Orleans seems to be one of the few places
in the country where people have that
creative spirit.”
Relocating to New Orleans in 2002,
Eloise served as a public information
officer at the New Orleans Museum of Art
for two years before leaving to jump into
the music scene with both feet. Within
eight months she earned her first stint as
a professional bassist – with Pat Ramsey
and the Blues Disciples, a nationally touring
blues band.
Eloise regularly performs and records
with celebrated local musicians, including
Major Bacon (David Bacon Renson), and
the Cosmopolitan Evangelistic Baptist
Church choir in the Treme neighborhood,
where Hammond organ virtuoso
Rev. Andrew Amedee leads the church
and the choir.
Eloise also has played bass with Big
Chief Doucette and the Decibelles,
featuring an all-woman band of some of
New Orleans’ most established female
musicians. She has also performed
with The Parishioners, Butch Trivette
& The Roulettes, Ready Teddy and the
Swampdaddys, She has recorded with
Margie Perez, The Bourbon Cowboys and
Burke Ingraffia and soloed as a cellist with
orchestras, using her music theory education
in composing classical and modern
pieces.
For ten years, ending in 2018, Eloise
and Major Bacon held down a regular
Wednesday night gig at the Banks Street
Bar. Today she still performs with the
band, which plays locally and regionally
as far up the Gulf Coast as the Florida
Panhandle. Her husband, Les, manages
the band, books their gigs and drives their
van to and from performances.
In addition to cello, she also plays
double bass and a one-stringed instrument
that originated in Africa and Brazil called
a berimbau. “Chamber music isn’t bad.
It can be a lot of fun,” she said, adding,
“But I don’t want to be tied down as a
member of the Philharmonic or something
like that. I really enjoy playing bass guitar
and doing solo cello gigs a lot and I also
have more original songs I want to record.
COVER STORY
But I want to get this Pelicans song out
there first, and then work on an extended
version for later in the season.”
To help promote the song and other
original works, she formed an LLC
company with the same name as her
band, Eloisiana. She also plans to launch
a website further promoting the song and
other original tunes in her repertoire.
And so, reflecting on the experiences of
her 17 years in New Orleans, Eloise was
effusive in her praise. “I love it here,” she
declared. “My parents didn’t know I was
supposed to be born here. Even with all
the storms and the flooding I can’t imagine
living anywhere else. I came down here
when I was 32 and this is where I plan
to stay.”
To find out more about Eloise Davis’
music or download music, visit www.
Eloisiana.com ��
PHOTO BY LES LEONARD
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