Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Pearl Django: Still Swinging Like Crazy After All These Years

Pearl Django performing in the KNKX studios in Seattle, Wash.
Parker Miles Blohm
/
KNKX
Tim Lerch of Pearl Django performing in the KNKX studios in Seattle, Wash.

After more than a quarter century, that Mighty Engine of Rhythm still swings like mad. Pearl Django’s KNKX studio session hit the ground running with Floyd Hoyt Rides Again, from their new CD With Friends Like These

Written by Pearl Django guitarist Tim Lerch, it’s named for one of the many noms de jazz of founding member Dudley Hill.

Fiddler Michael Gray says some of Dudley’s other aliases were The New Johnny Sands, and Michael’s personal favorite, H. Burnell Delahoopay. 

In this session, Michael, originally from Philly, revealed that he was a former dancer on American Bandstand! 

You know a guy for years and never realize he’s one of the Cool Kids.

In addition to Lerch and Gray, the other cool kids in the band are 19 year Pearl Django veteran bassist Rick Leppanen, guitarist Jim Char (“Long-time Pearl Django fanboy”) and accordionist, co-producer and recording engineer David Lange.

Lange says he started accordion when he was five but after reaching his teen years “When I wanted a date” he switched to other keyboards. We’re so glad he’s back on accordion.

In the course of this session all the players tell of their surprisingly diverse musical backgrounds.

Thanks guys for this session and for all these years of great Pearl Django music.

Tags
Studio Sessions Pearl DjangoLive Studio Sessions
Dick Stein joined KNKX in January 1992. He retired in 2020 after three decades on air. During his storied radio career, he hosted the morning jazz show, co-hosted and produced "Food for Thought" with Nancy Leson and wrote and directed the Jimmy Jazzoid live radio musical comedies and 100 episodes of Jazz Kitchen.