[Dixielandjazz] 6 7/8 string band

[Fred Spencer]

Dear Ken,
(This is part of an unpublished essay I wrote for my own amusement)

According to guitarist "Doc" Souchon, one of its founders, the Six and 
Seven-Eighths String Band of New Orleans started out as a trio at the 
"Reynolds home on Brytania and General Taylor. 1911-1912." Bob Reynolds 
played guitar and his brother, Harry, mandolin. The youthful group soon 
forsook the sterile diet of waltzes, schottisches, and quadrilles approved 
by polite New Orleans society and embraced the rudely exciting music of the 
saloons and brothels of Storyville. By the time "Doc" Souchon enrolled in 
Tulane University, the band had expanded to a seven piece group with the 
addition of a violin, ukulele, another guitar doubling on mandolin, and a 
drummer who could play banjo when required. As with any pick up band, the 
number of available musicians eventually varied with a maximum muster of 
nine members.The band played for college dances, concerts, and private 
parties aboard the Aunt Dinah, a houseboat owned by Admiral Ernest Lee 
Jancke, Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

After World War I, the members of the Six and Seven-Eighths String Band 
scattered to follow their careers, but in 1949 Folkways Records waxed four 
of the original members who had stayed close to home--William Kleppinger 
(mandolin), Bernie Shields (steel guitar), "Red" Mackie (string bass), and 
Edmond "Doc" Souchon (guitar).The result was a delightful, and by no means 
amateur return to the music of an era that spawned jazz. Seventeen tunes 
were recorded, ranging from the traditional Original Dixieland Jazz Band 
One-Step, When The Saints Go Marching In, High Society, Clarinet Marmalade, 
and Tiger Rag to the popular Old Green River, Tico-Tico, Who's Sorry Now, 
Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen, and Lazy River. High Society is especially notable 
as Kleppinger's mandolin soars above the trio's backing in Alphonse Picou's 
classical solo.

The Folkways 33 rpm recording of the Six and Seven-Eighths String Band of 
New Orleans (FP 671) has a 12-page, illustrated , 81/2"x11"booklet of liner 
notes. Cheers. Fred

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ken Gates" <kwg28 at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Dixieland Jazz" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 9:25 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] 6 7/8 string band


> While sorting through some old tapes that were recorded from radio 
> broadcasts, I redisovered
> the 6 7/8 string band.  At least, I think it is.  This was from maybe 25 
> years ago.  Maybe it was
> a group that Doc Souchon put together?  And were they recreating string 
> music from early 1900's?
> I heard a very interesting version of "High Society" on this tape.  Hope 
> someone on the list can
> provide some information----very interesting stuff.  Mandolin, steel 
> guitar, guitar, bass were some of
> the instrumentation I heard.  Steel guitar?  Somehow I had the idea these 
> came along in the 20's.
>
> Ken Gates
>
>
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