Some Like It Hot! is an energetic and enthusiastic traditional jazz group led on trumpet by Kaye Caldwell, with an all-star cast of expert musicians. The self-described "vintage" jazz band holds down regular New Orleans gigs and is a dancer's favorite choice at the French Quarter Festival, Satchmo Summerfest, and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Caldwell, the group's founder, leads with polished trumpet and vocal work; the long-standing core includes Eric Shuman on clarinet, Ron Kennedy on banjo and vocals, Janice Medlock on trombone and piano, and Nita Hemeter on drums — a band in which the women outnumber the men roughly two to one, named for the old movie about an all-girl jazz band. Recent event listings name banjo player Ron Kennedy as the band's current leader.
Their first full-length CD, Joy of Dixieland, was recorded live at Buffa's Lounge and released in 2012 — fifteen tracks of lively, toe-tapping standards stamped with the band's own styling and arrangements. They have held down the Sunday Traditional Jazz Brunch at Buffa's Bar & Restaurant (1001 Esplanade Ave) since 2009, and their bandstand roster shows a formation date around 1994.
