his way to Lafayette, LA where he was enthusiastically accepted into the musical community and immediately recognized as an important participant in the continuity of Creole music.

Cedric has played with some of the great family names in Creole music,and is joined in this performance by Wilson Savoy and members of the Creole Cowboys.