Hot stuff

Get a second helping of hot music when Hot Club of Beachtown, Lincoln County’s own Gypsy jazz quartet, returns to the Newport Performing Arts Center for an encore performance this Friday, April 28.

“You guys are now our favorite local band,” a fan told band member Jim Kuoni at a recent gig. “You really swing!”

It’s a sentiment the band hears often these days, in various forms. Audiences have flocked to see this so-hot-it’s-cool band in recent months and, with new tunes at each new gig, there’s always something fresh and fun on the set list.

“We’ve been adding at least two or three new songs every month,” Kuoni said. “Some bands just get a couple of set lists together and ‘coast,’ but not this one. We continue to rehearse and hone our ensemble sound. Our latest goal has been to add a few more Latin tunes into the mix, including a tango we just recently played in public for the first time.”

The quartet members are Kuoni, David Jones, Don Nelson and David Ousele. Collectively they’ve got more than a century of music performance experience – in everything from jazz, swing and rock to bluegrass, country and even classical music. Together, they perform everything from swing-era jazz standards to Gypsy jazz classics such as minor swing and Nuages, to modern swing compositions like “Elena’s Bossa” and even a few novelty numbers.

The band’s February concert event at the Newport Performing Arts Center was completely sold out, so organizers quickly planned a second concert for the intimate David Ogden Stiers Studio.

Friday’s concert begins at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $18.

The Newport Performing Arts Center is located at 777 W Olive Street. For more information, go to coastarts.org or call 541-265-2787.