Smiley LIVE! Presents: Minor Mood Swing
Wednesday, April 24, 6:30 PM
The Contemporary Club
This free public event is part of the Smiley LIVE! concert series. It’s family-friendly, with a Q&A segment where young and old alike can ask the performers questions about their music, their performance, and anything else they may be curious about.
MINOR MOOD SWING is a So-Cal based Acoustic Jazz Trio performing the delightful sounds of Hot Club Jazz originating in 1930s Paris by legendary French-Romani guitarist, Django Reinhardt. This beautiful genre known as “Jazz Manouche” allows the acoustic guitar to take center stage, filling multiple roles: rhythm, harmony, and lead. All are invited to come and enjoy the spirit-lifting musicianship of Paul Olives (guitar), Laura Bean (guitar), & Eric Pittman (stand-up bass).
Paul Olives is a self-taught guitar prodigy, street performer & one man band, often hailed as a local legend and ambassador for the local music scene. Many may recognize Paul’s talent from his decade of live street shows in the Riverside & Redlands downtown areas.
Eric Pittman anchors the ensemble with his rock-solid bass, serving as the foundation for the group. With 14 years of experience in playing the upright bass, Eric has been a member of the Blackwood Jazz Combo playing big band era music in a sweet Bennie Goodman-sized combo and with the Spare Buttons, backing so-cal local favorite Lia Booth playing jazz from The Great American Songbook.
Laura Bean, who hails from the hills of Kentucky, plays the swinging’ rhythm guitar. A multi-instrumentalist, she spent nearly a decade performing in various bands in Northern Europe and hosted a long-running bluegrass-turned-variety night show in Berlin, Germany. She played upright bass with the Polish-Romani fronted Janio Junior Swing band in Berlin, Germany for 2 years.