www.lavaysmith.com

Bay Area favorite Lavay Smith, vocalist and bandleader of the Red Hot Skillet Lickers, is an internationally recognized jazz and blues diva. With her brassy vocals, Smith and the Skillet Lickers incorporate blues, New Orleans R&B, salsa, jump blues, swing, and bebop into their infectious sound.

Smith began singing in 1988 with Los Angeles trio Bogrumpus, which featured pianist/arranger Chris Siebert. The following year, Siebert and Smith moved to San Francisco and began building the Skillet Lickers' lineup, which includes tenorist Robert Stewart, altoist Bill Stewart, upright bassist Nathan Bing, drummer Sly Randolph, guitarist Charlie Siebert, and bass trombonist Larry Leight. The group toured the U.S. and Europe before recording One Hour Mama in 1996 and their second album, Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout Miss Thing!, in 2000. The band appeared at Lincoln Center, the Monterey Jazz Festival, The Chicago Jazz Festival, The Montreal Jazz Festival, The Hollywood Bowl, The San Francisco Blues Festival, The San Francisco Jazz Festival, and more. When not on the road, Smith and her band are showcased in Bay Area's nightclubs like Cafe du Nord, Biscuits & Blues, Jazz at Pearl's, and Ashkenaz.