Born and raised in Pella, Iowa, Abbey began singing at the age of 4. After moving to Spokane in 1989, Abbey joined the local theatre scene, and she has since performed nationally, including a role in the award winning "Assassins." Abbey honed her singing and stage skills through training at the International Cabaret Conference at Yale University, becoming Spokane's only truly trained cabaret singer. Stellar performances are common, and in 2008 she earned the Best Actress in a Musical Award from the Pacific Northwest Inlander for her role in "Pete 'N Keely." She has also had the pleasure of opening for Blood, Sweat, and Tears. In addition to singing lead vocals for Hot Club of Spokane, Abbey teaches cabaret locally, writes and directs USO Tribute shows, and performs one woman cabarets regularly around town.
Trumpet Michael Lenke
Perhaps our most traveled band member, Michael has performed as a full time member of not only the United States Army and Air Force bands, but also with big bands, show bands, and national acts such as B.B. King, Lionel Hampton, and Ray Charles just to name a few. His onstage antics can be attributed to his time playing in circus bands, where solid playing required showmanship and a generous sense of humor. Music has taken him through almost every state in the U.S, as well as through Europe and parts of the Orient. Notable venues include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Budo Kahn, the Los Angeles Music Center, the Egyptian Theatre, and the Blue Note in New York City. Hot Club of Spokane is honored to play with such an exciting, experienced, and talented player, whose appreciation and enthusiasm for hot jazz shines through every performance.
Violin Andrew Wilson
Born and raised in Spokane Valley, Andrew has been playing the violin since the age of 7. Andrew began playing the competition circuits not long after, claiming the 1995 Washington State Junior title, then the 1996 National Junior Title, and finally in 1997, the Washington State Grand Champion title. Andrew has also performed at the Grand Ole Opry, and he has composed and arranged music for the Phoenix Symphony. Now a full-time private violin teacher, Andrew lives in the Spokane Valley with his wife and four children. Our lead string player, Andrew anchors Hot Club of Spokane's jazz manouche sound, providing fiery solos and sweeping melodic improvisations. Most recently, Andrew was honored with the 2009 National Fiddle Entertainer of the Year award by the National Old Time Fiddlers Association!
Clarinet and Guitar (Keys, Strings, Winds, and Skins) Dayan Kai
Originally from the great state of Hawaii, Dayan brings a wealth of experience and insight into early jazz, swing, blues, and R&B to Hot Club of Spokane. While focusing mainly on clarinet and guitar in Hot Club, don't be surprised to see Dayan take to the piano if there's one on hand, or break out a harmonica, or belt out some spot hitting blues vocals. Born without sight but not without soul, Dayan was formally trained since the age of 2. Dayan is a Singer-Songwriter, Arranger and Producer with a lifelong commitment to music. Kai is also a stunning accompanist working with numerous notable artists from around the world in many styles and traditions. Dayan has released five solo albums as well as two albums with his former band Water, all self produced. He has also contributed his talents on a multitude of albums in the folk, jazz & world genres.
Saxophones Robert Folie
After spending years playing saxophone in a variety of big bands in New York and Seattle, including appearances at Jazz Alley with trumpeter Al Vizzutti, Robert has found new freedom as a soloing instrumentalist in a smaller ensemble. Robert prefers hot jazz performed with high energy for enthusiastic, dance-happy audiences, and he enjoys putting a modern twist on traditional tunes. The son of Belgian ex-patriots, and a Hot Club of Spokane co-founder, Robert often adds a touch of genuine European style by coaching HCOS vocalists in French pronunciation and mannerisms for the band’s occasional offering of genuine, old world folk tunes. Together with Hot Club of Spokane bandleader Garrin Hertel, Robert plans and promotes the annual Think SWING! Jazz and Blues Festival, a Spokane phenomenon that celebrates music, dance, culinary arts, and community.
Bass Violin Kim Plewniak
Originally from Buffalo, NY, Kim received her advanced degrees in music from the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Orin O’Brien and Timothy Cobb. She has performed professionally with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Virginia Symphony, the Lancaster Festival Orchestra, and she was the principal bass of the Billings Symphony. Kim keeps a full schedule, not only with students at both Eastern Washington University and Gonzaga, but she also serves as assistant principal bass of the Spokane Symphony. Allegedly, Hot Club of Spokane tried to offer her an exclusive contract, but wisely, she responded as she often does on stage: “You’re rushing.”
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals, and Bandleader Garrin Hertel
Although classically trained on piano in his youth, Garrin picked up the guitar in 2002, and devoted himself to the peculiar world of swing rhythm guitar playing. Garrin is mostly self-taught, but he has taken a few private lessons with luminaries such as Howard Alden, Henry Johnson, Corey Christiansen, and Sid Jacobs. Chief influences include Freddie Green, Marty Grosz, and especially John Rodli of the New Orleans Jazz Vipers.
Hot Club of Spokane occasionally plays in trio or quartet formats, featuring a more decidedly jazz manouche repertoire. The trio includes Andrew Wilson and Garrin Hertel, as well as lead guitarist Steve Bauer:
Lead Guitar Steve Bauer
After attending Ohio State University School of Music, majoring in theory and composition, Steve moved to Colorado and spent the next ten years playing professionally as a touring lead guitarist and mandolin player in various country and bluegrass bands. Steve shared the stage with such luminaries as Roy Clark, Emmy Lou Harris, Doc Watson, and the New Grass Revival. Although he changed careers in the late 80s, earning a degree in veterinary medicine, Steve continued playing music with a new-found interest in swing and jazz, with a particular interest in gypsy jazz. While living in North Carolina, Steve had the unique opportunity to play with Francois Vola, a fine jazz guitar player who is the grandson of Louis Vola, the double bassist of Django Reinhardt’s Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Steve continued to play music in North Carolina with both country and swing bands including a Dixieland jazz band and strong vocal swing ensemble. Now living in Spokane, Steve plays regularly with 6’ Swing and the Columbia Bluegrass Band, while also making time to perform as a guest with Hot Club of Spokane, and as the lead guitarist in the Hot Club of Spokane Trio.
Hot Club of Spokane plays many of their shows with one or more guest musicians. These include:
Lead Vocals
Nicole Lewis
Lead Guitar
Steve Bauer
John Bole
Accordion
Patricia Bartell
Violin
Rachel Dorfman
Tenor Sax/Clarinet
Jeremy Hamilton
Bass Violin
Bruce Pennell
Brian Flick
Our own Andrew Wilson sits in here with the great Andreas Oberg of Stockholm, Sweden, performing at the 2008 Think SWING! Jazz and Blues Festival in Spokane, WA, at the Davenport Hotel. Also performing: Brent Edstrom on piano, Doug Folkins on Bass, and Daniel Cox on Drums!
Influences
Django Reinhardt, acoustic and electric
Plus:
Louis Prima
Stephane Grappelli
Dorado Schmitt
Freddie Green
Joseph Reinhardt
Soprano Summit
Louis Armstrong
Charlie Parker
Bucky Pizzarelli
Marty Grosz
Nellie Lutcher
Bessie Smith
New Orleans Jazz Vipers
Hot Club of New Orleans
Louis Jordan
Lonnie Johnson
Cab Calloway
Jelly Roll Morton
Hot Club of Spokane performs HOT JAZZ, influenced by New Orleans and Paris, taking cues from jazz greats such as Django Reinhardt, Louis Prima, Louis Armstrong, and Jelly Roll Morton. Although named in honor of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, audiences quickly discover that Hot Club of Spokane is not a traditional gypsy jazz string ensemble. Hot Club of Spokane enjoys the musical diversity of not only strings, provided by Andrew Wilson (violin), Kim Plewniak (bass), and Garrin Hertel (rhythm guitar), but also brass, performed by Michael Lenke (trumpet, flugelhorn), reeds, performed by Robert Folie (alto and baritone sax), as well as vocals, sung by a host of folks. The band also welcomes an exciting array of guest musicians on lead guitar, reeds, and accordion. Such diversity allows the band to infuse as much hot New Orleans Jazz into their arrangements and performances as they do the swingin’ sounds of World War II-era Paris.
Since forming in 2006, Hot Club of Spokane has shared the stage with exciting musicians and bands such as Matt Munisteri, the Pete Krebs Trio, Hot Club of New Orleans, and Andreas Oberg, and they have opened for swing favorites The Stolen Sweets and The Hot Club of Cowtown. Hot Club of Spokane has also hit the most popular venues in the region, large and small, including The Knitting Factory Concert House, The Martin Woldson Theatre at The FOX, The Panida Theatre in Sandpoint, ID, and Spokane’s hottest music night spot, Club ZOLA.
Hot Club of Spokane commits to delivering exciting, encouraging, toe-tapping performances of hot jazz, all the while being versatile enough to play every kind of engagement imaginable, including private parties, receptions, weddings, concerts, dance halls, and especially night clubs where the balance between dance and conversation, performance and ambiance, must be kept intact, just as the original Quintette of the Hot Club of France intended. The band achieves this balance by remaining as acoustic as possible (adjusting to the needs of each venue), and by omitting drums entirely, in keeping with the general Hot Club tradition.
Hot Club of Spokane also offers trio and quartet engagements, particularly well-suited to supper clubs and restaurants, small house parties, intimate weddings, and wine-tastings.
For more information about Hot Club of Spokane, please visit our website:
For bookings, please contact Garrin Hertel at bandleader@hotclubofspokane.com
Hot Club of Spokane also joins forces with other local, regional, and national jazz and swing musicians, including their friends in music, perennial local favorite, 6’ Swing, to promote and perform in the annual Think SWING! Jazz and Blues Festival, founded and organized by Hot Club of Spokane bandleader Garrin Hertel.
For more information about Think SWING! Jazz and Blues Festival, please visit our website:
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WiCKED STiTCH is doing a special acoustic performance at The Blvd on May 9th. All proceeds go to help children with congenital heart disease. Hope to see you there to support this great cause!
Hello! Just wanted to drop in and let you know that pre-orders for my new jazz standards album "Bittersweet" are now taking place! The first 100 pre-orders will receive a signed and numbered copy! Release date is set for May 19th, but you will get your copy a few days earlier! Kate and I are very excited about the record, and we can't wait for you to hear it. Head over to www.bittersweetthealbum.com to pre-order! Thanks! ~Mark
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