A Brief Bio
The Firecrackers are working the roots of jazz with a youthful vigor that breathes new life into an old genre. The Firecracker Jazz Band plays early "New Orleans" jazz and Dixieland as well as other 1920's and 30's period pop, paying homage to such greats as Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbeck. These guys can rock out old school parlors and punk rock clubs alike, "thanks to the spontaneous, Mardi-Gras-type atmosphere the group generates through determined showmanship." (Tom Kerr, Mountain Xpress). In fact, last Mardi Gras they played an all night Saturday garage party to 500 screaming kids then made it to a church revival the next morning to 500 of Sunday's best! Check performance dates below to find out where to join in the fun.
The group features seasoned performers from the Asheville area: Je Widenhouse on cornet & trumpet (Squirrel Nut Zippers), Henry Westmoreland on Tuba, Mike Gray on drums, Jason Krekel on banjo (Mad Tea Party), Reese Gray on piano (Asylum Street Spankers), and Earl Sachais on trombone (Sammy Davis & Barbara Streisand).
The Firecracker Jazz Band is lighting a fire under Asheville's scene. People are doing the Charleston down the street and thrift stores are selling out of their stock of vintage suits and dresses! These guys can play anywhere and as Tom Kerr says, "they don't simply get people dancing, they often inspire them to stride, stomp and strut."
