The Hot Sardines

Last night Travalon and I went to the Overture Center to see a group called the Hot Sardines who play 1920’s “hot” jazz. They had a similar configuration to the groups we had seen on Saturday, with a trombone, a trumpet, and a clarinet, only the trombonist also played trumpet and the clarinetist also played saxophone. There was a drummer, of course, and a pianist, and instead of a tuba, a guy playing the stand-up bass. There was also a true chanteuse – she was from France – and (how cool is this???) a tap dancer who also played the ukulele. They mostly did old jazz numbers (as the singer noted, from right around the time the Capitol Theater was built, in 1927), but they also did a jazzy version of Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love,” and our favorite number, “I Want to Be like You” from The Jungle Book sung in French. If you like classic jazz, I cannot recommend this group enough. They were excellent.

Afterwards Travalon and I went across the street to the Icon for a drink. Overture tickets often have a coupon for $3 off a drink at the Icon on the back of them, and Travalon had said I had to try their cocktail called Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It was very good, but because it contained Rumchata, Kahlua, AND butterscotch schnapps, it was very calorific. Is that a word? Spellcheck doesn’t have a problem with it. I don’t know if it was because of the drink, since we didn’t get home all that late, but this morning I totally overslept. I generally wake up about a quarter to seven, but this morning Travalon woke me up from a dream about being in Ireland (possibly influenced by last night’s final Irish class of the semester) by saying, “Honey, did you know it’s ten to eight?” Oh my! There was nothing I could do – I was going to be late for work. Fortunately, nobody seems too worked up as long as I text them to let them know and then make up the time.

Famous Hat