The Hi-Stakes, featuring their iconic
frontman Sam Ghezzi, is a quintet
based in Amsterdam. The band
makes the audience jump, dance
and shout to Rhythm and Blues
inspired by Louis Jordan, dream away
to the sweet sound of Blues Ballads in
the heritage of Percy Mayfield and
shake the hips to the boogaloos of
Blue Note Records of the late 50's.
Original tunes, with lyrics full of irony
and passion, played authentically
from a vast range of popular genres
of the time, be it a lyrical blues ballad
or an explosive old school rhythm 'n
blues number; in other words, their
repertoire covers anything in
between the jazz and the blues
worlds.
The Hi-Stakes features Sam Ghezzi on
vocals and tenor saxophone, Frank
Groenendijk on tenor saxophone,
Linus Eppinger on guitar, Cesar
Puente on upright bass and Joe
Korach on drums.
The particular combination of two
tenor saxophones as horn section
shows their own timber and sound in
a unique and distinctive way.