Hot in Finland

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy; Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

My first job with Sam Butera took place in Finland at the Pori Jazz Festival, the largest annual event in the country. Since its inception in 1966, the nine-day festival has drawn as many as two-hundred fifty thousand to hear the likes of Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Art Blakey, Carlos Santana, Wayne Shorter, James Brown, Phil Collins and Sting. A wide variety of performance venues scattered throughout the coastal city of Pori gives jazz enthusiasts a wide palette of jazz styles, including blues, soul, funk, hip hop, Afro-Cuban and world music.

The invitation extended to Sam Butera and the Wildest in 2003, and, subsequently, his acceptance of said invitation, caught the attention of the committee that planned the VIP dinner the night before the festival opened. Out of all the big-name artists who had received an invite to bring their artistry to Finland’s jazz fans, they asked Sam if he and his band would entertain the men and women who had ponied up the dough to sponsor various aspects of the festival, with a two-set concert. What an honor! THIS … was my first gig with Sam.

We had gone through Sam’s book of charts two or three times at the house in Las Vegas before asking Sam to go through the music with us. It was just a run-through of the music to nail down the road map of the songs. This was the first time I met Sam. He was just your normal, every-day seventy-two-year-old man carrying a tenor sax. At the various airports, nothing particularly distinguished him from any other senior flying the friendly skies that day.

When Sam hit the stage that first night in Pori, I saw a man transformed. His eyes were bright, his grin was dazzling, his sax solos were vibrant, his feet were dancing, his soul was alive. The energy of one of the men credited with inventing the Las Vegas lounge act was kicking up a cloud of shuffle dust this audience would not soon forget. Nor would I.

During the break, a young gentleman entered the green room, took a moment to shake hands with Sam, then headed toward me with hand extended. “Hi, I’m Joshua Levy. I play piano with the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. You’re tearing it up out there.” Well, I’m kind of feeling my way through. It’s my first night backing up the master out there. “You’re kidding! Well, nobody would know.” Thanks. What brings you here? “I’ve been a Sam Butera fan since, I don’t know when. We’re playing a concert tomorrow night at the same time as you guys. So, if I wanted to hear Sam, this was it.” I’ve got one of your albums. You guys have a great sound and you’re an awesome piano player. “Thanks.”

Finland was experiencing a heat wave while we visited their country. So, after my encounter with Mr. Levy, I hustled out of the room to find some cold water. When I came back, here was Sam and the rest of the band, receiving accolades from an enthusiastic, well-dressed, red-headed woman. When I walked into the room, she was just saying, “It’s hot, isn’t it? It’s not usually like this.” Sam turned on his grin and said, “We live in Las Vegas. We’re used to it.” She smiled, turned to leave the room, saw me and asked, “You play the piano, yes?” That’s right, ma’am. She took my hand, bowed her head, and moved to the next room. I turned to my friend Jay and asked, Who was that? “The president of Finland.”

It takes a special kind of talent to shake hands with the president of another country without knowing that it’s happening.

Credits: To Willis Haviland Carrier, for inventing the modern electric air conditioner. After four days in Finland and eight months in Las Vegas, I’m a big … fan.