Strada Swing
Strada Swing is a Los Angeles jazz band inspired by Paris. Their music will take you on a journey to the romantic city of Paris, featuring cheerful vocal melodies infused with the captivating rhythm of French gypsy jazz. Founded in 2016 at the Strada Café in Berkeley, Strada Swing brings the vibrant energy of 1930s Parisian cafés to life. The band combines vocal jazz with acoustic instruments like accordion and guitar, capturing the essence of French gypsy jazz inspired by legends such as Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club of France. Their repertoire includes classic jazz standards, French chanson, gypsy jazz, and bossa nova.
Strada Swing has performed on concert stages, weddings, restaurants and swing dance events across Los Angeles, including The California Club, The Britely Club in Hollywood, Feinstein’s at Vitello’s, Le Petit Paris, The Culver Hotel, Carousel Shows in Palm Springs, Grand Central Market, The Varnish, La Puglia Restaurant, The Southcoast Botanical Gardens, Le Grand Restaurant, Pour Vous, Bar Bacari, Sorriso Ristorante, Edwin Mills Equator, Garcon de Cafe, and The Barkley. Strada Swing is also proud to collaborate with Jazz Empowers, an organization dedicated to bringing jazz into schools and introducing students to the art of jazz.
Isabel Smith, the band’s vocalist, is a multi-instrumentalist who draws inspiration from vocalists like Blossom Dearie and Cyrille Aimée. Originally trained as a classical violinist and pianist, Isabel shifted her focus to vocal jazz after a wrist injury, allowing her to fully embrace her love for this music.
Music Director of The Varnish, Marc Gasway, describes her style:
'There’s a lot of magic in Isabel Smith’s voice. She has a lithe, rounded tone, and sings with incredible poise. She’s not afraid to explore with her melodies, and she thinks like an instrumentalist because she is one. She’s energetic without being overpowering.'"
Isabel is joined by accordionist Frank Petrilli, who is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts in jazz accordion worldwide. Active in both the accordion and jazz communities across the West Coast and throughout the U.S., Frank has performed at numerous major accordion festivals locally and internationally. He was also a protégé and close friend of the late, great jazz accordionist Frank Marocco and made television appearances as an accordionist on the show Mad Men.