Abita Opry Media - 2012-09 featuring the Steve Anderson Group, Washboard Chaz, Last Chance Band, and the Smoking Time Jazz Band.

MEDIA - AO2012-09

The Abita Springs Opry is a series of music concerts held six times a year and is produced by a nonprofit organization, Abita Opry Inc. The show has the mission of preserving and presenting Louisiana "Roots" music. Our music is played primarily acoustically, in its original form.

Our main thrust is old-time Country, Bluegrass, and traditional Southern Gospel music, but we often present other forms of traditional Louisiana music such as Cajun, Zydeco, Irish, or other types that reflect the many different groups of people who are part of our diverse culture.

Steve Anderson Group
Steve Anderson is one of the most popular and beloved musicians who grace our stage. Steve is a very humble individual who was hesitant about getting up there at first. However, he has gotten over his initial stage fright. Steve performs songs that were originally done by some of the greats including Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams. He delivers those wonderful songs as well as anyone anywhere. Jan Biggs also provides guitar and vocals with her characteristic magnetic personality and high energy. Bobby Belloni on Dobro and banjo anchors the group with his vast musical background. Anne Hibbs delivers some very sweet tones on her fiddle while Philip Bartles keeps the rhythm thumping along steadily on the bull bass.

Washboard Chaz Blues Trio
Chaz Leary is, perhaps, one of the best known musicians on the New Orleans music scene. He even has a downtown music festival named after him, "Chazfest," an obviously play on words. He delivers some great old songs in the traditional jug band style. He is accompanied by another well-known New Orleans musician, St Louis Slim on guitar. The sound is very unique, and Chaz is a real crowd pleaser.

Last Chance Bluegrass Band
If you like straight out strong bluegrass, you will love these guys. They performed on our front porch last spring, and the folks outside loved them. They provide the traditional mix of bluegrass instruments and vocals, banjo, guitar, fiddle, and bass. This is another example of a group that was flying under the radar. Our Production and chief sound engineer, Kent Birkle, who plays the banjo himself, heard them at a local jam session and advised we give them a listen. Kent made a good find.

Smoking Tme Jazz Band
This is another one of those great groups of young people who performed on the streets, but are now joining the great New Orleans club scene. These are part of a young community of musicians in the Big Easy who have made it their mission to learn and perform very traditional jazz music. The streets of New Orleans are one of the greatest incubators for stellar musicians in the world. This group is similar in nature to some of the other members of that music community that brought the house down when they appeared on our stage including Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns and Erika Lewis and Tuba Skinny. We had them perform at the Abita Springs Music and Arts Festival last spring and inviting them to come to our stage was a no-brainer.