The Storyville Stringband of New Orleans- My Bayou Home

00:00 January 29, 2014
By: Kimmie Tubré

The Storyville Stringband of New Orleans

My Bayou Home

Independent

It’s not an everyday affair to see a string ensemble that defi es the tradition of what a customary string orchestra should look like. But when it came to the talented Seva Venet, creating a local styled nontraditional string band was exactly what he accomplished.

It was a little over a decade ago when Venet, a music teacher and musician, relocated to New Orleans from Los Angeles. After being introduced to New Orleans jazz in his hometown, the professional performer of traditional jazz, Cajun, and zydeco found solace in the laissez-faire city, for it is the birthplace of the music that he loves to create. After being schooled in jazz by the late Tuba Fats and his band, Venet went on to work with several musicians around the city, making his musical mark from second-line parades to the French Quarter Festival and many more.

Along the way, Venet created a couple hit solo albums. Seva Venet began working with his band, the Storyville Stringband of New Orleans releasing their fi rst album in 2010: Seva Venet Presents Live at the Pavilion of Two Sisters. In 2013, the Stringband released My Bayou Home, a classic album with a progressive jazz feel. My Bayou Home is a distinctive album with a makeup that’s not only different in genre and musical style, but the composition of the band and chosen instruments are what create its unconventional ambiance. The band joins six members on several string instruments, incorporating bass and rhythm guitar with banjo, mandolin and violin. Together with tracks like “Sauvage Blue” and “Serenaders’ Rag,” the Stringband collaborates to provide a wondrous and soothing ragtime-like jazz ensemble that is remarkably well-composed. With 11 original tracks, they put originality into such a traditional genre.

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