Smoking Time Jazz Club

Biography

Smoking Time Jazz Club is a New Orleans-based traditional jazz band that has been a cornerstone of the city's vibrant jazz renaissance since their formation in 2011. The band originated in New Orleans and quickly established themselves as one of the most productive and dedicated traditional jazz ensembles in the world, releasing over 90 recorded tracks across nine albums in their first nine years. Led by vocalist Sarah Peterson, who came to New Orleans in 2003, the band has maintained an unusually stable lineup in a city where most musicians are freelancers, allowing them to develop a tight, cohesive sound through long-running weekly residencies at venues like The Spotted Cat Music Club and Maison Frenchman.

The band specializes in reviving and refreshing the music of the 1920s and 30s, drawing heavily on early New Orleans jazz and blues traditions. Their approach combines deep respect for historical figures like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday with a commitment to bringing these musical ideas into the contemporary landscape. Their repertoire includes reimagined classics such as Armstrong's "Perdido Street Blues" and "You Made Me Love You When I Saw You Cry," as well as obscure gems from the era like Alberta Jones' "My Slow and Easy Man" and Clarence Williams compositions. The band's mission statement reflects their philosophy: they play the greats because their contributions and insights remain relevant, aiming to carry these musical ideas forward with reverence and gratitude.

Smoking Time Jazz Club has become a fixture in New Orleans' traditional jazz scene, part of a remarkable musical renaissance that includes fellow groups like Tuba Skinny, Little Big Horns, and Shotgun Jazz Band. Their albums, including "Everything Is Righteous" (2015), "Take Your Time And Fly," and "Contrapuntal Stomp," showcase their evolution from energetic crowd-pleasers to more nuanced, bluesy interpretations. The band was nominated by Offbeat Magazine's "Best Of The Beat" Awards for Best Traditional Jazz Band and Best Traditional Jazz Album in 2022. They continue to perform weekly at their residencies, offering both casual visitors and jazz connoisseurs an authentic taste of New Orleans traditional jazz while serving as torchbearers for the city's rich musical heritage.

Fun Facts

• Smoking Time Jazz Club is one of the most productive jazz bands in the world, having recorded over 90 tracks across nine albums in their first nine years of existence since 2011.
• The band has maintained an unusually stable lineup for a New Orleans group, where most musicians are freelancers. This loyalty to each other has paid dividends in their long-running weekly gigs at The Maison and The Spotted Cat, with their Tuesday residency at the Spotted Cat running for about a decade.
• Vocalist Sarah Peterson not only leads the band but also contributes visual art to their albums, demonstrating the group's multi-disciplinary artistic approach to traditional jazz.
• The band's philosophy is encapsulated in their statement that music is 'a great big tree with very old roots' that is 'still living and growing,' reflecting their mission to carry 1920s and 30s jazz traditions into the future while maintaining reverence for the original artists.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Louis Armstrong - Major stylistic influence whose compositions and approach to jazz inform the band's repertoire and philosophy (Perdido Street Blues, You Made Me Love You When I Saw You Cry, Willie the Weeper) [1920s-1930s influence]
• Duke Ellington - Influential jazz genius whose musical ideas the band aims to carry forward (Various compositions in repertoire) [1920s-1930s influence]
• Jelly Roll Morton - Pioneer of New Orleans jazz whose innovations influence the band's traditional approach (Various compositions) [1920s-1930s influence]
• Bessie Smith - Blues and jazz vocalist whose style influences the band's vocal approach (Various blues compositions) [1920s influence]

Key Collaborators

• Sarah Peterson - Lead vocalist and band leader, came to New Orleans in 2003 (All albums from 2011-present, including Everything Is Righteous, Contrapuntal Stomp) [2011-present]
• Jack Pritchett - Trumpet player, core member of the band (All major albums and weekly residencies) [2011-present]
• John Joyce - Upright bass player, core member who also contributes vocals and artwork (All albums, provided painting for album art) [2011-present]
• Mike Voelker - Drummer, long-standing member maintaining the rhythm section (All major recordings and performances) [2011-present]
• Russell Ramirez - Trombone player featured on recent releases (Contrapuntal Stomp and live performances) [Recent years-present]
• Joe Goldberg - Multi-instrumentalist on clarinet, saxophone, and piano (Contrapuntal Stomp and various albums) [Recent years-present]
• Brett Gardner - Guitar and banjo player (Various recordings and performances) [Mid-2010s-present]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Christmas Morning Blues (Best of Street New Orleans Xmas)
2. Dreaming the Hours Away (Six Blueses, Five Joys and a Stomp)
3. My Slow and Easy Man (Six Blueses, Five Joys and a Stomp)
4. Tia Juana Man (Six Blueses, Five Joys and a Stomp)
5. Kansas City Stomps (Six Blueses, Five Joys and a Stomp)
6. Tight Like That (Six Blueses, Five Joys and a Stomp)
7. Come and Get Me Poppa (Six Blueses, Five Joys and a Stomp)
8. Am I Blue (Six Blueses, Five Joys and a Stomp)
9. Don't You Leave Me Here (Six Blueses, Five Joys and a Stomp)
10. Take Me for a Buggy Ride (Six Blueses, Five Joys and a Stomp)

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz