Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, known as “America’s favorite contemporary little big band,” delivers its vibrant fusion of jazz and swing to Hamilton, Billings and Bozeman.
Together for nearly a quarter century, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – famously named after an autograph by blues legend Albert Collins – has appeared in concert venues across the world, sold millions of records, and had their music appear in hundreds of movies and television shows. With sold-out concerts from the Hollywood Bowl to the Lincoln Center, appearances with many of the country’s finest symphony orchestras, and television appearances ranging from “Dancing with the Stars” to Superbowl XXXIII, the band continues its decades-long mission to celebrate and revitalize jazz and swing music. Since its formation in the early ’90s in Ventura, Calif., the band has toured virtually nonstop, performing more than 150 shows a year, and has produced a sizable catalog of recorded music.
Early on, during its residency at the Derby nightclub in Los Angeles, BBVD reminded the world – in the midst of the grunge era no less – that it was still cool to swing. The band, co-founded by singer Scotty Morris and drummer Kurt Sodergren, was at the forefront of the swing revival of that time, blending a vibrant fusion of the classic American sounds of jazz, swing, and Dixieland, with the energy and spirit of contemporary culture.
In addition to Morris (lead vocals and guitar) and drummer Sodergren, the all-original line-up includes Dirk Shumaker (double bass and vocals), Andy Rowley (baritone sax and vocals), Glen “The Kid” Marhevka (trumpet), Karl Hunter (saxophones and clarinet) and arranger Joshua Levy (piano). Joining them on the road are Anthony Bonsera Jr. (trumpet) and Alex Henderson (trombone).
The band’s first phase of stardom came with an appearance in the 1996 indie film “Swingers,” which introduced Big Bad Voodoo Daddy to an audience beyond its L.A. base. Their music has since been heard in countless films and television shows, and they have appeared live on “Dancing with the Stars,” Late Night with Conan O’Brien, NBC’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center, and a remarkable seven times on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The band has also appeared as special guests with many of the country’s most distinguished symphony orchestras, and has performed for three U.S. Presidents.
Catch them:
Bozeman: 7 p.m. April 7 at the Emerson Center Crawford Theater (406-587-0245 or ticketfly.com)
Hamilton: 8 p.m. April 8 at the Hamilton Performing Arts Center (363-7946 or www.bartc.org)
Billings: 7:30 p.m. April 9 at the Alberta Bair Theater (256-6052 or www.albertabairtheater.org)