Lavay Smith Biography & Awards

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Artist Info

Born

1967

Biography

Bay Area swing diva Lavay Smith incorporates blues, New Orleans R&B, salsa, jump blues and bebop into her two records with her band, the Red Hot Skillet Lickers: One Hour Mama and Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout Miss Thing!!!. Smith began singing in 1988 with an L.A. trio called Bogrumpus, which featured pianist/arranger Chris Siebert; by the following year, Siebert and Smith moved to San Francisco and began building the Skillet Lickers' lineup, which includes tenorist Robert Stewart, a Wynton Marsalis protege, altoist Bill Stewart, upright bassist Nathan Bing, drummer Sly Randolph, guitarist Charlie Siebert and bass trombonist Larry Leight. The group toured the US and Europe consistently before recording One Hour Mama in 1996. The album and the group's performances were critically acclaimed in publications like The San Francisco Chronicle, Downbeat, Jazziz, Blues Revue and Los Angeles Magazine. After more touring and appearances at blues and jazz festivals, Lavay Smith & The Red Hot Skillet Lickers returned with their second album Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout Miss Thing! which was released in spring 2000 by San Francisco's Fat Note Records. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide