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'Sidecar Social Club' Is Jazz With An Eclectic Twist

WUNC | By Laura Pellicer,
Frank Stasio
Published August 17, 2018 at 12:06 PM EDT
The sound of Sidecar Social Club may trace provenance from traditional jazz music, but their playful nature keeps their material sounding unique and inspired. Their new album 'Mystery Island' is a collection of original pieces that showcases just that.
Courtesy of Sidecar Social Club
The sound of Sidecar Social Club may trace provenance from traditional jazz music, but their playful nature keeps their material sounding unique and inspired. Their new album 'Mystery Island' is a collection of original pieces that showcases just that.

The sound of Sidecar Social Club is rooted in the grit and authenticity of old jazz, but their performances are not stuck in the past. The band incorporates elements of rhythm and blues, Latin music and even rock. 

Host Frank Stasio talks with members of Sidecar Social Club and they perform live in our studio.

For their new album, “Mystery Island,” the band wrote all original sounds that showcase their musical playfulness. The project garnered attention from filmmaker Louis Leuci, who is using much of the band’s album as the score for an upcoming short film. Sidecar Social Club joins host Frank Stasio in studio for conversation and live performance.

The band is vocalist Lisa Veronica Wood, bassist Aaron Bittikofer, drummer Ed Butler, keyboardist Jim Crew, saxophonist F.O. Finch III and trombonist Dave Wright. They play at Blue Note Grill in Durham, on Friday, Aug. 24 at 9 p.m. and on the shore of Lake Raleigh on Thursday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m.

Copyright 2018 North Carolina Public Radio
Laura Pellicer
Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.
See stories by Laura Pellicer
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio