IT’S THE HOT LOVIN’ JAZZ BABIES ON MARCH 15!
LIVE AT THE BEAUTIFUL ELKS CLUB IN BALLARD
Ballard's Elks Club
6411 Seaview Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107
Although the Hot Lovin’ Jazz Babies have performed for us just once before this month, most of its members are familiar to us as part of the Bridgetown Sextet. A good way to refresh our recollection about their performance is to revisit a portion of Doug Sammons’ letter from April of last year:
I lead a group called the Hot Lovin' Jazz Babies, also based out of Portland. This band features the vocals of myself and Dee Settlemier (my wife). There is some sharing of musicians with the Bridgetown Sextet. Four of us also play with the Jazz Babies: Andrew Oliver plays piano, John Moak plays trombone, David Evans plays clarinet/sax, and I sing and play guitar. In addition we have Garner Pruitt on trumpet, Pete Lampe on bass, and Dee Settlemier on vocals and drums.
We are a bit more modern than the Bridgetown Sextet, in that we cover songs mostly from the swing era of the 1930's and 40's. We have been playing around the area for about 10 years now. We are regulars at the Portland Traditional Jazz Society monthly dances. In fact, we'll be there next month. We play regularly for swing dance events in the area and perform every year at the Portland Lindy Exchange.
Sammons moved to Portland in 1991 from New York City where he was a member of the Metropolecats jug band. In 1993, he and his wife Dee Settlemier formed the Midnight Serenaders, a 1920s jazz ensemble. The Serenaders had a 10-year run until an offer to perform for a swing-dance series in 2015 led the band to change its name to the Hot Lovin’ Jazz Babies (HLJB).
Settlemier is the drummer and main vocalist along with Sammons. A multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, mandolin, ukelele and banjo, she has been writing songs for as long as she can remember, and is a founding member of the acoustic folk-rock group Mad Hattie. Dee also sings with the Libertine Belles, a vocal trio featuring songs arranged in a style popular during the prohibition era.
Dave Evans and Garner Pruitt have been with the HLJB since the Midnight Serenaders days. Playing together for so long has earned the band acclaim for tight vocal arrangements and swinging ensemble work, and the additions of Andrew Oliver and John Moak have only made the group even more solid. Modeling itself after 1930s ensembles like Fats Waller & his Rhythm and Teddy Wilson’s Orchestra with Billie Holiday, the band maintains a longstanding residency at the Alberta Street Pub in Portland.
Pruitt studied music at Cal State, toured Europe with the school’s jazz band, and played the Montreux and North Sea Jazz festivals. In Boise, he performed at Ste. Chappelle Winery's summer concert series and led a sextet in Sun Valley. In Denver, he was a member of the Neophonic Jazz Orchestra and the bands Rumble Seat and Dressed in Black. He settled in Oregon in the early 2000s and began playing with Doug and Dee shortly thereafter.
Filling in for Pete Lampe on bass is Brent Martens who is prominent in Portland’s music scene as a versatile multi-instrumentalist. On string bass, he is in great demand in western swing, honky tonk, and jazz settings due to his percussive slap-style technique which is so vital to many vintage music styles.
Doug reports that the band’s repertoire has expanded since last year’s concert. Pianist/arranger Andrew Oliver added six charts to the band’s song book featuring compositions performed by Fats Waller, Jack Teagarden, Clarence Williams, Sharkey Bonano, and Sy Oliver. In addition, Andrew and Dee’s “Blue Buddies” recorded an album entitled “Don’t Care Blues” during Colin Hancock’s whirlwind visit to the Pacific Northwest last April. Hopefully, CD copies will be available at the concert.
Despite the full day it takes to play a three-hour gig and drive from Portland to Seattle and back, Sammons says the trip is worth the effort: “We play a lot of swing dances in Portland, but it’s nice to play for a group in Seattle that includes both dancers and listeners. We like to play for audiences that really love and understand the music, to play for like-minded folks who know the words to some of the songs and sing along with us. Their love of the music is so genuine. It’s a beautiful thing to see.”
So there you have it. We’ve heard many of them with the Bridgetown Sextet, so we know the music is of high quality. We can’t ask for a better guarantee than that! So join us April 27, and bring a friend or two. By doing so, you’ll help keep traditional jazz alive and well in Seattle. Remember, those under 21 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult paying admission. Everyone is welcome!
