Revival of a Tradition

Some years ago a New Orleans string band tradition that went back to the early days of jazz and beyond was rediscovered.

6 & 7/8s Stringband of New Orleans :  Bill Kleppinger (mandolin), Bernie Shields (haw 
guitar), Frank 'Red' Mackie (string bass), Edmond 'Doc' Souchon (guitar) ( Photo courtesy by Rick Mackie)

The Six and Seven Eights Stringband of New Orleans was a unique example of the New Orleans string band tradition thanks mainly to the fact that documentation and recordings of the ensemble existed and have been re-issued properly in recent years. The 6 & 7/8s stringband played original New Orleans jazz and popular tunes from the dawn of the 20th century on mandolin, guitar, stringbass and hawaiian guitar and sounded like this

Recently, while browsing a streaming audio service I found out that the New Orleans string band tradition is still kept alive by a group of New Orleans musicians headed by guitarist Seva Venet

Seva Venet
( photo by Zack Smith, www.sevavenet.com)

I listened to a CD with the title Seva Venet Presents The Storyville Stringband of New Orleans that was recorded live at a concert at The Pavillion of The Two Sisters, New Orleans in September 2009 and released on disc the following year.

CD front: Seva Venet Presents The Storyville Stringband of New Orleans

The CD contains eleven selected recordings from the live-concert (see tracklist at Venet's website) and the music performed is mainly traditional New Orleans jazz tunes played by an ensemble of various string instruments. Participating musicians are: Seva Venet (ldr, National steel guitar), John Parker (rhythm guitar, vocal), Matt Rhodie (mandolin, violin), Lars Edegran (tenor resonator guitar), Kerry Lewis (double bass) and Steve Blailock (electric guitar). The music reflects the style and consept of playing traditional New Orleans tunes on string instruments as documented by the 6 & 7/8 Stringband, however, the Storyville Stringband adds an up-to-date touch by including electric guitar in this live-performance. The first track of the CD, the band's version of Jazz Me Blues, has been uploaded by Seva Venet as acompanying audio in a YouTube video showing historic footage from Storyville, New Orleans

Last year Seva Venet released another CD featuring the Storyville Stringband titled My Bayou Home, this time a studio recording from May 2012 and with a few changes in participating musicians.

CD front: My Bayou Home

The CD contains fourteen tracks, eleven of them are original compositions by Seva Venet, two are Hawaiian tunes (Song of The Islands and the traditional Wela-Ka-Hao) and finally a traditional New Orleans song, Old Green River, known from the repertoire of the 6 & 7/8s Stringband. The compositions by Venet fit perfectly in as contemporary examples of the various influences that are combined in traditional New Orleans popular music, some of them flavoured with a Caribbean or latin 'tinge', others with a second-line brass band feeling transformed by acoustic string instruments. Every tune is performed with vigor and enthusiasm showing off a deep love and understanding of the roots and branches of New Orleans traditional music.

The Storyville Stringband of New Orleans
(photo by Zack Smith, www.sevavenet.com)

The participating musicians on the CD are: Seva Venet (ldr, National steel guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, vocal), John Parker (rhtyhm guitar, vocal), Matt Rhodie (violin, mandolin), Sammy Rimington (banjo/mandolin), Lars Edegran (National triolian tenor guitar) and Jesse Boyd (double bass). Guest performer Greg Stafford (not on photo above) contributes vocals on the first track titled Downtown 2nd-line, an original composition and lyrics by Seva Venet.

The CD and the aforementioned live recording are both available for purchase at Amazon or CD Baby.

The Storyville Stringband was presented in a live-performance at Louisiana Music Factory March 2013 and part of the show was recorded and uploaded at YouTube. The band this time was a quartet composed of Matt Rhodie (mandolin), Jesse Boyd (double bass), Seva Venet (National steel guitar, vocal) and John Parker (rhythm guitar, vocal)

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Jo

keepitswinging.domain@gmail.com

Guitarist and music researcher Seva Venet founded The Storyville Stringband of New Orleans in 2006, the band is inspired by the tradition documented by the famous 6 & 7/8s Stringband of N.O. and has revived this original string band tradition in live performance and recordings. The Storyville Stringband has released two CDs showcasting a broad repertoire of traditional New Orleans music including original compositions by Seva Venet performed on various string instruments by the ensemble. Every tune is played with vigor and enthusiasm showing off a deep love and understanding of the roots and branches of New Orleans traditional music. Highly recommended.

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