Rick Shortt and Hotbox
Hotbox is the collaboration of some of the finest young talents in the midwest. Saxophonist and vocalist Rick "cool poppa" Shortt defies the cliche saxophonist and plays like a man possessed with passion and soul. His vocals strike with sincerity and intensity. Together, Hotbox provides audiences with showmanship unmatched most anywhere. Simply put, this is a show not to miss.
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
This band is piled full of the best talent from our area. We don't like to be labeled a blues band. We aren't. We have such a full and varied playlist that we can play for most any audience. We love blues... it's our first love... but we also like playing funk, rock and country on occasion.
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
We love playing live! We played nearly 250 dates in 2007 all over the midwest. We're looking to push that a bit more next year and try to expand our region. One of the true tests for a band is if they can play live. We pride ourselves on providing a show that people won't forget. We don't just stand and play and we get the audience involved.
Your musical influences
Again, we try to be diverse, so we may do soul songs, blues songs, johnny cash, funky stuff.... I just can't pin it down like that.
What equipment do you use?
I play on Selmer Paris saxophones with Vandored ZZ reeds.
Anything else?
www.rickshorttandhotbox.com
