Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and their Big Bad Big Band

On Saturday, October 29th, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performed with a full 17 PIECE BIG BAND in our intimate, little, jazz venue that could. This show was an impressive feat and a special treat for The Grape and the Ventura community as a whole.

From the very first note of sound check, we knew this was going to be something spectacular! With that many horns on stage, there’s a tremendous amount of full, rich sound even before you bring the PA into the mix. The entire band was made up of consummate professionals and were jaw-droppingly tight, as was expected!

The night was made even more special because the Barrelhouse Wailers were performing in the bar. The Wailers are no strangers to The Grape, and usually bring their 8-piece New Orleans style hot jazz and swing music to the main stage. On this epic night, they were incredibly excited to warm up the crowd for BBVD – and they certainly lit a fire! The toe tapping, dancing, and merriment began early, taking over the whole bar area!

Adam (The Grape) and Scotty (BBVD) had been working together to make this show a reality for a while. Scotty had dusted off a number of big band charts they had recorded before, but that had never been performed live. The caliber of the performance did not provide any indication of that fact. The energy in the room was palpable, with everyone ready to take part in something unique.

They played a selection of songs that they don’t regularly perform when they tour as a 9 piece band, including “Going Back to New Orleans”, “Digga Digga Do”, and a fun rendition of “Ol’ McDonald”. The band performed two identical sets, allowing for two lucky audiences to enjoy the experience.

When we went live with the ticket sales, our dedicated newsletter followers heard about it first, and both shows almost sold out immediately! If you missed your opportunity last time, you can make sure you don’t next time by signing up here ——--> Sign Up Here.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s line-up is:

Scotty Morris (lead vocals and guitar)
Kurt Sodergren (drums)
Dirk Shumaker (double bass and vocals)
Andy Rowley (baritone saxophone and vocals)
Glen “The Kid” Marhevka (trumpet)
Karl Hunter (saxophones and clarinet)
Joshua Levy (piano, arranger)
Alex Henderson (trombone)
Mitchell Cooper (Lead trumpet)

And they were joined by a multitude of A-List musicians to round out the Big Bad Big Band including Al Velasquez (percussion) and Jacques Voyemant (trombone).

Overall, it was a glorious night of music and celebration with Ventura’s own hometown heroes!

Photo Credit: Seth Brandes