Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

The contemporary swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was formed in 1989 by Scotty Morris in Ventura, California. Today the group is known not only for its studio albums such as Save My Soul, This BeautifulLife and American Deluxe, but also for its many high profile performances including the Super Bowl half-time show in 1999, Capital One Bowl in 2006 and also played as the house band for several years for the ESPY Awards by ESPN.

In recent years, the band has performed several Pops shows held by American symphony orchestras such as Atlanta Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony. The group currently comprises of Scotty Morris on lead vocals and guitar, Kurt Sodergren on percussion and drums, Dirk Shumaker on vocals and double bass, Andy Rowley on vocals and baritone, Glen Marhevka on trumpet, Karl Hunter on clarinet and saxophones, and Joshua Levy on piano. The touring members include Alex Henderson also known as Crazy Legs on the trombone and Tony Bonsera on trumpet. Together, the musicians make Big Bad Voodoo Daddy tickets quite a treat among swing and big band fans.

With Kurt Sodergren on his side, Scotty Morris formed Big Bad Voodoo Daddy after playing in alternative rock and punk bands all through the eighties, including the group False Confession that was a part of the Nardcore scene in California. The group released two CDs titled Watchu’ Want for Christmas and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy under their own record label prior to their commercial breakthrough with songs IWanna Be Like You, Go Daddy-O, You & Me & the Bottle Make Three Tonight.  These songs were featured as the soundtrack of comedy drama Swingers in 1996.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy got its name when Scotty Morris met up with legendary blues guitarist Albert Collins on one of the latter’s shows where he signed a poster for Morris, addressing him as the big bad voodoo daddy. According to Morris this was the coolest name he had heard so far on one on the best shows he had attended. So by the time he had to name his band, he chose to call it that feeling it was something that was handed down to him. Since Morris and Sodergren were the only two original members, the rest of the group joined later. They have focused on producing the swing from the forties and fifties, while passing their early years by performing at lounges and clubs.

Following the appearance of their songs on Swingers, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was offered to sign with Capitol Records, with which they released three albums. The group came up with the opening theme of sitcom called 3rd Rock from the Sun, which was used in its 1999-2000 season. They also made a new track for the film TheWild alongside recording a track for Phineas and Ferb by Disney as a Christmas Vacation Special. They also played at the popular TV show called Dancing with the Stars, as well as on Tonight Show with Jay Leno on which they promoted their studio offering How Big Can You Get?: Musicof Cab Calloway, which presented a collection of their many renditions of original Cab Calloway songs including The Jumpin’ Jive, Minnie The Moocher, Reefer Man, Tarzan of Harlem, and Calloway Boogie.

 In 2004, the group released its first ever compilation album called Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Live. Besides being featured on Swingers, in which Big Bad Voodoo Daddy have appeared as themselves performing at a club visited by the characters, they have also appeared on Night of the Living Doo. The latter is a farcical episode of the famous Scooby-Doo series.

Hurry up, get hold of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy tickets and be there to groove along to some of the most addictive swing tunes like Mr. Pinstripe Suit, TheBoogie Jumper and Please Baby.