Photo Credit: Kathrin Miller Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers   Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers are internationally recognized as one of the top bands in the world performing classic American jazz, swing, blues and R&B music from the mid-twentieth century.    Lavay and her group have toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Japan and Canada.  They have performed at many of the top festivals, concert venues and nightclubs in the USA, and recently headlined Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City for a special New Year’s Eve show in December, 2014.  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.   Acclaimed:  Lavay Smith’s second CD received a rare and prestigious 4 & 1/2 star review in Downbeat magazine, the top international jazz publication.  Important publications have sung the praises of Lavay Smith and her band, including The Los Angeles Times, Jazziz, The Boston Globe, Blues Revue, The New York Press, Living Blues, and the Alternative Press (see below for juicy quotes). Television and Radio appearances include “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer”, “Fox Files”, and NPR’s “To The Best of Our Knowledge”. World famous celebrities have jumped on the Lavay Smith bandwagon as well. Johnny Otis says “Lavay is wonderful! She and her band are a breath of fresh air.”  Dan Aykroyd, a.k.a. Elwood Blues, says of Lavay’s debut album, “One Hour Mama”,  “...this CD is guaranteed to make you feel better.”  Even President Clinton has seen the light, proclaiming, “I love this band - they’re great!”   A True All-Star Band:  Lavay’s group is universally respected for it’s world-class musicianship, and includes some of the top musicians on the scene today.  Her bandmembers have played with Ray Charles, Etta James, Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman, Santana, Wynton Marsalis, Big Mama Thornton, Taj Mahal, Van Morrison, Tito Puente, Steve Miller, Ramsey Lewis, Johnny Otis, Sy Oliver, Vince Guaraldi, Rufus Thomas, Rosemary Clooney, Anita O’Day and many other giants of American music.   Authentic Jazz & Blues:  Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet are often called upon to present historical programs of music at world-class venues like Jazz at Lincoln Center and the SF Jazz Center/SF Jazz Festival (where they are the most-booked act in the organizations history). Lavay Smith Press Quotes “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, legendary R&B pioneer “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 “I love this band-they’re great!”                 ---President Bill Clinton