Kansas City Swing: Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers

Formed in 1986 and fronted by the sultry Lavay Smith, an alluring singer whose bluesy, brassy style draws on Dinah Washington and Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and Little Esther Phillips, the band is known worldwide for tasty arrangements of tunes from the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s, as well as their finely crafted original compositions. Under the leadership of arranger and pianist Chris Siebert, the eight-piece ensemble features a rogue’s gallery of robustly swinging soloists from around the Bay Area who cut their teeth with everyone from Big Joe Turner to Ray Charles. They’ve released a trio of fine albums on Smith’s own Fat Note label, covering the gamut of legendary composers including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Irving Berlin, and Harold Arlen.