By Ben Watson
Where there’s smoke, there is fire, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and the Utah Symphony were burning up the Snow Park Amphitheater at Deer Valley Saturday night. The nine-piece swing band out of Los Angeles, kindled by the spark of a full Utah Symphony Orchestra, showed just how timeless and fun this upbeat music can be. I was excited to hear lead singer Scotty Morris and his long-time band mates perform under the cool August stars, which were only partially obscured by smoke. The seats were full and the hillside was packed, but most of the audience was up and dancing from the first buzzy tenor sax notes and the driving snare drum. The fire was lit and this joint was jumpin’!
“Jumpin’ Jive” was a good start, with Karl Hunter on tenor sax countering Morris’s clean vocals. Things got steamy and growling on the rumbling “Calloway Boogie,” which really showcased the tight integration with the backing Utah Symphony, conducted by Edwin Outwater. Next up was the call and response favorite “Hey Now,” with Morris chiding the audience to get louder. His patter was as sharp as the lapels on his midnight black suit, which fit the swing aesthetic perfectly, paired with a crisp gray and black fedora and narrow black tie. Glen “The Kid” Marhevka followed with an explosive trumpet solo. “Save My Soul” was next, introduced as a love song for New Orleans. Soulful and rolling like a big river, the wailing sax in the hands of Hunter was matched note for note by the brass of the Orchestra. Morris joined the flow with his mellow toned Taylor T3 hollow-body electric guitar. Josh Levy, on the grand piano, added depth to the rich sound.
“Basin Street Blues,” introduced as a tribute to the early days of swing, opened with a loping ragtime beat by Levy on piano and Kurt Sodergren on drums as counterpoint. The classic “Oh Marie” featured Hunter again on alto sax, backed by the USO brass section. Trombonist Alex “Crazy Legs” Henderson emerged from the shadows to pick up the refrain. Marhevka and backing trumpet Tony Bonsera rounded out the mix, and absolutely engulfed the following “Mr Pinstripe Suit,” which was a masterclass on wah wah trumpet and traditional swing. “5-10-15 Times” rounded out the first set, with a nice love ballad feel.
As the night deepened, the band reminded the audience that it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing, launching into the rocking “Jumping Jack” on their return to the stage. Morris had the jazz scat and ske-daddle set to high, as the band quickly transitioned to the Disney favorite “I Wanna Be Like You.” This rendition was slower than most, and that brought out the best crowd response of the night. The huge, bass driven sound of “Minnie The Moocher” showcased Dirk Shumaker on the upright bass and Marhevka and Bonsera on trumpet. Henderson added a towering solo on the ‘bone.
“Diga Diga Do,” “The Jitters,” and “Oh Yeah” allowed the brass to turn up the heat, with Andy Rowley’s big baritone sax leading the way. BBVD original “You and Me and the Bottle Makes 3” had the crowd on the hill dancing on the lawn. “Go Daddy-o” closed out the second set, with backing trumpet Mitchell Cooper making his mark with the counterpoint. The encore “So Long, Farewell, Goodbye” gave each member of the band a time to shine, and the Utah Symphony Orchestra one last chance to riff with these Kings of Swing!
Check out the Utah Symphony website and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s website to see what’s coming up next.
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