Hot Sardines serve early jazz and more

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Hot Sardines are bringing their unique mix of early jazz and swing to the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild’s Jazz Concert Hall for two shows Thursday as part of a limited tour — five dates in four days.

But according to the group’s pianist and cofounder, Evan Palazzo, the fact that the group is playing at MCG, or anywhere at all other than its native New York, was not in the original plan.

“We never intended to start a professional outfit,” he said.

Long interested in early jazz, Mr. Palazzo met singer Elizabeth Bougerol in 2007 via a Craigslist ad, and the group started as merely an open mic session.

“We wanted to do it has a hobby, [but] we found ourselves getting gigs,” he said. “We started recording as soon as possible and continue to do that as well has making videos.”

Indeed, the name came about the day of that first open mic gig; they wanted something that reflected their love of “hot jazz,” something like Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven groups. Then Ms. Bougerol found a tin of sardines seasoned with cayenne pepper.

“Perfect,” Mr. Palazzo said.

Although the Hot Sardines do lean toward jazz as played in the 1920s, they “step a little outside of that,” Mr. Palazzo says.

The group’s influences include Louis Prima, Benny Goodman, Bessie Smith, Ray Charles and even the Beatles — “the transition period between the ’40s and ’60s.” They don’t try to recreate that precise vibe, because their audiences “[have] really no baggage attached to it — for them it’s new stuff.”

Last year, the group released the album “French Fries & Champagne.” The food reference represented a metaphor for the variety of music on the CD — some tunes employed a string section.

“We wanted to explore the high and low in its permutation of jazz — the high-tone and the gut-bucket,” Mr. Palazzo said.

And while the Hot Sardines do record original material — on that new record are ‘“Wake Up in Paris” by Ms. Bougerol, a native of that city, and Mr. Palazzo’s “Gramercy Sunset,” which he says has “a million downloads” — their repertoire generally comprises standards. That’s by design.

“We try to make that be seamless and be aware of the company we’re in,” he said. “We’d like to do more [originals], and we may do so.”

The rest of the group comprises Todd Londagan on trombone, Paul Brandenburg on trumpet, Nick Myers on tenor saxophone and clarinet, Evan Crane on bass, David Berger on drums and tap dancer A.C. Lincoln.

“Each of them are stellar musicians — guys who are pros and know how to get along,” Mr. Palazzo said. the events pick up close to where the last game left off. The New Kid still has his signature ability: on-demand flatulence.

“The Stick of Truth” followed the usual cast of Stan, Kyle,Cartman, The New Kid and friends as they began a townwide fantasy role- playing game that echoed the style of “Game of Thrones.” With superhero movies being the big box office draw, the kids have shifted toward hero factions in hopes of launching their very own franchise like Marvel Studios. Their hilarious franchise plan spans years with dreams of core movies, spin offs, Netflix series for lesser characters and digital tieins.

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