“This is a story about Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, a great swing band. Swing is not just for old decrepit people who smell like your grandpa’s closet. It’s for us young groovy people, too. I mean, wasn’t Vince Vaughn cute in “Swingers?”
My fascination with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy started at a small festival in the suburban-desert town of Palmdale, which is like nowheresville. I mean, there’s nothing there. For fun we went to McDonald’s, okay? So when I saw a strange looking band setting up under a little tent, my hopes weren’t too high. But I was wrong. The band was awesome. The music was happy. It’s what you need after listening to too much grunge and you wanna commit suicide. The music made me wanna jump out of my seat and try some of those Christian Bale moves out of “Swing Kids.” I was puzzled, “What are they doing out here in the boonies?”
After that weekend, I kept up with the band through the Calendar section of the LA Times. I noticed them playing gigs in Los Angeles, too far for me to see them play… until I moved to L.A.
Hurled into the city, I knew that it was my destiny to find Big Bad Voodoo Daddy again. I saw read about them in a Times article, saw them in “Swingers” and figured out that they play every Wednesday night at the Brown Derby in Los Feliz! The only problem is that the Derby is 21 and over.
Last fall, I “bumped” into the bassist Dirk Shummaker. I think he was flattered that I knew who he was. It was pretty obvious—he was wearing a pinstriped shirt. He had this huge sparkly smile like a Colgate commercial. I told him how hard it was to find their CDs, and later he actually called me and gave me the names of local record stores.
Then I got the nerve to set up this interview. There I was, sitting at a table across from Dirk, and fellow band member, trumpet player Karl Hunter. Trying not to look like this was my first interview ever, I had on my hippest skirt and button-up shirt. They had on jeans. I could feel the word “dork” being branded into my forehead, but they didn’t seem to notice as they told me their tale.
Four years ago, in a land far, far away (Ventura), Scotty Morris, the lead singer/guitarist, drummer Kurt Sodergren, and a bass player got together to play some tunes. They had different ambitions, so Scotty and Kurt went on their way. They gave Dirk, along with a couple of horn players a call, and became Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. But the fun didn’t stop there. With the recent addition of three more horn players, Karl included, the guys have a huge sound with a wardrobe to match.
They have become fashion animals, even appearing in GQ last December. Old ’30s style clothes consist of fedoras (hats), two-tone shoes, and pinstriped zoot suits. This stuff is usually found in thrift stores and antique shops and can be pretty pricey if it’s in good condition.
Aside from the massive positive response that the band has received from the popularity of “Swingers,” they credit the recent swing music boom as “an answer to the sadness of grunge. Everyone is always singing about how life sucks, it’s nice to have music come out where everyone can have a good time,” said Karl.
So far Voodoo Daddy has put out two CDs on their own label, Big Bad Records. The first was self-titled, the second was a Christmas album. They can be heard on two soundtracks, the evil “Party of Five,” and the more recognized “Swingers” soundtrack. “Swingers” features two new songs, “You And Me And The Bottle Makes Three Tonight”, and “I Wanna Be Like You” (from Disney’s Jungle Book). Their next project includes a song from their first CD, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” which will appear on the new, widely available Ultralounge CD. Ultralounge and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy can be purchased at any big-time record store like Virgin.
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