The trio made up of Ed Poullard, James Adams and Cedric Watson may be the only group of its kind in existence. Imagine that, three Creoles playing old-style Creole music and very, very well indeed! Creole music, with the death of such legendary fiddlers as Canray Fontenot and Bebe Carriere, has simply become harder and harder to hear from players who actually have come up in the community and carry on the tradition. Even more impressive is how this small ensemble combines experience and maturity with a fresh approach to this underappreciated and increasingly unknown style of music.

In fact, the remaining link to that last generation of active players may very well be Ed Poullard. In addition to starting out as a teenager in his dad's band, Ed performed alongside all of the noted players over many decades. However, unlike many Creole accordionists, he did not migrate to the more popular and readily accessible bluesyness of zydeco ñ instead he built his Creole credentials by diversifying from accordion into fiddle and playing with such noted groups as the Ardoin Family Band, Beausoleil and with his late brother Danny in an ensemble known as Poullard, Poullard and Garnier.

J.B. Adams is based in Houston, Texas and has put his acoustic guitar playing to work to preserve traditional Creole music. As a co-host of a popular Houston radio show, "Zydeco Pas Sale," he has become a mentor to several young Creole musicians, passing down his knowledge of the musical repertoire and encouraging younger players to pursue their interest and greater involvement in the music.

One of James young musical acolytes was Cedric Watson of Sealy, Texas. As a teenager, Cedric listened to James' radio show, paying special attention when he played the older non-zydeco tunes. Cedric rapidly fell in love with this repertoire and contacted James, who introduced him to Ed. Now in his early 20's, Cedric, like Ed, switches easily between fiddle and accordion. His accordion playing is breezy, his fiddle style is almost haunting in the way it echoes players like Canray Fontenot and Bebe Carriere and his high-pitched vocals are chillingreminder of the style.

Although Cedric Watson has, and always will be a vital part of Les Amis Creole, his success as a musician has led him to front his own band, Bijou Creole, and only performs on limited occasions with the group. The new addition to the band is Ryan Poullard, Ed's son, performing on accordion and vocals. Ryan's first inspiration on accordion was his Grandfather, John Poullard, and his late uncle Danny Poullard. Now he works alongside his dad Ed, who's mentor on accordion was also John, learning and playing the beautiful old songs incorporated in their repertoire. Ryan's contribution to the group who like Cedric, continues to add youth and enthusiasm, but also includes a family tradition, and a new generation of Creole accordion players.

But, Les Amis Creole is not all history and slavish devotion. These three players have tackled the tradition with vigor and talent. Ed's storehouse of musical skill and knowledge mixes electrically with Cedric's youthful enthusiasm and sincere respect for the sound. With James faithful rhythmic back-up, this trio has captured the spirit of Creole music and propelled it into the 21st century.