Out of all the promising performances of this year’s edition of the Satchmo SummerFest, there are some to particularly look forward to, including the one from the amazing Smoking Time Jazz Club.
The Smoking Time Jazz Club at Maison (Illustration by Emilie Rhys)
The band will step out of Maison and the Spotted Cat where it usually performs and take over the Festival’s Cornet Chop Suey Stage on Friday, August 1 from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
There is something old school yet singularly fresh in the way the band handles traditional jazz tunes, reviving old gems like Morton’s “Sidewalk Blues” or Billie Holiday’s “What A Little Moonlight Can Do” with ease and passion. Their reinterpretations convey contagious energy and aplomb, as greatly demonstrated on their latest release, I Need Someone Like You.
Their music takes an even more delirious dimension live, with musicians embarking in wild solos that set a tremendous path for singer Sarah Peterson to kick in. Her voice is oddly charming, a rare grace that delightfully hearkens back to the early days of jazz.
Before being even aware of it, you’ll find yourself entirely taken by the beat of the music, your feet stomping, your smile growing, slowly realizing how infectious the band’s vigor is.
Whether performing standard blues, charlestons or swing tunes, the Smoking Time Jazz Club is sure to keep you dancing the entire concert. Not to be missed!
