Hot Club of Cowtown plays in Fallon this month

The dynamic ensemble, Hot Club of Cowtown, will roll into Fallon for a show at the Barkley Theatre in the Oats Park Art Center on Oct. 23.

The intrepid trio was named 2015 Western Swing Group of the Year at the Ameripolitan Music Awards in Austin, Texas and, at the same ceremony, Elana James, the group’s fiddle player was also named was named Western Swing Female player of the year.

The group (James on violin, bassist Jake Ervin and guitarist Whit Smith) was formed in 1997 and they have a remarkable chemistry between them making for a real hot stage presence.

The group’s name nods to both the legendary Django Reinhardt’s band (Quintette du Hot Club du France) as well as to western swing icon, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys.

Their music has been described as “country music that swings” as well as “jazz with a twang.” They’ve performed to sold out crowds at a variety of venues from Jazz Alley, NYC’s City Winey, and the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko to Jazz at Lincoln Center, and numerous festivals including Strawberry, Winnepeg Folk, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.

They’ve also been featured on several NPR shows—“All Things Considered,” “Morning Edition”—and also on Mountain Stage, “A Prairie Home Companion,” Sirius Satellite and “World Café.”

Their more than a dozen albums include “Rendezvous in Rhythm,” “What Makes Bob Holler,” and “Continental Stomp,” which have garnered critical acclaim in the media both here and in Europe.

There’s been quite a bit of interest is this show, so for the best availability you should get your tickets sooner rather than later.

Tickets are $17 for CAC members, $20 for non-members and can be picked up at Jeff’s Copy Express on Maine Street, at ITT @ NAS Fallon or by calling Churchill Arts at 775-423-1440.

CAC also has several events on tap for November including a talk by Basque Studies professor, Joseba Zulaika, the fall film series featuring Alfred Hitchcock and a performance by Storm Large. We’ll have more info on these events in the coming weeks.

Kirk Robertson covers the arts and may be reached at news@lahontanvalleynews.com