Production Details

Highlighted by vocal performances of well known classics and obscure gems in French, Spanish, and English, and buoyed by instrumental hot-club jazz, Balkan dance numbers, Klezmer songs, and even a smattering of Dixieland, this performance by Mission Hot Club with acclaimed vocalist Mimi Pirard will take audiences on an international musical tour of love and loss, joy and sorrow, youthful abandon, and hard-earned wisdom... all guided by a team of impeccable musicians. Marrying raw emotion and refined performance of demanding, yet accessible, music that everyone is sure to love, Mission Hot Club with Mimi Pirard looks forward to welcoming audiences aboard a magic carpet for a whirlwind trip they won't forget!

Hailing from France, Belarus, Israel, NYC, Alabama, and Indiana, this hot club began playing together in San Francisco's Mission District in 2018. Appearances at festivals, night clubs, concert series, and underground events have built the group's large, loyal, and ever-growing fan base. The Mission Hot Club lineup brings the big sound of a full Hot Jazz / Bal-musette group, including violin, clarinet, accordion, upright bass, and two acoustic guitars! Made up of serious musicians from widely different backgrounds, and with members speaking at least five languages, this band connects easily and gracefully with any audience. A core repertoire of lightning hot jazz in the style of Reinhardt and Grappelli evokes the ambience of a smoky Parisian café, complemented with sounds from neighboring acoustic genres including tunes of Spanish, Irish, Balkan, New Orleans, and Klezmer provenance. Mission Hot Club is also known for their collaboration with French-American Mezzo-Soprano vocalist Mimi Pirard, who delivers her stirring vocal performances of pop, folk, and jazz classics from France, Spain, North and South America in their original languages.

Artist Biographies

Hélène Bahu, Violin
Hélène grew up in the lovely city of Saint-Malo in Brittany, France. After learning classical violin at the Conservatoire de Saint-Malo, she became fascinated with the music of Eastern Europe, from Klezmer to Balkan to Gypsy Jazz. She first studied Gypsy Jazz in Paris with violinist Daniel John Martin and Balkan music with Loran Bozic. Hélène holds a PhD from Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM) in Paris.

Alex "Sasha" Yakubovich, Clarinet
Born in Belarus, Sasha emigrated to Canada via Israel at a young age. He studied saxophone with Igor Guletsky in Toronto, being trained in classical music. Upon Igor's passing he willed his clarinet to his pupil, and Sasha carries this instrument to this day. After playing saxophone for 18 years, Sasha was inspired when he heard clarinet on Balkan and Gypsy Jazz records and at live shows in San Francisco. He studied the clarinet with Teddy Raven.

Scott Feichter, Guitar
Scott is a music educator for Community Music Center and Blue Bear School of Music. On performing this music: "The tonal signatures of this style are hypnotic and alluring, and I have a special affinity for music from acoustic instruments. "The artistry and craftsmanship of the wood is in many ways still a superior technology to create a beautiful sonic palette."

Robert Kennedy, Accordion
Robert Kennedy is a Hammond organist, pianist, and accordionist born and raised in the American South and moved to the Bay Area in 1988. He played piano in the Stanford University Jazz Band and studied jazz piano with the great player, director, and educator Bill Bell. Robert has shared stages with renowned players such as Nancy Wright, Calvin Keys, Will Weston, Terrence Brewer, and many more. He has released two albums as a bandleader on Hammond Organ; his 2018 album "Closer to Home" peaked at #1 on RMR’s jazz chart, #5 on NACC’s jazz chart, and #32 on JazzWeek’s Top 50.

Bing Nathan, Upright Bass
At the heart and soul of the group is one of the most respected and well-liked players in Northern California. Bing studied double bass with Stuart Sankey in NYC before attending the Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he played in the Orchestra conducted by Igor Stravinsky! His credits are too long to list but include The Saddle Cats (Western Swing), Macy Blackman and the Mighty Fines (Jump Blues), and The Mood Swing Orchestra (Big Band Swing). A CD of Bing's original tunes, "Original Bing", was released in late 2019.

Mimi Pirard, Vocals
Emilie "Mimi" Pirard is a French-American singer and songwriter. Most known for her uncanny recreations of Edith Piaf classics, she also excels at repertoire in English, Spanish, and Russian. She has graced stages in Europe and America with her brother Gabe in the acclaimed group Dgiin, and as a founding member of SonoMusette.