I love vintage jazz and big band swing! I really do.
When I opened up Colorado based Joe Smith and the Spicy Pickles’ new album Gin & Moonlight, I was treated to 45 minutes and 45 seconds of pure sonic delight that has me feeling like the coolest cat in the club…pinstripe suit, matching hat, and a corner booth all to myself and my friends.
Joe Smith and the Spicy Pickles are a pure, uncut, swingin’ jazz band that is reawakening our ears, minds and souls to the greatness of the music from an era long gone. However, with the resurgence of pop culture’s interest in styles from this time period; Gin & Moonlight could not have been released at a better time. Their coast to coast tours have people falling in love with big band swing all over again.
Teleporting us back to the late ’30s, early ’40s, Gin & Moonlight will have you feeling carefree and alive in no time. Uncontrollably up on your feet jukin’, jivin’ and scootin’ around the office (or wherever you are) burning your tracks into the floor.
From high energy grooves to slower, more soulful ballads, Joe Smith & the Spicy Pickles deliver a caliber of musicianship and musicality that is rarely found concentrated into such a cohesive collective of creative talents whose chemistry is nothing short of undeniable. Those talents include: Joe Smith on trumpet and vocals, Matt Burchard on clarinet and tenor sax, Decker Babcock on trombone, Luke Smith on guitar, Braxton Kahn on drums, Gary Sloan on bass and, last but never least, Cara Griffith contributing enchanting, sultry vocals.
Every single member of this group exhibits a level of devotion to their craft unmatched by your average musician. Including a mix of players, producers, composers, teachers, event organizers and scholars, the Spicy Pickles’ members have taught masters classes at the University of Iowa and University of Colorado Denver, they actively collaborate with others and work in multiple projects separate from their work with the Spicy Pickles.
I could keep going and going and going about how great Gin & Moonlight is, but you really should listen yourself. Find it here.
Connect with Joe Smith & The Spicy Pickles on their official website, FB or IG.
The band is supported by Cuttin’ Records.
