Hot Sardines celebrates great American jazz

  Friday, October 16, 2015 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

The Hot Sardines, labeled by critics as one of the best jazz bands in New York, will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 22, in Pittsburg State University’s Bicknell Family Center for the Arts.

The Hot Sardines, founded in 2007, fuses musical influences from New York, Paris and New Orleans that recall the Prohibition era, the Great Depression and World War II – a time when live music was king.

“Greats like Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Django Reinhardt, Count Basie, Fred Astaire, Mamie Smith, Billie Holiday, the Andrews Sisters, Ray Charles and a full-on melting pot of musicians both iconic and obscure have influenced our style and song interpretation,” said Miz Elizabeth, lead singer for the Hot Sardines.

Their roots may be in the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s, but the Hot Sardines isn’t just a tribute band.

“We don’t treat this music with kid gloves, or place it on a pedestal to preserve and adore, we just play it, as if these songs were written this morning, for today’s generation,” said Evan “Bibs” Palazzo, who leads the band.

So far in their 2015 national tour, the Hot Sardines have performed in a string of sold-out venues. Tickets for their Pittsburg performance range from $18-32 and may be purchased at the Pittsburg State University Ticket Office, 1701 S. Homer, 620-235-4796, or online at www.pittstate.edu/tickets. For more information about the Hot Sardines, visit their website, www.hotsardines.com. For more information about upcoming Bicknell Center events, visit www.bicknellcenter.com.