The Abitians
 
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The Abitians that created NEW Mardi Gras Classics

In 2007 Preble solicited his friend Jerry Hess to assist him on the creation of this Mardi Gras CD. Hess who lives near Preble in Abita Springs, Louisiana grew up in north Louisiana. As a youngster, Hess was a member of his family’s band. He regularly plays in the New Orleans north area as a solo artist.
 John Preble was born in New Orleans and grew up in St. Bernard Parish, a suburb of New Orleans. Preble does not perform publicly but does work with other song writers and musicians.
Dyane Mitchell is a singer/songwriter who lives near Abita Springs and is a long time friend of Preble and Hess. Dyane also grew up in St. Bernard Parish and regularly plays as a solo artist and with other musicians in the New Orleans north area.
 Dave Kelsey is a long time resident of Abita Springs and has been playing harmonica all of his life. He occasionally plays with other musicians in the New Orleans north area.
The robust piano player Bobby Lounge is from Mississippi and is a long time friend of Preble’s. Preble also produces Lounge’s CDs. Lounge has had much critical success for his intense performances and colorful lyrics.
 Bill Davis lives in Slidell, Louisiana. He heads up the popular and long running Southern bar ban, Dash Rip Rock. Davis' ban performs regularly throughout the South. Preble and Davis have co-written several songs for a recent Dash Rip Rock CD titled "Country Girl Friend.".
Tom Fischer is a well established clarinet and saxophone player in the New Orleans area. Originally from Chicago, Fischer has lived for many years in New Orleans where he leads his own group of traditional jazz artists. He is also a popular recording session artist.
 Jerry Crowell and Anne Langston are from Bogalusa, Louisiana and lead the Petty Bones band who perform roots music throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. The popular Abita Springs Opry showcases their talent on a regular basis - often as the house band.

All songs were written by John Preble and arranged by Jerry Hess and John Preble.John Preble is the executive producer and Jerry Hess is the producer. Songs were written by John Preble, executive producer. (Bad Ear Publishing ASCAP) This CD was produced be Jerry Hess; arranged and mixed by J. Hess and J. Preble; and mastered by Parker Dinkins for Abitian Records, 22275 HWY 36, Abita Springs, Louisiana, 70420. as 2008 Abitian Records for the U.S. and for the world outside of the U.S. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws. Made in the USA.
Art by J. Preble.
 

About The Recording Of This CD

This CD was recorded with a Dell Inspiron laptop computer with a 1 GIG processor and 512 KB of RAM. The recording and mixing was done using Cubase Lite. The interface for the microphones was a Presonus FP10. No midi was used. The main vocal microphone was Behringer B1 condenser mic. A sure SM58 was used occasionally for harmonies. Tracks were usually recorded individually. The main electric guitar was a "SX" strat clone with a Floyd Rose tremolo bridge. The keyboard was a Casio 3000WK - it was used for the percussion sounds on "When The Levees Broke" and it was used to imitate a Hammond B3 organ on many of the songs - it was recorded directly. The bass guitar was a Fender Squire Jazz Bass and was usually recorded with direct connection. A resonator guitar was used on "Mardi Gras Season." Bill Davis's lead guitar is a Fender Telecaster. The lead guitar sound on "Orpheus Night" is the Caiso keyboard. A real piano was used on "Koo Koo La Ba" and "Do The Mardi Gras." Bobby Lounge played a 1920 Model O Steinway.

The Liner Notes From The CD

As the denizens of New Orleans were being rescued from battered rooftops after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation, they had but one question resounding in their brains: Will Mardi Gras be canceled? For such is the purple-green-and-gold collective consciousness of the Crescent City’s citizens: Mardi Gras is in their DNA. No natural disaster could ever defeat the supernatural force of Louisiana’s Mardi Gras, the giddy culmination of the pre-Lenten season of balls and parades known as Carnival.

Behind the mirthful anonymity of crowns and costumes, Mardi Gras’ greatest heroes have conspired and inspired: a secret group of 19 organizing the Mistick Krewe of Comus in a private room on Royal Street in 1857, native son Louis Armstrong reigning as King Zulu in 1949, artist H. Alvin Sharpe engraving the inaugural doubloon in 1960, the unknown woman who first dared public epidermal exposure in exchange for plastic pearls, and John Preble (like Ernie K-Doe, a “Charity Hospital baby”), the masked genius who has produced New Mardi Gras Classics, a concept album destined to go down in the annals of frivolity as the “Sgt. Pepper’s of Mardi Gras music.” In pursuit thereof, Mr. Preble has assembled sonic co-conspirators who are the caviar of musicians, representing his hometown of Abita Springs, Orleans Parish and the magnolia-infused precincts of the State of Mississippi.

No future Mardi Gras party will ever be quite as riotous--no future Mardi Gras bacchanal as lusciously licentious--without a copy of New Mardi Gras Classics blaring from loudspeakers. New Mardi Gras Classics will be as indispensable to the true enjoyment of Mardi Gras as a jocular disguise, an intoxicating beverage, a convenient parking spot or a greasy fried chicken breast.
Enjoy these songs before it’s too late, heeding the judicious motto of the Knights of Momus: Dum Vivimus, Vivamus! While we live, let us live! ~ Bunny Matthews

Mr. Matthews, a resident of Abita Springs, is the creator of the cartoon characters “Vic and Nat’ly” and has previously composed liner notes for the Meters, Earl King, Smiley Lewis, the Neville Brothers and James Booker.