"Music (that) speaks across generations. When tradition meets invention, the resulting rhythm, melody and
spirit of a song is timeless."
-Dave Beck, KUOW public radio, July, 2007:

For Booking Inquiries, please contact:

Matt Sircely
360.301.3789
P.O. Box 1432
Olympia, WA 98507
info@hotclubsandwich.com

Click here to download the Hot Club Sandwich ONE SHEET (PDF).

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Reviews:

Vintage Guitar Magazine, July 2007

Michael Dregni
Gypsy jazz with everything on it, including humor.
As the band’s name suggests, this isn’t just a recitation of the gospel according to Django. Rather, the group starts with classic jazz, and layers on a healthy spread of originals from several of the band’s members.
Hot Club Sandwich is fronted by a three-guitar lineup, making it the Lynyrd Skynyrd of Gypsy jazz. Greg Ruby, Ray Wood, and Kevin Connor share rhythm and solo guitar duties. Their sound is rounded out by bassist James Schneider, mandolinist Matt Sircely, and violinist Tim Wetmiller.
Added to this are guest appearances spicing up the ensemble with everything from washboard to maracas, accordion, vibraphone, and bongos. The combination creates an album full of flavor.
Covers here include Django’s “Heavy Artillery,” Oscar Aleman’s “Dedos Duros,” and Fletcher Henderson’s “Eight, Nine and Ten,” among others. Yet it’s the band’s originals that are the freshest—and most fun. Green Room kicks off with Ruby’s “Stompin’ at KAOS,” inspired by a Washington radio station. The song’s intro is also pure chaos—a cacophony of instruments—before erupting into a sweet melody that’s part swing, part bop.

Victory Review, September 2007

Nancy Vivolo

Hot Club Sandwich kicks right into gear with the very first song on their latest release Green Room. “Stompin’ at KAOS” has that free flowing feel of jazz improve while still
remaining tight and clean. Romantic and sensuous, “Yogirl No Shinodiai” is done with
great precision yet is still filled with emotion. “Renegade Café” written by band member
Matt Sircely features a perfectly executed series of instrumental solo hand-offs that is
absolutely seamless. There’s a cute slap-stick playfulness to “Heavy Artillery” followed by a frantic, almost manic urgency in “Old Joe’s Hittin’ the Jug”. Turn around and the essence of a lazy afternoon is conjured up with “I’ll Never Be the Same”. “Dedos Duros” captures a pleasing Latin feel and “Eight, Nine and Ten” is just pure fun. This collection of musical masters manages to consistently keep things tight, precise and melodic while always making it sound so easy. Green Room is a wellrounded, cleverly assembled collection of hot tunes that they clearly enjoy presenting. If there is a downside to this CD, it s the lack of liner notes – tell me more, boys. All in all, this is real ear candy!

from: Sea of Tranquility

http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=5288

Hot Club Sandwich: Green Room

Gypsy jazz is the tone set on Green Room, the latest release from Hot Club Sandwich. This Seattle based band plays acoustic jazz along the lines of Stephane Grapelli and Django Reinhardt, filled with virtuoso acoustic & classical guitars, mandolin, bass, and violin. There are vocals on a few tunes, but for the most part this is all instrumental, and a must hear for acoustic guitar fans. Tracks like “Gaucho” and “Stompin’ at KAOS” feature blazing guitar passages, with some equally stunning violin and mandolin spots as well, that will have you tapping your feet groovin’ to the melodies as much as you will be marveling at the sheer musicality of it all. Elements of swing & Latin jazz styles permeate the 14 songs here, all of them uplifting and easy on the ears. If you are not pulled in by the Wes Montgomery-meets-Django-meets-Grapelli flights on “Gotcha”, get your pulse checked. Jazz fans need apply now.

from: geezer music club

http://geezermusicclub.wordpress.com/2007/06/18/review-hot-club-sandwich-green-room/

If it’s lunchtime as you’re reading this, then a warm grilled cheese or a BLT might sound pretty good right now — but we’re here to discuss Hot Club Sandwich, a Gypsy jazz combo with a brand new album, Green Room, now out on the Modern Hot Records label. It’s their fifth, and follows 2005’s Live on the Verandah.

Gypsy jazz is a sub-genre that’s always fascinated me, and its popularity is pretty closely tied to the ongoing dedication many fans have for the legendary Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, who is still revered and is the subject of festivals around the world. Hot Club Sandwich embraces the connection - big surprise - but even more importantly, the group maintains a level of music consistent with the best of today’s practitioners.

The guiding light of the group is guitarist Greg Ruby, who gained a lot of experience during his service with Pearl Django, a veteran and respected Gypsy jazz combo. He’s joined by talented guitarists Ray Wood and Kevin Conner, along with Matt Sircely on the mandolin, bassist James Schneider and Tim Wetmiller on the violin. There are also some guests who drop in from time to time with less traditional instruments, including accordion, maracas, bongo, and…washboard.

The talent level of the musicians is high, but the best thing about this album is the rich and diversified mix of songs. It’s not surprising that there are tunes reminiscent of the days of Django and Stephane Grappelli, such as the title tune, “Green Room”, “Old Joe’s Hittin’ the Jug”, and “Heavy Artillery” (which was actually written by Django). All perfectly transport us into the world of strummin’, pickin’ and fiddlin’ Gypsy jazz.

But wait, there’s more — we also have “Gaucho”, a tune based on a combination of a Brazilian joropo and a French waltz, and “Yogiri No Shinobiai”, a fascinating adaptation of a song discovered on a Japanese jukebox. The fusion of a Latin beat with Eastern music is mesmerizing, and perfectly illustrates the diversity of this album.

And finally, there are several songs with vocals — and interesting variations, even among those. “Sweet Sue” is an old song but fits perfectly into the collection and evokes Django’s ability to interpret early American jazz. There’s even some scat singing, on Fletcher Henderson’s jazz classic, “Eight, Nine, and Ten”.

Hot Club Sandwich has crafted a winner with Green Room — highly recommended.

from: cdreviews.com

http://www.cdreviews.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1936

Hot Club Sandwich – Green Room

Don’t let the band name turn you off. Crossing musical boundaries has never seemed so easy. Hot Club Sandwich (I imagine pronouncing it how James Brown might… Haaaat!) breaks out gypsy, jazz, Louisiana bluegrass, swing, middle eastern, latin and a touch of funk folk. Brilliant from “Stompin’ at KAOS” through to the final title track.

from: jazzmando.com

http://jazzmando.com/new/archives/000589.shtml
July 14, 2007

Hot Club Sandwich
One of our favorite Gypsy Jazz string bands is Seattle-based "Hot Club Sandwich," and they seem to be getting attention lately. The significance to you and I is their full-time use of a mandolinist, and a darned good one at that, Matt Sircely, who currently writes for Fretboard Journal and Srings plays with the bluegrass band, the Bitteroots, and recently toured with the New York based Klezmer Mountain Boys. (He also assisted with classes in this summer's Mandolin Symposium again). In addition to their Django jazz "Hot Club" stylings, HCS also infuses some Mexican folk songs and Brazilian Choro into their repertoire.

from: mjazzscene

http://www.jsojazzscene.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=497&Itemid=249

Meinig Park, Sandy, Oregon - August 30, 2006 Hot Club Sandwich
Ray Wood, Guitar Kevin Connor, Guitar Matt Sircely, Mandolin Tim Wetmiller, Fiddle Kevin Stevens, Acoustic Bass
While trying to decide which Portland artist and club to enjoy from the JSO Calendar, I remembered that this was the final week of Music in Meinig, presented by The City of Sandy. This series of free summer concerts takes place in beautiful Meinig Park in downtown Sandy, OR every Wednesday during the month of August.
Tonight's musical guests were a quintet from the Puget Sound area who call themselves "HOT CLUB SANDWICH." The style of music they play is "Gypsy Jazz" but each of these musicians intentionally brings their own musical preferences and past experiences to the group. The sound they create becomes an extension of the traditional gypsy style shaped by their collective talent, and is refreshingly unique. It takes you to another place.
This was a foot-tappin', crowd-pleasin' concert, with many couples, young and old, dancing in the patches of grass beneath the towering firs that form a canopy for the outdoor amphitheatre. The band had a pure sound and was rhythmically tight -- very impressive considering the lightening speed at which many of the "old world" tunes were played, and though the solos were often fast and intricate, they were tastefully done and added to the mystique of the music. One of the crowds' favorites was, Hit That Jive Jack, where all the band members sang the chorus, and we almost managed to keep tempo with our clapping. The band interacted with the audience and seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves.
Most of the band has been together for six years, but this evening's performance included their newest member, jazz guitarist Ray Wood. Ray has been in the business since the 1950's, playing all over the world, and the band members consider him a great asset. One of them tells the audience, "He is one of my favorite musicians," during a break between songs. Ray is a music instructor in the Puget Sound area and plays his Gibson Archtop with the finesse of a seasoned professional.
The other band members were Kevin Connor on a D Hole Gypsy Jazz Guitar, Matt Sircely on mandolin, Tim Wetmiller on the fiddle, and filling in for James Schneider was Kevin Stevens on the stand-up, acoustic bass.
They have recorded three CDs, the latest one just about to be released, "Green Room." The title song is one of Tim's compositions, inspired by "the great dressing rooms they've enjoyed over the years." (Their Green Room for this event was within the Sandy City Hall. They told the listeners "it is the coolest Green Room of any City Hall we've ever been in . . . " --insert audience laughter here).
Other perks that made this a pleasant family evening included the "Fantasy Forest" playground that is about 100 yards away from the amphitheatre and much enjoyed by the shorter crowd. Dinner could be purchased from "Goodie Junction," a local business who brought the goodies to us for a very reasonable price. Menu items included sausages, hot dogs, baked beans, pie, brownies, candy and hot and cold beverages. My hot chocolate tasted just like the kind I used to get at Ski Bowl when I was a kid -- just what I needed to keep off the chill as the sun was setting.
The cheers of the crowd brought the band back for an encore, and as we visited following the concert, the guys all agreed that "this is one of the finest venues on the west coast that they've ever played in, with an excellent sound system and great hospitality." I think they'll be back. And I can't wait to get their new CD

From: Mail Tribune, Medford, OR 3/23/2007
by Laurie Heuston

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070323/LIFE/703230319/-1/TEMPO0202

Hot Club Sandwich captures the spirit of hot jazz greats such as Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli

There's a reverence for the music of gypsy jazz artists Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli and their Quintette du Hot Club de France that is evident in Hot Club Sandwich's performances.

The Seattle-based string band captures the spirit of Reinhardt and Grapelli and the hot jazz of the '20s and '30s that was popular in Europe and America.

"Hot jazz is a descriptive title of a certain style of jazz," says Matt Sircely, mandolin player for Hot Club Sandwich, a band that builds on that tradition. "Our music is jazz played without drums or regular percussion instruments. It's as if every band member is a drummer, and the guitars provide a steady backdrop of rhythm that drives the music — and the dancing."

Reinhardt was born in France and learned guitar at an early age. He later became influenced by the music of violinist Joe Venuti, jazz guitarist Eddie Lang, trumpeter Louis Armstrong and composer Duke Ellington.

"Django introduced the European sensibilities and gypsy textures to American swing standards that came to define gypsy jazz, which continues to evolve today," Sircely says.

Along with Sircely, the acoustic sextet features guitarists Ray Wood, Greg Ruby and Kevin Connor, violinist Tim Wetmiller and bassist James Schneider.

Ruby is a former member of Pearl Django, a Washington state-based gypsy jazz quartet.

"Our band was founded when Greg and Tim met on a front porch in Olympia and realized they were working on the same tunes," Sircely says.

The members bring their own influences to their string arrangements and improvisations, including Latin American, bluegrass and Western swing.

"We started this band when we were all pretty young," Sircely says. "We were really excited about playing this music together, and we've developed our own approach.

"We've been fortunate enough to play at Django festivals where European Gypsies and other artists have played astounding sets with a rhythmic feel that is very different from American players. While we're not copying them, we are influenced by that texture and drive," he says.

That sound is captured on Hot Club Sandwich's new CD "Green Room," according to Sircely. The full-length album was released this year on Modern Hot Records, a label formed by members of Pearl Django.

The CD includes several new compositions by members of the group and some unique treatments of classic tunes from around the world. Copies will be available at the concert at Mojo Rising.

"The real treat is that we've added Ray Wood to the mix," Sircely says. "He's been playing guitar since 1951. He was playing rock 'n' roll before 'Rock Around the Clock' came out.

"Every time we take a long trip with Ray, he pulls out his Jimmy Rogers-style Martin guitar and starts playing and telling us about all of the country and rock stars that he performed with in the '60s."

Hot Club Sandwich released another CD, "Digga Digga Do," in 2003.

From: Port Townsend Leader

http://ptleader.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=18294&SectionID=101&SubSectionID=329&S=1

Since its formation six years ago, Hot Club Sandwich has established itself as a leader on the Northwest's gypsy jazz scene. Released last spring on Modern Hot Records founded by Pearl Django, the new Hot Club Sandwich CD, "Green Room," has received significant airplay, remaining in the top 20 of the CMJ Jazz Chart for several weeks.

Hot Club Sandwich features the sound of gypsy-jazz guitars by Greg Ruby and Kevin Connor blended with the masterful guitar work of Northwest legend Ray Wood, bassist James Schneider, violinist Tim Wetmiller and local mandolinist Matt Sircely.

Recent Hot Club Sandwich performances include appearances with Dan Hicks at DjangoFest San Francisco and in Seattle with multi-instrumentalist Joe Craven, formerly of the David Grisman Quintet. Dave Beck of 94.9 KUOW in Seattle recently described Hot Club Sandwich as "gypsy jazz made fresh."

From: The Hillsboro Argus Friday 7/13/07

http://www.oregonlive.com/argus/stories/index.ssf?/base/lifestyle/1184350824248570.xml&coll=6

Hot Club Sandwich readies Gypsy jazz for Hillsboro show

Hot Club Sandwich will play Gypsy jazz-influenced acoustic string swing music on Friday, July 27, at 8 p.m. at the Glenn and Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center in Hillsboro.

An emerging West Coast band, Hot Club Sandwich plays jazz from the early 20th century. With three guitars, bass, violin and mandolin, the acoustic sextet maintains a reverence for the Gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli and their Quintette du Hot Club de France and draws inspiration from the classic string swing ensembles and big bands of the 1930's and 1940's.

Emerging from Seattle's Gypsy jazz scene, Hot Club Sandwich plays arrangements, original compositions and improvisations, and explores folkloric traditions from the early 20th century, such as the Brazilian choro mandolin tradition, the violin music of Mexico and folk tunes common to the Gypsy repertoire.