The Savoy Family Band plays honed-down, hard-core Cajun music laced with earthy sensuality, reviving the old tunes and innovating within the music's deep roots. The band features Marc and Ann Savoy, acclaimed musicians who've been performing together since 1977 (they've graced the Freight stage many a time as part of The Savoy Doucet Cajun Band), and their sons, Joel and Wilson. Playing with the tight-knit intensity that can only be found in close family ensembles, the Savoy Family Band brings the raw energy of the dancehalls of southwest Louisiana to the stage, peppered with anecdotes about life on the Louisiana prairies. The songs cover the spectrum of Cajun life, from sorrow and lost love to nonsense and the joy of dance, popular dancehall tunes interspersed with soulful ballads, fiddle or vocal duets, and blues.

The reigning Godfather of traditional Cajun music, Marc provides his easygoing, down-home humor and stunning accordion work, and Ann holds everything together with her sure-fingered rhythm guitar and passionate vocals (Ann will be back in December with her all-woman Cajun ensemble, The Magnolia Sisters). Each member is quite versatile and sometimes trade instruments during performances, but in general Joel plays fiery fiddle and Wilson provides Cajun accordion, keyboard, and bass. Earlier this year, the band recently released their debut album, The Savoy Family Album (Arhoolie).