Creole du Nord
The Story
It seems that Louisiana Cajun & Zydeco music is the magic element of passion in this band. It became the mission of band leader, Mark Palms, who traced his family roots to St Martinville Louisiana, to bring the uplifting spirit of this music to his northern Michigan home. Dedicated to the traditional sounds of Cajun and Zydeco music, Creole du Nord’s captures the groove of fiddle and accordion backed by a tight rhythm section resulting in.. la musique pour les bon temps. It's impossible to sit still once they begin to play - just as it should be.
Mark Palms (accordion, vocals) is mostly self-taught. A musician who chased the heritage of traditional music after college and studied knee-to-knee with old-time, bluegrass and Cajun musicians. Mark also managed to gather a number of field recordings along the way from Louisiana to West Africa, feeding his appetite and appreciation for American Cajun & Zydeco music which is summed up his work with the band, Creole du Nord.
Carol Wells Palms (bass) is a classically trained violist, who on string bass captures the heart of traditional music without letting go of high musical standards. She plays regularly in the symphony much like her family who were all musicians. She took up string bass to follow in the footsteps of her jazz playing father Ralph and has become the rhythmic pulse of Creole du Nord.
Walter Prettyman (fiddle) now lives in Detroit Michigan but began playing fiddle as a child and learned his chops sitting-in with bands from his home state of Michigan and hearing his dad playing bass in country bands. Years later Walter hit the streets of New Orleans and found a way to be useful in every style that came his way, until his landed in Cajun & Zydeco music with Creole du Nord. And while Walter seems to stretch the boundaries of the fiddle with ease, he also dedicates much of his fiddling to American traditional music.
Billy King (guitar) is not only as solid rhythmic element., but truly a multi-genre singer-songwriter in his own right. He matches his ability on guitar with a engaging vocals, and delivers a high-energy sound with lightness, dynamics, and sincerity. His creative spirit add for a lagniappe of surprises in Creole du Nord, as you may hear him launch into a crossover "Dylan" tune in pure Cajun style.
Pete Siers (drums) is a soft-spoken and unassuming individual, but put him behind a drum set and a hard-swinging, intensely physical, dynamically sensitive drummer emerges. Pete adds his steady hand to Creole du Nord and when not available, Will Osler (drums) from Detroit Michigan takes the helm. Will, a top notch versatile percussionist steps into Cajun and Zydeco music and brings the grooves of Motown to the swamp of SW Louisiana.