Snake Charmers

"But what we love most about jump blues is that it's music that's fun," he continues. "It's in the basis of the lyric content. This is music about women, drinking on a Saturday night, having fun. It's not that back-porch, real-deep-down, dog-painful, my-baby-left-me stuff. I mean, maybe there's a little of that. But mostly it's music for, and about, having a good time. Smiley blues. When we come up with a tune--an original--if I don't sing the lyrics and smile, then it's not quite right."

The band was only three months old when it played last September alongside Little Richard and Chuck Berry as part of a Jazz Aspen bill. Boa's connection to Janus, which sponsors Jazz Aspen, likely led to this wonderful opportunity, but it had nothing to do with the rave reviews the combo received there, or at the gigs that followed. Things have gone so well that Boa has been making plans for the future.

"In one regard, we're just happy to play," he says. "But we've got goals and aspirations in this, too. We're working on an album project called Jump Back that is due for release on August 1. Sure, we're paying for it ourselves, and most of the copies will be given away as promotional items and to each person on our mailing list. But we want to take this music out to everyone, and a recording is one way to do that. We want people to hear our music even if they can't see us play. I mean, there are so many important reasons to do records.

"Plus," the moneyman adds, "it's a great way to go into debt."

Boa and the Constrictors. 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, Little Bear, 28075 Highway 74, Evergreen, $3, 674-9991.