Jazz

Lavay Smith is the vocalist and bandleader of the Red Hot Skillet Lickers, one of the top swingin’ Jazz and Blues bands in the world.
Lavay grew up in Southern California and the Philippines and has become an internationally recognized Diva of Jazz and Blues, with a singing style influenced by Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Bessie Smith, Little Esther Phillips and other legendary greats. Whether singing her own compositions or drawing on a large repertoire of classics, Lavay and her all-star 7-piece band bake up an instant recipe for dancing and good times.
This sultry chanteuse evokes a sensuous era of Jazz queens and sexy pinups and adds a modern, feminist twist.  No wonder Los Angeles Magazine chose her as one of the sexiest people around!  Lavay began attracting crowds right from the start thanks to her big, bluesy voice, exciting stage personality, and glamorous approach. According to Fox TV, the band has become “a San Francisco Landmark”, winning numerous awards including a “Wammie” and a “Bammie”. In 1998, the reader’s of San Francisco’s two major newspapers, the Chronicle and the Examiner, voted Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers the “Best Band” in the annual readers poll.
“Lavay is wonderful! She and her band are a breath of fresh air. It is so unlikely and so exciting that a band would appear on the scene today that plays classic jazz and blues so well and so convincingly.”
—Johnny Otis
“The San Francisco-based Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers are a notable exception to the retro-swing norm. The saucy vocalist and her eight-piece crew actually know the difference between jump music and bland R&B in corny suits. They have been a working unit since 1989 and sound as tight as the legendary musicians they choose to emulate.”
—Bob Blumenthal, Boston Globe
“A lush vocal style recalling both Bessie Smith and Dinah Washington.”
—-Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times
“Splendid vocals and exemplary material.”
—Frank-John Hadley, Downbeat
“Hands-down the best thing to come out of the jump/swing revival…the gal can sing her tail off.”
—Paul de Barros, Seattle Times
“First-rate vocals…magnificent arrangements…the best combo in town.”
— Phil Elwood, San Francisco Examiner
“A living testament to the jump-blues era, Lavay is an impassioned singer.”
—William Stephenson, Jazziz
“As close to the real deal as you can get.”
—Adam Mazmanian, The New York Press
“Pure class and a sense of humor…a time machine in vintage threads.”
—Tom Hyslop, Blues Revue
“As a singer, Smith is both ravishing and compelling, and her band, led by pianist Chris Siebert, is world-class.”
—Marian Wallace, Alternative Press Magazine
“Outstanding…the real deal. Unlike some retro-swing outfits that put posturing above musicianship, Smith and her red-hot musicians are schooled in the nuances of blues, swing, and bop.”
—Lee Hildebrand, East Bay Express
“The Skillet Lickers are bona fide jazz players, proffering chops and Basie-esque arrangements to shame all other modern groups of their ilk. Then there’s Smith, whose sultry vocals readily betray the influence of Billie Holiday, Little Esther and Dinah Washington while sounding slavish to none.”
—Buddy Siegal, Orange County Weekly
“Folks, no matter how bad your day has been, this CD is guaranteed to make you feel better.”
—Dan Akroyd (a.k.a. Elwood Blues), House of Blues Radio Hour
“I love this band-they’re great!”
—President Bill Clinton