D'Jalma Garnier is a musician and composer best known for Creole and Cajun fiddle and "outside" musical compositions and collaborations with other artists.

D'Jalma has taught this material repeatedly at the Augusta Folklife Heritage Camp in North Carolina, for Louisiana Folk Roots in Lafayette, and in other workshops at home and abroad.

The songs were chosen because they are either the first ones people tend to learn, were written by a master and have many possibilities for variations, or cover related styles.

The late Canray Fontenot is the best known Creole fiddler, and much of this book is infused with his legacy, including five of his compositions and a video clip.

Mr. Garnier has included two of his own tunes, and the rest are by pioneer Louisiana fiddlers of the past—Amédé Ardoin, Bébé Carrière, and Dennis McGee, along with zydeco favorite Boozoo Chavis.