“It came about as something of a student lark in 1972," Craft said. "That was during the period of the oh-so-serious ragtime revival. A bunch of guys, some undergraduates and some guys who spent all day in a coffee shop got together and decided that they would revive something not worth reviving, which was the Oriental Foxtrot, to spoof that other revival. So they put on a show, the title of which was ‘An Oriental Extravaganza.’ It reintroduced the Oriental Foxtrot to the rest of the world. We've now been playing the Oriental foxtrot for over 40 years, which is a lot longer than it was ever played originally. . . “

The large ensemble may have started as a clever farce, but it soon received an overwhelmingly serious public response, recalls Schmidt.

“It was like an hour's worth of concert, with an explanation of why this music is so important to America, and why it should be preserved," he said. "You know, things like ‘Sheik of Araby,’ ‘China Baby,’ you know, we still play a few of ‘em. But it was a musical joke that we were performing. We had a big audience. We had the concert at Dixon Hall at Tulane and it was packed. A lot of old-timers. This one guy came up to me as we were settin’ up you know, getting ready to start, and he says, ‘We're countin' on ya’ son. We're countin’ on ya'!’ It was like one last gasp.“

New Leviathan has expanded their repertoire over the years to include other songs of the same era with similar mood and sound. The ensemble continuously adds obscure references and oddities, always with a wink and a nod. That’s where Bobby Skinner comes in. He plays a rare instrument known as the concert theremin. One of the earliest electronic musical instruments, the theremin sound is familiar to most people from its use in film soundtracks. And like many other elements of the orchestra, it started out as a joke, Skinner said.

"I had been practicing it, and I thought it might sound good on some of the slower lyrical numbers like the 'Sheik of Araby,' for example . . .'Home in Pasadena,' among other things. So I brought it to the orchestra and they just squealed. They thought it was a riot , so that was it. “

Thanks to their cheeky humor, theatrical presence, and early-cinema sound, the orchestra is no stranger to Hollywood. In 1978, they performed on the now-infamous Saturday Night Live Mardi Gras special, shot live on location in New Orleans.

 “It was when Gilda Radner was still on and Jane Curtain. The parades were late and all sorts of things. We bumped The Meters (for time). It was all messed up. On that program, Jane Curtain said ‘Mardi Gras means ‘there is no parade.’ Because the parade never did come, “  founding member and clarinetist Jack Stewart remembers.

What keeps this living time capsule going strong after so many years? Perhaps it’s the vast age-range of its performers. The oldest musician is in his 80’s. The youngest is violinist Sam Craft (son of trombonist John.) Sam is best-known for his work in the local indie-rock scene and as a session musician here in New Orleans, but he was practically raised by the orchestra.

“I started playing with this group when I was 13 or 14, but I've literally been listening to this music my entire life," Craft said. "I was brought out to concerts as a baby. I always listened to tapes and CD's growing up. It's really interesting. People in their early 20's, they hear this music from the early (19)20's and they want to dance to it. When they see this, they instantly get it, they want to learn more about it. I think it's fascinating. It's an awesome museum piece into old New Orleans and the beginning era of jazz and it's a really cool little window into the past. “

The New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra may be singularly responsible for keeping a unique part of New Orleans music history alive, but at the end of the day, they always remain in on the joke, with Schmidt ready to deliver the punchline.

“You know, this outfit's a lot like a bridge club. We meet every Thursday or Wednesday or whenever, and everybody comes and plays all these tunes. It’s been a lot of fun and that’s about it.”