Fans of Swingers might remember a certain band that helped launch the swing revival of the ’90s. That band would be Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, which performs Sunday night at Ram’s Head Live! in Baltimore.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, along with bands such as the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Brian Setzer Orchestra, ushered in a swing revival in the 1990s with music from the swinging days of the 1940s and ’50s.
Formed by Scott “Scotty” Morris in 1989, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was originally a three-piece jazz, blues and swing combo band featuring Morris on vocals and guitar and drummer Kurt Sodergren. The rest of the band was added in the following years, with Dirk Shumaker on string bass, Andy Rowley on saxophone, Glen “The Kid” Marhevka on trumpet, Karl Hunter on saxophones and clarinet and Joshua Levy on piano.
Morris credits blues guitar legend Albert Collins as the creator of the group’s name. Morris met Collins at one of his concerts, and Collins signed his poster “To Scotty, the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.” Hence, Morris’ ensemble would come to be known as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
The band began a fierce touring schedule in 1992 and built up a following on the lounge circuit. The lounge scene was captured in the 1996 flick Swingers, starring Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy served as the club band in the movie, and its songs “You & Me and the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)” and “Go Daddy-O” were included on the soundtrack.
The group’s two self-released albums, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Whatchu’ Want for Christmas, reached relative success locally, and helped land them a contract with Capitol Records. The group released Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, a different album than the previous self-released effort, in 1998 as its major-label debut, followed up by The Beautiful Life a year later. By the time the group released their follow-up album, Save My Soul, in 2003, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy had performed at the 1999 Super Bowl, sold over three million albums and was featured in 60 film trailers.
The group’s success has continued with the release of Everything You Want for Christmas in 2004 and a greatest hits album in 2005. Sunday night’s concert at Ram’s Head Live! is aptly titled “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s Wild Swinging Holiday Party” and is sure to feature songs from the group’s two holiday recordings.
Tickets are $27.50 online. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call (410) 244-1131.
– By Meredith Lidard
