Hot Club of Saratoga – Interview – Thanks for Asking

Hot Club of Saratoga – Interview – Thanks for Asking – by Liam Sweeny.

RRX: Who are you? Not, like, philosophically, but you know, who are the members of the band, who plays what? Describe yourself in one sentence (it can be a long sentence.)

HCS: We are Hot Club of Saratoga, playing Gypsy Swing in the spirit of 1930’s Paris, with: Chuck Kish, rhythm guitar; Dylan Perrillo, string bass; Tucker Callander, violin; Jonathan Greene, clarinet; and Brad Brose, lead guitar.

RRX: Do you have anything out right now that people can enjoy, and if so, what’s the best way for them to get it?

HCS: Our newest album is “Just Horsin Around” released in January 2023. We have CDs available when we play or from our website and also on most streaming platforms like Spotify. 

RRX: I know when pitching it helps to tell someone it’s “this meets that.” So let’s try that with you. If you had to give me two bands that meet each other in your sound, what are those bands? More than two bands?

HCS: I would have to mention “The Quintet Of The Hot Club Of France”, the first group to make this music. They played many originals and what are now jazz standards played by American jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, and others in the 1930’s and 40’s. In more recent times, Bireli Lagrene, Tchavolo Schmitt and family, and groups like Hot Club of San Francisco, Pearl Django, and other “Hot Club” ensembles carry on the tradition. We also like Oscar Aleman a bunch, and infuse some early jazz into our style. In pop music these days, electro swing bands like Caravan Palace are increasingly finding an audience.

RRX: We let it out differently when we play music. The happy, sad, good and back; it can all be put out musically. Overall, do you feel better when you sing about the better times, or the worser times? Is there a difference you can describe?

HCS: We are more instrumental than vocal as is much of the genre. It’s hard to say which makes us feel better. So much of the music is fun, upbeat, and generates joy. But some of the ballads are so beautiful and soulful. Many of the tunes are also in minor keys which in many people evoke a sadness, but I personally find them pensive, thoughtful and rich with feeling, so much deeper than sadness. They are certainly different the first being happy and light, while the other perhaps darker but where would day be without night?

RRX: What instrument would you add to the band if you could? Is there anything you are trying to do musically that would be helped with one or more additional players?

HCS: We often play with a drummer and that gives our music added push and really drives the energy, especially when we play swing dances.  At times, we have included all the members of the saxophone and clarinet families, trombone and trumpet. One of our favorite additions is singer, Julia Posin, who played with us a lot in the past and now whenever she isn’t touring with Bella’s Bartok.  We talk of future projects playing Django favorites with a string quartet, adding an orchestral/symphonic sound to our music to bring it to a more nuanced and beautiful level. We also discuss doing some recording  with a horn section with drummer, for a punchier sound. We have some other ideas in the works…Stay tuned.

RRX: You sing, you rap, you play guitar, play drums, you have no doubt struggled to learn music. Something probably tripped you up. What was it for each of you? What did you have to overcome?

HCS: Most of the Hot Club of Saratoga crew and extended family are classically and/or jazz trained musicians and have played jazz most of their lives. Coming from more of a folk background and a more casual guitar player, I started late playing jazz in general and gypsy jazz specifically. It’s been a lot of work, but with enough passion for something, even an old guy like me can find joy and some success in a new endeavor. And let me just add that most all the musicians I have met since embarking on this musical journey are some of the finest human beings that I know. I would definitely invite anyone at any age to explore the richness of music.

RRX: How can people keep up with you? What’s coming up, soon or eventually?

HCS: You can find us in all the usual places, like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and all that as well as our website: https://www.hotclubofsaratoga.com/.  We will be hitting several summer concert series in the area this summer in addition to playing weddings, private parties, corporate events, etc. We generally play for the Wednesday night swing dance at The Linda in Albany every couple of months. We must thank the fine folks at Mouzon House Restaurant for a Thursday evening residency now entering year 12. None of us could do what we do and love without the support of the venues and folks who come out and support local, live music. We are grateful.

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