Grant Dermody

Harmonica

Grant Dermody is an internationally recognized singer, songwriter, harmonica player, educator, and tradition bearer. As a founding director and artistic director of Blown Away on the Bayou, he has played a central role in developing the summit’s educational programming and bringing together an extraordinary faculty of Louisiana and national roots music artists.

An accomplished teacher and mentor, Grant has taught harmonica to students around the world through workshops, private instruction, and online learning programs. In Louisiana, he leads harmonica instruction for elementary-age students at École Saint-Landry French Immersion Charter School, introducing young people to blues, folk, and roots music traditions through hands-on learning and performance. Students from the program have appeared at Blown Away on the Bayou, sharing the stage with professional musicians and participating in the summit’s intergenerational learning environment.

His previous recording, Digging in John’s Backyard, featured a collaboration with guitarist Frank Fotusky, fellow BAOTB instructional staff member, while his latest album, Behind the Sun, was recorded in Louisiana and reflects the state’s deep blues traditions. Through performance, mentorship, and cultural exchange, Grant helps connect emerging musicians with the living traditions of American roots music while ensuring those traditions continue to be passed to future generations.

Dirk Powell

Guitar, Fiddle, Mandolin, Accordion

Dirk Powell is widely recognized as one of America’s most influential roots musicians. A Grammy Award-winning artist, producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and tradition bearer, Dirk has spent decades exploring and preserving the musical traditions of Appalachia, Louisiana, and beyond. His work bridges generations and cultures, drawing from old-time, Cajun, Creole, folk, and traditional American music while continually creating new pathways for artistic expression.

If you haven’t heard it before, we’ll let Steve Earle explain:

“Dirk Powell is a badass. To the bone. He is, in addition to being the greatest old-time banjo player alive, a graduate student of both mountain and Cajun fiddle styles, and diatonic button accordion. He is a singer, songwriter, producer, recording engineer and, all in all, an artist of unique vision and unbending integrity. As far as I can tell there is no genre of American roots music that Dirk doesn’t understand, no primordial mode he can’t master, no polyrhythmic code he can’t crack.”

— Steve Earle

As an instructor at Blown Away on the Bayou, Dirk brings not only extraordinary musicianship but also a deep understanding of the cultural traditions, histories, and communities that shape American roots music.

Ed Poullard

Creole Fiddle & Accordion

Edward Poullard of Beaumont, Texas, is one of the foremost practitioners of traditional Creole fiddle and accordion music. Raised in a family steeped in Creole musical traditions, he learned accordion from relatives on both sides of his family before taking up his grandfather’s fiddle and developing into a master musician in his own right.

Deeply influenced by the legendary Canray Fontenot, Edward has spent decades preserving, performing, and sharing the rich heritage of Creole music. His distinctive style combines powerful fiddling, traditional repertoire, and a deep understanding of the cultural roots that shaped the music of Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas.

Throughout his career, Edward has performed nationally and internationally and has collaborated with many of the region’s most respected artists, including Jesse Lége, Lawrence Ardoin, and numerous Creole and Cajun musicians. His recordings, including releases on Arhoolie Records, have helped introduce new audiences to one of America’s most important musical traditions.

In addition to his work as a performer and educator, Edward is an accomplished accordion builder. Through his Beaumont-based accordion shop, he handcrafts traditional diatonic accordions, continuing a vital aspect of Creole musical culture and helping ensure that both the music and the instruments themselves remain part of a living tradition.

As an instructor at Blown Away on the Bayou, Edward brings a lifetime of knowledge as a musician, craftsman, and tradition bearer, offering students a rare opportunity to learn directly from one of the leading voices in Creole music today.

Sam Broussard

Guitar • Songwriting • Roots Music

Sam Broussard is one of Louisiana’s most respected guitarists, songwriters, and roots musicians. Over the course of his career he has performed and recorded with an extraordinary range of artists, including Sonny Landreth, Michael Doucet, Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys, Jimmy Buffett, Stephan Eicher, T-Mamou, and Radio Free Nashville.

A gifted songwriter as well as an acclaimed instrumentalist, Sam’s solo recordings showcase a deeply personal blend of Cajun, Creole, Blues, Folk, and Americana influences. His album Broken Promised Land, a duo project with Barry Ancelet was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album.

Whether performing solo, duo or with a band, Sam brings a powerful voice, masterful guitar work, and a lifetime of musical experience rooted in the traditions of South Louisiana.

As Puremusic.com wrote:

“Sam is immensely talented and eloquent, and equally outspoken. He plays the living beejesus out of the guitar, and he ain’t dumbing it down, toning it down, or turning it down.”

At Blown Away on the Bayou, Sam shares not only his remarkable musicianship, but also his deep understanding of songwriting, performance, and the rich musical traditions that continue to shape Louisiana roots music.

Joe Filisko

Harmonica • Harmonica Customization & Repair

Joe Filisko is widely regarded as the world’s foremost authority on the diatonic harmonica and is recognized internationally as one of its most accomplished players, teachers, technicians, and innovators. For more than four decades, Joe has helped shape the modern harmonica world through his performances, workshops, educational programs, instrument customization, and tireless advocacy for the instrument.

Often described as the “Johnny Appleseed of the harmonica,” Joe’s influence extends across nearly every aspect of harmonica culture. He is widely considered the world’s leading diatonic harmonica technician and customizer, with his work impacting countless players and influencing harmonica manufacturers around the globe. His instruments are played by many of the most respected names in blues, country, folk, rock, film music, and beyond—including a former President of the United States.

An award-winning performer and educator, Joe has taught and performed on five continents and has inspired generations of players through his workshops, recordings, publications, and mentorship. In 2001, he was honored with the Harmonica Player of the Year Award by the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica (SPAH). He was also selected to perform at the 2006 Country Music Hall of Fame Medallion Ceremony honoring the induction of harmonica pioneer DeFord Bailey.

Joe’s expertise and contributions have been featured in numerous documentaries, including Harmonica Summit, Imagination Is Limitless, In the Reeds, Tin Sandwich, and Pocketful of Soul.

A longtime cornerstone of Blown Away on the Bayou, Joe brings unparalleled knowledge, humor, generosity, and passion to the classroom. Whether teaching beginning players, advanced professionals, or aspiring harmonica technicians, he offers students a rare opportunity to learn directly from one of the most influential figures in harmonica history.

Jerry Devilier

Cajun Harmonica

Jerry Devillier has been part of Blown Away on the Bayou since the very beginning and remains one of the program’s most beloved instructors and tradition bearers.

At 88 years old, Jerry is widely regarded as the finest living practitioner of traditional Cajun harmonica. Raised in a musical family, he grew up immersed in the sounds of Southwest Louisiana. His father, a highly respected accordion player, was later inducted into the Cajun French Music Hall of Fame, and Jerry’s lifelong musical journey began when his mother bought him a harmonica at the age of five.

Determined to make the instrument sound like the accordions he heard around him, Jerry developed a unique style that captures the phrasing, rhythm, and soul of traditional Cajun music. Over the decades, his technique, tone, and feel have become legendary among musicians and harmonica players alike. His playing is not simply a performance of Cajun music—it is a living expression of the culture and community that shaped it.

Jerry’s contributions have been recognized with induction into the Cajun French Music Hall of Fame and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica (SPAH), one of the highest honors in the harmonica world.

As an instructor at Blown Away on the Bayou, Jerry offers students an extraordinary opportunity to learn directly from a master tradition bearer whose music embodies generations of Cajun heritage. His warmth, humor, and generosity make him not only a remarkable musician, but also a treasured member of the BAOTB family.

Jeffrey Broussard

Creole Accordion • Fiddle • Vocals

2026 marks Jeffrey Broussard’s first year as a faculty member at Blown Away on the Bayou.

Jeffrey Broussard is an acclaimed Creole accordionist, fiddler, vocalist, and bandleader from Opelousas, Louisiana. As founder and leader of the internationally respected Creole Cowboys, he has devoted his life to preserving, performing, and sharing the rich musical traditions of Creole and Zydeco culture.

Deeply rooted in the music of Southwest Louisiana, Jeffrey learned directly from family members and community tradition bearers, carrying forward a musical legacy that connects generations of Creole musicians. His performances reflect a deep respect for traditional Creole music while bringing energy, authenticity, and artistry to audiences throughout Louisiana, across the United States, and around the world.

Recognized as both a master musician and cultural ambassador, Jeffrey is known for his powerful accordion playing, expressive fiddle work, soulful vocals, and extensive knowledge of Creole musical history and traditions. Equally comfortable on stage and in educational settings, he is a gifted teacher who generously shares the stories, techniques, and cultural context behind the music.

As a first-time BAOTB instructor, Jeffrey brings a wealth of experience, musicianship, and cultural knowledge, offering students a rare opportunity to learn directly from one of the leading voices in contemporary Creole music.

Corey Ledet

Zydeco Accordion • Vocals • Creole Music – Saturday Only

Grammy-nominated accordionist, vocalist, and songwriter Corey Ledet is one of the leading voices of contemporary Creole and Zydeco music. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Corey spent his summers with family in Parks, Louisiana, where he became deeply immersed in the traditions, language, foodways, and music of Creole culture.

Inspired by legendary artists such as Clifton Chenier, Boozoo Chavis, and Geno Delafose, Corey dedicated himself to mastering the accordion and preserving the rich musical heritage that shaped him. His powerful vocals, driving accordion style, and deep respect for tradition have made him a favorite at festivals, dance halls, and cultural events throughout Louisiana and beyond.

A Grammy Award nominee and recipient of numerous honors within the Zydeco and Creole music community, Corey is recognized not only as an outstanding performer but also as a cultural ambassador committed to keeping Creole traditions vibrant and relevant for future generations.

As an instructor at Blown Away on the Bayou, Corey shares his knowledge of Zydeco accordion, Creole rhythm, repertoire, and performance traditions, giving students a rare opportunity to learn directly from one of today’s foremost practitioners of Creole music.

Chris Miller

Harmonica, Accordion, Guitar, Fiddle

Chris Miller is a Louisiana musician, songwriter, educator, and multi-instrumentalist whose career spans more than three decades of performing, teaching, and preserving Cajun and roots music traditions. Based in Lake Charles, Chris is equally at home on accordion, harmonica, fiddle, guitar, and piano, bringing a broad musical perspective to both the stage and the classroom.

A longtime advocate for Cajun harmonica traditions, Chris was inspired by the playing of Isom Fontenot, Raul LeBlanc, and Jerry Devillier, and has featured Cajun-style harmonica prominently in his recordings, including his album Bayou Roots. His work reflects a deep appreciation for the musical heritage of Southwest Louisiana and the many influences that have shaped the region’s sound.

In 1999, Chris helped form Louisiana’s Kingfish, whose debut recording, Life in a One-Horse Town, led to performances throughout the United States and an appearance at the 2001 Montreal Jazz Festival. He has also performed extensively with respected Louisiana artists including Hadley Castille, Rodney LeJeune, and the Texas Cajun Playboys, appearing at festivals and cultural events across the United States and in France.

Chris’s recordings and performances have earned numerous honors from the Cajun French Music community, including awards for Song of the Year, Recording of the Year, People’s Choice, Band of the Year, Accordionist of the Year, and other recognitions celebrating his contributions to Louisiana music.

As an instructor at Blown Away on the Bayou, Chris brings a rare combination of musicianship, versatility, and teaching experience, helping students explore the rich connections between Cajun, Creole, blues, and American roots music traditions.

Teka Briscoe

Gospel Choir Leader • Blues & Roots Vocals

Born and raised on the Northside of Lafayette, Louisiana, Teka Briscoe has been singing since childhood, beginning in her church choir at the age of seven. A dynamic vocalist with roots in gospel music and a passion for a wide range of musical styles, she has built a reputation as one of Acadiana’s most versatile and engaging performers.

Throughout her career, Teka has shared stages with and opened for numerous acclaimed artists, including gospel recording artist Tamela Mann, jazz prodigy Matthew Whitaker, and American Idol finalist Joshua Ledet. She has performed with Louisiana favorites such as Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars and the Blue Monday All-Stars, while also collaborating with international artists including Louis Fontaine & the Starlight Searchers of Latvia and Port Vincent of Copenhagen.

Teka is also a gifted songwriter. She co-wrote “Time Ain’t Due,” featured on Grant Dermody’s acclaimed album Behind the Sun. Her theatrical credits include notable roles in Little Shop of Horrors, The American Songbook, Ain’t Misbehavin’, and Still Ain’t Misbehavin’, where she portrayed legendary entertainer Nell Carter.

A graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Teka serves her community as a Development Planner with Lafayette Consolidated Government, sings on the praise team at Destiny of Faith Christian Center, and serves as Director of Operations for the nonprofit organization Love of People.

As Gospel Choir Director at Blown Away on the Bayou, Teka brings infectious energy, exceptional vocal talent, and a deep love of community singing, creating an uplifting and welcoming experience for singers of all backgrounds and experience levels.

Frank Fotusky

Guitar • Piedmont Blues

Frank Fotusky is one of the nation’s foremost practitioners and teachers of Piedmont Blues guitar, carrying forward a rich musical tradition rooted in the fingerstyle techniques of the great East Coast blues masters. His playing draws inspiration from legendary artists such as Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Boy Fuller, John Jackson, and Blind Willie McTell, whose music helped define the Piedmont sound.

Known for his masterful fingerpicking, Frank performs a repertoire that spans traditional blues, guitar rags, and original compositions inspired by the music of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. His playing captures the sophisticated syncopation and rhythmic drive that characterize Piedmont Blues, creating a sound often compared to ragtime piano translated to the guitar.

In addition to his work as a performer, Frank is a highly respected educator who has spent decades teaching traditional blues guitar to students throughout the United States and abroad. His deep knowledge of blues history, technique, and repertoire has made him a sought-after instructor at workshops, festivals, and music camps nationwide.

Frank recently collaborated with fellow BAOTB instructor Grant Dermody on the acclaimed recording Digging in John’s Backyard, a tribute to Piedmont blues master John Jackson that celebrates the enduring power of traditional American roots music.

As an instructor at Blown Away on the Bayou, Frank offers students a rare opportunity to learn directly from a master of Piedmont Blues guitar, exploring the techniques, repertoire, history, and musical traditions that continue to influence American roots music today.

Roddie Romero

Slide Guitar • Louisiana Traditions, Saturday Only

We are delighted to welcome Grammy-nominated Louisiana artist Roddie Romero to the faculty of Blown Away on the Bayou 2026. Roddie will lead slide guitar sessions while sharing insights drawn from a lifetime immersed in the living musical traditions of South Louisiana.

As founder and frontman of Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars, Roddie has spent more than twenty-five years performing at major festivals and venues across the United States and around the world. The band has earned three Grammy nominations and is celebrated for its powerful blend of traditional Cajun, Zydeco, Blues, and Louisiana roots music, as well as its original songwriting inspired by the culture, landscapes, and people of the Gulf South. Their two most recent Grammy nominations were for the critically acclaimed album Gulfstream.

Born, raised, and still residing in Lafayette, Louisiana, Roddie lives and breathes the culture that informs his music. Long before international tours and Grammy recognition, he was absorbing the sounds of Cajun and Zydeco music at family gatherings, dance halls, festivals, and celebrations throughout Acadiana. That deep connection to place, tradition, and community continues to shape both his music and his teaching.

Whether on stage, in the studio, or gathered around a kitchen table, Roddie brings a rare combination of musicianship, authenticity, storytelling, and cultural knowledge. We are honored to have him join the Blown Away on the Bayou faculty and look forward to the inspiration he will bring to this year’s Summit.