Start with Classic Big Band swing tunes. Add a dash of Electric Rockakbillly vibe. Throw in some vocals ranging Swinging to Sultry. Bring to a Boil. Simmer and stir. Serve it up HOT! That's Wholly Cats Swing Club.
Wholly Cats Swing Club are Ambassadors of the Music of The Great Swing Era, specializing in the music of the Benny Goodman Sextet featuring America’s first Guitar Hero, Charlie Christian. They have quickly gained a following as Tucson’s Premier Swing Band and have been performing at several dance and jazz venues in the area while helping give rise to the live local dance scene.
They currently are performing a monthly residency at The Century Room, Tucson's World-Class Jazz Club, while continuing performances at other venues and festivals.
The band was formed by Marc Rosen and Tony Spear, whose mutual love of these artists sparked an idea for a dance band with multi-generational appeal. In addition to the songs of Goodman and Christian, their repertoire includes popular classic hits by Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Louis Armstrong, Louie Prima and even contemporary artists like Tom Waits and Imelda May.
Marc attended the University of Illinois College of Music and performs on clarinet and tenor saxophone. He was the driving creative force of the The Kinda Cool Quintet, inspired by the music of Gerry Mulligan. Previously he was a member of the 10-piece, swing revival band, Big Time Operator, who toured throughout the Southwest. Marc is the musical director of Wholly Cats Swing Club and writes all of the original arrangements for the band.
Tony is a lifelong guitarist and has most recently studied the music of America's original electric guitar hero, Charlie Christian, under world-renowned guitar virtuoso and instructor, Frank Vignola. He has also studied with other world-class jazz musicians including Scott Black, Howard Alden, Sid Jacobs and John Stowell. Tony has previously played with local jazz groups including Susan Artemis and Frim Fram as well as The Red Moon Trio. Tony is the business manager for the band and also produced the band's first album,“Jumpin' and Jivin'”
Singer Chelsee Hicks was born in Tucson, Arizona but grew up in the 1.1 square mile town of Neodesha, Kansas. She returned to the desert and graduated from the University of Arizona summa cum laude. An old soul indeed, Chelsee got her start singing vintage music with The Manhattan Dolls. In addition to performing with Wholly Cats Swing Club she sings regularly with groups such as the popular cover band 80s and Gentlemen and jazz trio Blue Dream.
We asked Tony Spear from Wholly Cats Swing Club 5 questions about their experiences as a band in Tucson. Here's what he said:
What's your favorite venue to play in Tucson?
The Century Room at Hotel Congress has been very good to us. They gave us a
late-night slot in June of 2022 and we somehow managed to fill the room! This year they have rewarded us with a monthly residency, usually the 1st Thursday of the month, and they always have great audiences who are engaged with the music. If you haven’t been to The Century Room yet, you really ought to check it out. Arthur, Paul and the rest of the staff there are building a nationally-recognized music scene.
That said, there have been other venues that have also been fun to play. The Community Performing Arts Center (CPAC) in Green Valley has a great sound and lighting system and very enthusiastic audiences. Main Gate Square shows are always fun because Jonas Hunter does the audio and makes us sound great. We also loved playing the Tucson Swing Fest at The Armory Park and performing for a dance crowd.
We also really love playing for Senior Living Centers around Tucson. Our music is the music that today’s seniors grew up with. It’s a joy to see their eyes light up when they hear songs by Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw and their other heroes. Sometimes they even get up with their walkers and dance!
What's the funniest thing that's happened during a performance?
Once we started the bass introduction to a tune in the wrong key. When the vocals and the other instruments came in with the correct key, well let’s say we had a bit of a moment. I’m pleased to say that everyone figured the problem out immediately, the bass came back to the correct key and nobody in the audience knew what just happened. Well, at least, we hope that they didn’t.
What's your first memory as a musician?
I played piano for a year when I was seven. I really wasn’t that into it. But then, a few years later it was Feb. 9, 1964. Sunday night. The Ed Sullivan Show. The Beatles on were on US national TV and opened with “All My Loving.” I was hooked. I absolutely had to learn to play guitar. Three years later I had a paper route, a crummy Kay electric archtop guitar, a Danelectro amp, and a guitar teacher. I’ve been playing guitar ever since.
What's your favorite song to perform?
We’ve got an original tune that we’ve been performing. It’s about a girl named Sally and the Swing Dance Scene during World War 2. We wrote it as a response to people these days who say that they can’t swing dance. We like to tell them, “Well, your grandma used to swing dance. Why can’t you?” Next thing you know, we wrote a song about it. “Your Grandma Did It” that was released as a single to all the streaming platforms on August 28. Listen here
What's the best advice you've ever received?
As a jazz musician, sooner or later, you’ve got to show up at live audience jam sessions and learn how to be on a stage and perform an improvised, or maybe a semi-improvised, solo. I found it really stressful learning how to do that. Pete Swan, who has been a jazz performer, teacher, and promoter in Tucson since forever, took notice of my situation one evening and pulled me aside. Pete said to me, “Look, Tony. I understand what you are going through. We’ve all been through this process. You’re doing just fine. Just keep coming and you will get better at this. And if somebody calls a tune that you just don’t know: turn your volume down and leave it there until you can play something that you do know.”
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