Hot Club of Hampden

**This is access to a recording of their live performance on our stage on August 2, 2020.**

"The Hot Club of Hampden", an electric swing and Django jazz era blend featuring four local Baltimore favorites: 

Christie Macdonald, guitar 
Sami Arefin, guitar
Zach Serleth, bass
Jim Hannah, drums

Sami Arefin, Jim Hannah, Christie Macdonald, and Zach Serleth are the four busy Baltimore musicians who make up The Hot Club of Hampden, a new group named after the popular Baltimore neighborhood that frequently facilitates jam sessions and casual gigs. In live performance, the group aims for an elegant blend of the European sound of Hot Club-era jazz with the gnarl of electric American swing. 

Christie Macdonald has been quite active on the Baltimore music scene for about several years, including rock/metal bands, American and Balkan folk groups, and countless jazz gigs. With the help and support of bandmates Sami and Zach, Christie has been playing the Manouche jazz style for the past three years, and is enjoying the journey of this esoteric and fascinating music.

Sami Arefin is distinctly paramount in the American Jazz Manouche scene as it exists today, traveling the world to perform and teach this style of music. Zach Serleth is one of the most sought after bass players in the area, known for his work in not only Manouche, but trad jazz, swing, and Balkan music. Together, Zach and Sami make a powerhouse rhythm section, who are constantly requested to support internationally renowned lead players, all while leading the jazz scene in Baltimore under the name “Sassi and the Whale”. Their unparalleled virtuosity is complimented by their clever, quick-witted delivery, delighting audiences regularly far and wide. 

Meanwhile, Jim Hannah, is hugely proficient in a splattering array of percussive styles: Latin Jazz, straight-ahead jazz, rock, funk - no matter the feel, Jim is on the top of everyone’s list. Along with being an extremely learned and studied musician, he is a beloved personality and talent in the Baltimore music scene, who leads a dedicated studio of drum students. Christie, Sami and Zach have all respectively played with Jim in a number of different combinations and formats over the past few years.

The Hot Club of Hampden is a representation of the unique music scene we have in Baltimore. This group, in a way, is the fluid result of countless projects and gigs, jam sessions, rehearsals; hundreds of lessons taken, and hundreds of lessons taught. It is meant to be a snapshot of this particular pocket of our community at this moment in time. It’s meant to make you dance, laugh, nod, or get yourself a drink. 

Streaming cost is $5
Donations are welcomed.