About Sound of New Orleans
In the dim, dark years many years ago, a young woman by the name of Alison Miner asked Gary Edwards if he could supply sound systems for a little music festival that did not have a big budget, a whopping $200 for four stages for two days. At the end of the first really wonderful day, when there were more performers than audience members, everyone was basking in the glow of such a great idea as a New Orleans Jazz Festival. During the "basking," someone stole the bag with all of the microphones. So, over that Saturday night, Gary had to find enough microphones to use for the Sunday show. During the Sunday show, the only spare amplifier caught on fire. At the end of the Sunday show, everyone agreed that this was truly a magic event. It seems to have proven to have been a pretty good idea.
During the first festival, Gary met Mr. Sherman Washington, leader of The Zion Harmonizers. That fortuitous meeting began a relationship that has brought The Zion Harmonizers and many other New Orleans groups to stages all over the world. In 1972, Gary Edwards began Sound Of New Orleans Record Company by recording the Storyville Jazz Band at Montel Recording Studio in Baton Rouge, LA. The band leader was drummer Bob French, with George French on bass and vocals; on piano was Ellis Marsalis; on trombone, Frog Joseph; trumpet, Teddy Riley, and on clarinet, Otis Basson. Many critics consider this one of the finest New Orleans Jazz albums ever recorded. (This album is available now on the Second Line label.)
Gary's desire to produce good recordings has led to a catalogue of albums by Tony Mitchel, Placide Adams, Tara Darnell, The Heavenly Stars, The Cor-Hendricks Singers, The Mighty Chariots, The Bemiss Brothers, The New Orleans Spiritualettes, The Treme Brass Band, The Algiers Brass Band, The High Steppers Brass Band, The Coolbone Brass Band, The Bayou Jazz Band, Mike Vax, Harmonica Red, Tommy Ridgley, Warren Ceasar & The Creole Zydeco Snap Band, The Adams/Griffin Project, Beau Bassin Cajun Band, Casa Samba and David & Roselyn.
Productions currently in progress include: The Bayou Renegades (Mardi Gras Indians), Steve Giarantano, Frisson Cajun Band, Kipori Woods, L. J. Hamilton, Eddie Bo, Rockin' Dopsie Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters, and The Gospel Dedicators. The company's guideline has always been to allow the artists to express themselves freely. This freedom sometimes requires more work, but it has also created some very interesting music.
During Edwards' tenure from 1981 through 1989 as stage manager of the Blue Room of the Fairmont Hotel, an awareness of the international popularity of Louisiana music caused Sound Of New Orleans to become interested in all of what Louisiana has to offer musically. Some years back, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Fetival began a program of providing free musical performances to the schools of New Orleans. These performances are called the Jazz Workshops and feature artists who play at the Jazz Festival. Gary has had the good fortune to work with this wonderful program since its inception. This is a truly worthwhile use of Jazz Festival profits and deserves more attention. Sound of New Orleans has recently focused on another facet of Louisiana music, Zydeco, and will be producing several more Zydeco recordings in 1995. Now, Cajun music is not far behind in the sounds coming from the little company that is bringing Louisiana music to the world. Two new recordings are in the works and more are to come.
Sound of New Orleans provides live musical services for many of the great groups that appear on the label, as well as other New Orleans performers. In the past five years, SONO has booked groups to perform at over five hundred foreign concerts. And finally, Sound of New Orleans has become a trusted name in the local manufacture of Compact Discs for anyone requiring this service.
Looking forward to even more fun in the future, Sound of New Orleans and Gary Edwards have adopted the Louisiana motto:
Let The Good Times Roll!
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