Reviews

Bonne Humeur

Rag Times
January, 1993

This is a collection of dance music as played during the late 19th century and early 20th century in Louisiana, Haiti, Trinidad, Martinique and Virgin Islands. The music represents a blending of European and African music and expectedly contains elements later found in ragtime.

Using multiple recording technology, the duo creates the sound of a larger combo using such instruments as banjo, trumpet, accordion, penny whistle and percussion. The final result is a most listenable and original recording. The music has the joy, melody and rhythmic excitement of ragtime with the addition of Latin American influences. The very detailed notes by Dennis Pash give an entire history of the music. An extensive bibliography will enable a student to pursue the subject in greater detail.

The musicianship and sound quality is absolutely first class.

Dirty Linen
June/July '93 #46

Etcetera String Band Bonne Humeur [Etcetera String Band ESB 202 (1992)] Accept an imitation! Afro-Caribbean string band music plaved by a duo from Kansas, and I must say it's wonderful. The Etcetera String Band plays the beguines, paseos, calindas and other instrumental dance music of the Virgin Islands, Martinique and even the music as it was filtered into Louisiana. While their research approach is scholarly, the performances are anything but. They really have it down, playing percussion, mandolin, banjo and accordion, occasionally adding horns and whistles, and giving a lively down-home touch to the whole thing. The recording itself is flat and unadomed, sounding every bit like a field recording (all it's missing is the passina tracks). There's too little of the authentic item available on record, so grab this as a reasonable facsimile thereof. [MS 3647]    (CF)

Riverfront Times
St. Louis, Mo.
Nov. 30 - Dec. 6, 1994

The accompanying liner notes convince me that these fellows have done it as well as anyone who will ever try, and Bonne Humeur is essential to anyone interested in exploring the murky world of “pre-jazz” or examining the fascinating links between the musics of New Orleans and the Caribbean.

Fun On The Levee

The Rag Times
March, 1996

Ragtime scholars have generally focused on Eastern and Central Missouri as the early nurturing site,if not the actual birthplace, of that syncopated music we call ragtime. It is conceded that there were other areas where this music flourished (in the early days it appeared that virtually every town had a resident composer and/or publisher!), but few of these areas have been researched and documented to any extent. Thus this release by The Etcetera String Band is a joy, not just for the great music that it contains but also in its revelation of the Kansas City area as another early nurturing site. No fewer than 20 selections are featured, all of which were written during a 10-year span by composers who lived in a 40-miles tretch along both sides of the Missouri River. The Etcetera Boys have an infectious sound and I defy almost any ragtime lover to resist it.

While spokesman and chief researcher Dennis Pash flatpicks one accurate melody line after another on his mandolin and Bob Ault weaves his banjo in and out, Kevin Sanders keeps a rock-solid rhythm on his guitar, applying appropriate bass runs here and there. Additional instruments have been overdubbed, such as harmonica and accordion, and a variety of simple yet fascinating percussive effects were also added. The result, I am sure, is truly the sound of people having Fun On The Levee almost 100 years ago. Only three tunes are played fast (the title cut, plus Dreams of Old Kentucky and Silent Sam) and only one is slow (sort-of: PigAnkles). The rest are taken at a medium tempo which runs the risk of a boring overall result. Yet, the excitement remains, due mainly to the clever arrangements and a wide variety of melodies. It's hard to pick favorites, but I was especially taken with the syncopation in Suwanee Swing and with the happy feel of The Black Diamond and A Catchy Thing. My big gripe is the lack of any accompanying written information. Some of the composers are well known and need little introduction, such as Charles L.Johnson (Fun On The Levee, Hesteron Parade) and Arthur Pryor (A Kansas Two Step, Southern Hospitality, An African Beauty, Mr. Black Man). Most of us have heard Peaceful Henry, although we might not be able to identify E.Harry Keily as its composer. But other names such as Ernest Hogan, Besse M. Cummins, George Southwell and E. Chouteau Legg, to name but a few, ring no bells of familiarity. Who are they? What was their significance in the early Kansas City musical scene? And, of equal curiosity, how did the Etcetera Boys discover all of this great music? A fascinating story is missing. The music is there, however, and it's really good. The recorded sound is crisp and close and the variety of tunes is amazing, considering the tight pocket of geography that is represented and the possibility of “inbreeding.” The Etcetera String Band has a winner here, both musically and historically. This tape will introduce you to some wonderful forgotton tunes, and if the band sells enough copies, they may be able to issue it as a compact disc, which might also bring some entensive liner notes into the light of day. Buy it, have fun and support ragtime.

“Their musicianship is excellent. They manage to play everything with the proper 'feel' and accuracy”

— Stephen Kent Goodman, composer, conductor, arranger

“In this form of Ragtime, musicianship has to be on a virtuoso level, and the Etcetera bunch shines. Their careful arrangements and blending of voices...projects a tightly integrated ensemble sound. It is a lively sound.”

“The Etcetera String Band is putting Kansas City back on the map among ragtime music afficianados.”

“The best string band that's not dead”

For Recordings or bookings. contact:

P.O. Box 9106
Kansas City, KS 66112

e-mail: kevinetc@aol.com