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<\/p>\nVirginia and the Slims is a high energy swing\/jump blues band that makes music designed to get crowds out on the dance floor. I last checked in with the band way back in 2018; this time I spoke with longtime lead vocalist Joanna Boyd Best.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now that we\u2019re coming out of the pandemic period when live performances were restricted or stopped completely, the group has quickly returned to a busy schedule. What are some of the notable shows you\u2019ve done of late?<\/b>
\nJoanna Boyd Best: <\/b>We\u2019ve done two mini-tours. One was a run through Eastern North Carolina, with two dates in New Bern \u2013 one at Tap That! and another at The Wedding Barn \u2013 plus a show in Newport. And we traveled to Tennessee and Alabama; highlights of that tour included performances at Redbud Venue in Chattanooga and Monday Night Brewing in Birmingham.<\/p>\n
The band\u2019s repertoire is based upon jump blues, that postwar style of music that came out of big bands scaling down for economic reasons. Nearly 80 years later, what do you think explains the enduring appeal of jump blues and swing?<\/b>
\nI think that anybody can relate to it because it\u2019s the root of so many other genres. Our audience is primarily people in their 60s, but there are people in their 20s and 30s as well. Kansas City is where I started singing blues and related genres; that connects me personally to the music.<\/p>\n
The band released an album, <\/b>Busman\u2019s Holiday<\/b><\/i> in 2020. Do you include songs from that release in your live set alongside classics like \u201cKansas City\u201d?<\/b>
\nWe sprinkle two or three of those songs in our set each night. Two that we always include are \u201cTake Me to the Mardi Gras\u201d and \u201cShine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Virginia and the Slims has a solid core group of players. Saxophonist\/keyboardist James Kamp has been with the band from the beginning. Who else is in the group? <\/b>
\nHowie Neal and Kim Eiring play guitar; James \u201cCharlie\u201d Rapp is our bassist, and John Barrett is on drums. We\u2019re often joined by guest musicians including guitarists Wayne Kirby and Aiden Jensen, and Peter Salvucci on sax.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s coming up for the band?<\/b>
\nTalks about releasing new music are just starting. James and I both write, so it\u2019s just a matter of coming together and seeing what we\u2019ve each got from the last coupe of years. And we want to do a video, too; that\u2019s something we haven\u2019t done before: make a mini-movie. It\u2019s fun thinking creatively about that.
\nMeanwhile, we\u2019ve started an annual \u201cKilt Night\u201d at the Joint Next Door in Fairview, and we\u2019ve been pleased to have cultivated a great swing dancer following at The Second Act.<\/p>\n
The band is approaching its ten-year anniversary. You\u2019ve been fronting the group for eight years. What\u2019s the through-line that connects it all together?<\/b>
\nThe jump blues and swing genre, and the fact that I\u2019m dedicated to keeping the band going. I\u2019m committed to my alter ego, Virginia; she and I have an agreement!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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