This year marks the 20th anniversary of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s arrival onto the music scene and they will be performing at North Central College May 18.
Since securing its legendary residency at the Derby nightclub in Los Angeles in its early years, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has reminded the world that it’s still cool to swing, big-band style.
The band was co-founded by leader Scotty Morris and drummer Kurt Sodergren and made its debut in their hometown of Ventura, Calif., in 1993. The group forged a massively successful fusion of classic American sounds from jazz, swing, Dixieland and big-band music, building a songbook of original dance tunes, proving them to be among the standout groups that launched the new swing era in the 1990s.
Today, the high-energy nine-piece ensemble continues the party and takes things to the next level with its latest release, “Rattle Them Bones.” The album features such songs as “Diga Diga Do,” “The Jitters” and “It Only Took a Kiss.” The band’s original hits through the years include “You & Me and the Bottle Makes Three (Tonight)” and “Go Daddy-O,” which were both featured in the 1996 indie film “Swingers.” Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s albums include the platinum-selling “Americana Deluxe” and follow-ups “This Beautiful Life,” “Save My Soul” and “Everything You Want for Christmas.”
The group’s core lineup has remained constant since 1995 and includes Morris (lead vocals and guitar), Sodergren (drums and percussion), Dirk Shumaker (double bass and vocals), Andy Rowley (baritone saxophone and vocals), Glen Marhevka (trumpet), Karl Hunter (saxophones and clarinet) and Joshua Levy (piano and arranger). Joining them on the road are Anthony Bonsera Jr. (lead trumpet) and Alex Henderson (trombone).
The group hit music superstardom with its appearance during the halftime show of the 1999 Super Bowl. Its music has appeared in several films and television shows. The band’s numerous TV appearances include “Dancing With the Stars,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “Last Call with Carson Daly,” for which the band wrote and recorded the show’s theme song.
The performance begins at 8PM Sat., May 18, in North Central College’s Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave. Tickets are $50, $40 and $35; call the North Central College Box Office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit northcentralcollege.edu/showtix.
