The Hot Sardines
| The Hot Sardines | |
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Photograph by LeAnn Mueller
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| Background information | |
| Origin | New York City, United States |
| Genres | Jazz, Dixieland, Hot jazz, swing, stride, Ragtime, Chanson |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Labels | Decca/Universal |
| Website | hotsardines |
| Members |
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The Hot Sardines is an American jazz band formed in New York City in 2007 by artistic director, singer and writer Elizabeth Bougerol and artistic director, actor and piano player Evan Palazzo.
Evan, the bandleader and pianist, is a native New Yorker. He began playing piano by ear at age 3 and was beguiled by amateur musicianship his whole life. He had been a student at the Waldorf school in New York City and went on to major in theater and musical theater at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He developed a passion for jazz in general and playing stridejazz piano in particular. Back in his native New York, making a living as an actor in theatre and film production, he continued working on his music. In 2007 he released an album called Finding His Stride featuring his special brand of stride piano music with a ragtime flavor. For a while Evan was a member of actress/singer Lauren Ambrose's band, The Leisure Class. He appeared in scenes playing the piano in several films, My Brother in 2006, and What Happens in Vegas in 2008. His wife, actress Jennifer Weedon, knowing of Evan's desire to start a jazz band, placed an ad on Craigslist for him. Soon Evan, or “Bibs”, as he came to be known, was getting together with other musicians for informal jam sessions.
Elizabeth, the band's frontwoman, vocalist and sometime washboard player, was born in France and grew up in France, the Ivory Coast, and Canada. She has a master's degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor's degree from Brock University. She was working as an editor of city guides on the web and creating editorial websites (such as Wish You Were Here and the skint) as well as writing freelance for magazines, websites and book projects (she wrote a guide to New England seafood). Like Evan she nurtured a lifelong passion for music, especially pop from the 1920s to 50s, like Fats Waller, Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra, and was a selftrained singer. She haunted live music venues in New York City, asking one or two favorite bands for a chance to sing with them. Blessed with "a sweet and soulful voice" that brings to mind jazz singers "from another era" she nevertheless got turned down because she had no professional background. She taught herself to play the washboard–jug band style– and began placing ads on Craigslist looking for others who shared her love of early jazz.
Evan and Elizabeth answered the same Craigslist ad for a traditional jazz jam taking place near Times Square in Manhattan. Elizabeth recalls, “when Bibs and I met, it was like an instant musical connection. We started trading stories of songs and singers we loved while growing up, naming our biggest influences and trying out tunes together.” They discovered a mutual love of Louis Armstrong and Harlem stride style jazz legend Fats Waller. Elizabeth adds, “It was like everyone else in the room just faded away while we geeked out.”
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