Tom Rigney and Flambeau bring blazing Cajun and zydeco, low-down blues and funky New Orleans grooves to the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds new Exhibit Hall, Saturday, April 25, at 8 p.m.

This musical group from the San Francisco Bay area plays music for all tastes, according to Rigney, -- beautiful ballads, waltzes, two-steps and a musical gumbo inspired by Irish, gypsy, Eastern Europe and Spain.

Rigney and Flambeau were voted Best Cajun/Zydeco Band of 2004 by the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame.

This dance and concert is an inaugural music act for the new Exhibit Hall.

It's also a benefit for injured derby driver Tom Jester, who was seriously burned in a demolition derby accident last July.

"Our show is very eclectic," said violinist and composer Rigney. "I've written a lot of waltzes and airy melodies with various influences.

"It's a very high energy show. It's very infectious rhythmically."

"The first thing people hear about us is Cajun and zydeco music. That's true. But we're anything but a traditional Cajun band. That becomes apparent by the third song."

The band taps into American roots music but also Irish and gypsy music.

"Lots of things filter through my music," said Rigney, who composes many of the songs they play.

"We play a lot of dances and concerts. The music is equally effective in both situations."

They enjoy playing for audiences that focus on listening to the music and they like playing for people who express themselves through dance -- whether it be the traditional two step or just boogieing, he said.

Members of Flambeau include:

Danny Caron on guitar, who played with jazz great Charles Brown and also zydeco king Clifton Chenier;

Pianist Caroline Dahl, who also plays a hot accordion, has 20 years experience playing Bay Area blues and roots music;

Brent Rampone, a powerhouse drummer, gives the band its infectious upbeat sound; and

Steve Parks on electric bass has played with numerous Bay Area blues and roots groups for 20 years.

Rigney comes to his passion for fiddle by a circuitous route.

He was a painter, a print maker and a photographer, working on a Ph.D. in fine arts.

"I was just out of grad school and I just wanted to learn how to play the violin. I was told 'no, no, no n you have to play when you're 7 years old.' I bought a violin and started scratching away at it. I had no intention of being a musician."

He found himself hiding out in his room with his violin four to five hours a day instead of focusing on his Ph.D. studies.

Soon he started playing with a couple of friends who played guitar and mandolin and then started a bluegrass band.

"One thing led to another. I didn't make a conscious decision, I'm going to be a professional musician. The violin just took a grip on my attention.

"Music was a real left turn for me."

People tell him he must have just been a natural, he said, but he isn't.

"It didn't feel at all natural learning an instrument." Instead it felt foreign and complicated.

"It was just hard work."

But it was work he loved doing.

In a few short years, he went from beginner to performer and composer.

What can Helena expect April 25?

"I expect we're going to have a lot of fun," Rigney said.

If you go

Tom Rigney and Flambeau will have a concert and dance featuring Cajun, zydeco and more; net proceeds will benefit Tom Jester, injured demolition derby driver

When: Saturday, April 25, 8 p.m.

Where: Lewis and Clark County Fairground Exhibit Hall

Tickets: $18 reserved seat, $15 dance, $20 at the door

for information: www.lccfairgrounds.com

Listen online

Click here to hear music by Tom Rigney and Flambeau