Hot Club of Cowtown put their aspirations right in their name. “Hot Club” is not an oversized mayo filled sandwich reference, but an homage to Django Reinhardt’s jazz ensemble Hot Club of France. “Cowtown,” the common nickname for Fort Worth, Texas, isn’t about the band’s geographic roots (they started in New York and now are based in Austin), it’s a reference to the Western swing music popularized by Bob Wills. It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to reference two music legends in your moniker, but Hot Club of Cowtown have the chops to fulfill the conceit.
The trio is comprised of three outstanding musicians – violinist Elana James, guitarist Whit Smith, and stand-up bassist Jake Erwin. Performing jazz and pop standards and Western swing classics, the virtuosos rotate playing rhythms/melody and taking solos. They know when to be unobtrusive and when to take the spotlight. They simmer and burn with equal aplomb.
Elana James takes center stage and she is a wonder to behold. The punk rock Alison Krauss, wearing a black dress decorated with festive skull designs, James performed with remarkable precision and energy. While Krauss plays the fiddle/violin with a reserved countenance, James puts all her cards on the table – emoting through songs like a 1930s actress, putting her whole body into head spinning solos, then tossing off a quick wink to bask in the satisfaction of her accomplishments.
Lead guitarist Whit Smith and bassist Jake Erwin flank James onstage and both wore distinguished grey suits on Friday night. Smith and James trade vocals and Smith was recovering from a cold that effected his strength and stamina. If there are any shortcomings in the group, it is that neither vocalist is outstanding, but both are more than competent on a good night.
Approximately 90 percent of the material they performed was cover versions of songs from the 1920s through the early 1940s. Western swing numbers included “Ida Red,” “Right or Wrong,” “What’s the Matter With the Mill,” and “Big Balls of Cowtown.” Traditional jazz and pop territory were represented by “If I Had You,” “The Continental,” “Avalon,” and “Pennies from Heaven.” It’s hard to imagine many bands with the imagination or skill to transition from Hoagy Carmichael’s almost larger than life jazz standard “Stardust” to the Light Crust Doughboys’ lighthearted romp “Pussy, Pussy, Pussy,” which may be about losing a cat.
Visually, it’s almost difficult to keep up with the whirlwind of musicianship on display. Smith plays effortlessly fluid jazz solos, while James is finger plucking the violin. Erwin slaps his bass or pull strings to sound like a percussion instrument, turning himself into a one-man rhythm section. They make quick tempo and structure changes, but the three instrumentals are always playing in a complementary, not a competing, fashion.
For the final encore, the band played “Orange Blossom Special,” a song that I’ve heard too often live and on record to the point it has almost become a trite chore. In the hands of Elana James, that warhorse is completely transformed as she puts every ounce of energy she has into one of the most enthralling musical performances I have ever seen in any environment. It almost transcends music itself to become a heroic personal accomplishment. Hot Club of Cowtown play songs that they love with dazzling skill and palpable passion. They delve into the music of our past to display that irrepressible joy is timeless.
Grade – A-