New Memphis Hepcats
Since its inception in 1997, the New Memphis Hepcats have dedicated themselves to providing the finest in big band music. Their repertoire ranges from early masters such as Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, to greats like Frank Sinatra and Count Basie, to the ground-breaking music of Stan Kenton and Dizzy Gillespie. Their music is as entertaining to listen to as it is compelling to dance to. The group has been featured in top Memphis nightspots such as Elvis Presley's Memphis, Automatic Slims, and Huey's, and was the house band for swing night at the Hi-Tone Cafe for two years. It has also performed throughout the Mid-South for various parties, weddings, and corporate events.
In 1999, the band released its first album, "Live at the Hi Tone," which was recorded at two of those sweaty nights in January 1999. That same year, the New Memphis Hepcats were nominated by the Memphis Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for the Newcomer Award at their Premier Player Awards, at which the band also performed. The New Memphis Hepcats have made appearances at numerous other events, including the Memphis Arts in the Park festival, Collierville's "Main St. Collierville" series and the Memphis Italian Festival, as well as a live radio broadcast on WKNO's "Friday Live Lunch" program. Several Memphis publications including The Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Flyer have featured the band, which has been described as "a fun, even romantic, group whose supple mastery of swing music will have even the most lead-footed of listeners tapping their toes . . ." (Mark Jordan, Memphis Flyer)