The 7th Street Big Band describes itself as providing “a crash of sass in critical mass.” Indeed, that was the vision that bandleader and drummer Gabby Horlick had in 2013 when she first set out to assemble what would be one of San Jose’s liveliest, funkiest big bands.
Five years and 19 people later, the 7th Street Big Band is making its album debut at the Art Boutiki & Gallery on Saturday night. Off Cinderella Lane is the first release from the San Jose natives and a large accomplishment for a band that started out of a living room.
“We actually still rehearse in Gabby’s living room in East San Jose—all 20 of us,” says 7th Street Big Band pianist Nichole Boaz with a laugh. “It can get a little crowded sometimes, but we keep it interesting.”
With five saxophonists, four trumpet players, four trombonists, a piano, bass and guitar players, a drummer, a flutist, and the group’s main singer, Juanita Harris, 7th Street has a commanding stage presence, to say the least. While recruiting almost two dozen musicians can seem daunting, Boaz explained that a majority of the bandmates, who are in their 20s and 30s, met through an informal network of musicians from San Jose State University’s music department and junior colleges in the South Bay.
“Recruitment happened mostly by word of mouth and through social circles,” Boaz explains. “I feel like the music scene, and the jazz scene in particular in San Jose, is not that big. So we all started to know each other after a while.”
With a twist on the heart and soul of traditional big band music, the 7th Street Big Band doesn’t limit itself to just jazz and swing. Their sound, and their new album in particular, branches out into funk, reggae and even hip-hop, Boaz says, and reflects the collaborative and diverse nature of the songwriting process. Although the ensemble had a few main composers on Off Cinderella Lane (Boaz, for example, wrote five of the charts off the 11-track release) the range of musical input from all the bandmates made for an expansive but cohesive variety of songs that focus on an upbeat, dance-worthy sound.
“The writing and recording process has been really great—a lot of work, but rewarding work,” Boaz says. “Many people in the band were interested in writing music so the album is made up of almost entirely original compositions with one or two arrangements. Making this album was a great chance for us to do more and push ourselves into original music.”
Pushing themselves is somewhat of an understatement: the band amazingly recorded Off Cinderella Lane in just three days. Recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley—which has recorded artists as varied as legends like BB King and Chick Corea to rappers like Lil Wayne—the experience was rewarding and somewhat surreal given it was the band’s first-ever time in a studio.
“The studio has a long history, and a lot of really big albums, especially jazz albums, have been recorded there,” Boaz says. “We worked hard, but it was also super fun to spend three days in a studio with everyone.”
While the 7th Street Big Band doesn’t have immediate plans for a tour, taking its music on the road is something the band hopes to do in the future—although Boaz admits she can’t imagine coordinating 20 people’s travel. For the moment, the group is amping up for an action-packed release party where they plan to play the new record in its entirety, as well as a couple of old favorites. The show will mark a defining moment in the band’s five-year history, one that Boaz and the rest of 7th Street hope is only the starting point of their groovy musical journey.
“As a band, we are a little rowdy; our favorite songs to play are ones that are energetic and loud,” she says. “We are not just bandmates, but we are also all good friends. So we are definitely looking forward to it.”
7th Street Big Band
Feb. 24, 7:30pm, $10+
Art Boutiki, San Jose
