"The Spicy Pickles are intent on bringing swing back to a new generation, and are doing a magnificent job of replicating not only the music, but the general atmosphere of the era as well."
- James Nadal, All About Jazz
The Spicy Pickles features singer Hannah Rodriguez-a four-time Downbeat Award Winner- backed by a 7-piece ensemble. Earning their reputation as a Swing Band that gets everyone up on their feet, the Denver-based Spicy Pickles have broadened their set lists to include elements of jazz, funk, soul, and pop. They draw inspiration from legends like James Brown, T-Bone Walker, and Count Basie. They also embrace contemporary influences such as Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Amy Winehouse, and The California Honeydrops. The Spicy Pickles also compose their own original music which has been placed in film and commercials around the world, such as Yorgos Lanthimos’ "The Killing of a Sacred Deer."
The Spicy Pickles have been touring for over a decade, spreading the “brine” from coast to coast. Memorable performances include the Main Stage at Telluride Jazz Festival, Sun Valley Jazz and Music Festival, Redwood Coast Music Festival, San Diego Jazz Festival, Elkhart Jazz Festival, Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival, and many others.
"While clearly belonging to the present, this music channels all of the energy and pure joie de vivre that the bands of old had."
- Bud Kopman, All About Jazz
Available Programs:​​
Royal Flush: The Great American Dance Bands
90 min, w/ intermission
(Swing)​
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The Spicy Pickles bring audiences back to the golden age of swing with a program celebrating the iconic bandleaders who defined America’s soundtrack in the 1930s and 40s. Royal Flush highlights the powerful riff-based drive of Count Basie’s “Old Testament” band, the elegance of Duke Ellington, the fire of Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, and the energy of Chick Webb — capturing the spirit of a time when swing music filled dance halls and concert stages alike.
The program follows the narrative arc of swing history: beginning with the blues roots that predated the swing era, tracing the legendary 1938 Carnegie Hall concert and simultaneous battle of the bands between Chick Webb and Basie, and closing with Basie’s immortal One O’Clock Jump. With fiery solos, engaging narration, and a mix of familiar classics and hidden gems, this show is designed for both listening and dancing — reminding audiences why swing remains timeless.​
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From Swing to Jump: America’s Jukebox Revolution
90 min, w/ intermission
(Swing/Jump Blues)​
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The Spicy Pickles take audiences on a journey through the evolution of American swing into the jump blues and jukebox hits that lit up dance floors in the 1940s.
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This program celebrates the foundation laid by Basie, Goodman, Ellington, and Waller — while showcasing the raw, driving energy of Louis Jordan, Helen Humes, Hot Lips Page, Big Jay McNeely, and Pearl Bailey. With fiery solos, interactive moments, and vocal features full of humor and heart, From Swing to Jump bridges the sophistication of the swing era with the grit and groove of jump blues — the sound that paved the way for rhythm & blues and rock & roll.
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The result is a joyful, high-energy evening that invites audiences to listen, dance, and celebrate the roots of American popular music.
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Groove Through The Ages: The Music That Moves America
90 min, w/ intermission
(Swing/Jump Blues/Funk)​
From the second lines of New Orleans to the rent parties of Harlem, from the jukebox jump blues of Louis Jordan to the modern soul of Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse, groove has always been America’s musical heartbeat.
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In Harlem during the 1920s and 30s, rent parties were more than just entertainment — they were how people paid the bills, built community, and found joy in hard times. The music was the soundtrack of survival, social life, and celebration. That same spirit carried forward into the dance halls of the swing era, the jump blues of the 1940s, and later into funk and soul, where the groove only deepened.
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In this program, The Spicy Pickles trace the story of groove through the ages — showing how jazz, swing, jump blues, funk, soul, and pop all share the same mission: to make people move. With fiery solos, witty vocals, honking saxophone features, and deep-pocket funk, Groove Through the Ages connects a century of American music into one joyful, danceable thread.