The Smoking Time Jazz Club is one of the leaders in the renaissance of New Orleans swing and traditional jazz bands. The group mines the canon for fresh material while refreshing time-honored favorites — committed to reviving and refreshing the music of the 1920s and '30s for today's listeners.
Led by vocalist Sarah Peterson, the band's personnel has included Jack Pritchett (trumpet), Russell Ramirez (trombone), John Joyce (upright bass), Mike Voelker (drums), Brett Gardner (banjo/guitar), Joel Goldberg (clarinet/tenor sax), and James Evans (clarinet/sax). They hold weekly gigs at the Maison and the Spotted Cat and took New Orleans traditional jazz to the 2012 Boquete Jazz & Blues Festival in Panama.
The band has eleven albums out, including the much-lauded 2023 Six Blueses, Five Joys, & A Stomp. Their 2020 Bandcamp release Mean Tones and High Notes earned OffBeat Best of the Beat 2022 nominations for Best Traditional Jazz Band and Album.
