HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN: Main Stage
The melding of Gypsy Jazz and Western Swing forms a natural alliance with Elana James, fiddle & vocals, Whit Smith, guitar & vocals, and Jake Erwin, bass & vocals. They traverse this broad expanse with ease. We love to gush, but we found so many great quotes from so many perspectives about this band we have to share what their far flung admirers say: Ralph McLean of The Belfast Telegraph claims it is "one of the finest performances by a visiting American country act I've witnessed for a very long time...they pretty much lifted the roof [off of the Black Box in Belfast], pretty much perfect country trio at the very top of their game." Robin Denselow of The Guardian in London had equal praise calling it "...spirit, originality and skill that would surely have impressed Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt back in the 1930s." And Marc Mickelson of Soundstage.com says, "I doubt that many rock bands expend more energy in their playing, but what I admire most here is the unified point of view: a nostalgic love of western swing, big-band crooning, ragtime, even jazz improvisation." This is powerful stuff!