The Big Butter Jazz Band
Culver City, CA
$500-$1500, dep. on # of players, distance, length
Travels up to 90 miles
Overview
SEPTEMBER 2021 UPDATE: Our crew is fully vaccinated. For now, we are happy to consider outdoor and socially distanced gigs. Fully vaccinated gigs are preferred. We will consider indoor / mixed vaccination status gigs on a case by case basis.
Fun, classy, energetic, and swinging New Orleans Traditional Jazz, focusing on tunes from the 1910's-1930's. Band can be assembled from 3-6 players, depending on size of event and budget. A three piece is one horn, bass/tuba and banjo/guitar, 4-6 musicians adds more horns and provides the fuller sound. Gigs lasting more than 3 hours have a minimum of 4 musicians.
Reviews
14 reviews
Sylvia V. L.
March 22, 2022Perfect Music to Remember a Life Well-Lived
The Big Butter Jazz Band was a perfect choice to keep our spirits happy and light as we remembered a very good friend who passed away a year ago. We had a tree dedication and 100th birthday party in his honor. This friend loved Dixieland jazz and the Big Butter Jazz Band had children and elders alike, laughing and dancing during our garden party. We are grateful.
Hired as: Dixieland Band, Jazz Band, New Orleans Style Entertainment
The Big Butter Jazz Band
Thank you so much for having us, it was an honor to play for the doctor's celebration of life!
Thomas S.
June 19, 2018The were fan-freakin-tactic!
One of the best Dixieland bands I’ve ever heard - and I’m a professional musician. They even took request! Highly recommended. Made a good part, a great party!
Hired as: Dixieland Band
The Big Butter Jazz Band
Thank you for having us!
Amy C.
February 11, 2018Excellent band.
Great music, and it was so easy to coordinate with this band. They made our Mardi Gras party one for the recod books....amazing!
Hired as: New Orleans Style Entertainment
Kristin Y.
November 23, 2025Oh what a wonderful band… BOOK THEM!
“Wow, what a wonderful band” “The band is really great” & “oh I love the band” is what I heard all night! And of course everyone was accurate! Conrad was wonderful during the booking, confirmations, & in answering all of my questions. He made it very simple and easy all the way through until the end. The music was top notch and I would highly recommend them! The music elevated our event immensely! Thank you all for your incredible talent, my dad was over the moon thrilled! Phenomenal! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Hired as: Jazz Band, New Orleans Style Entertainment
Kristal M.
July 5, 2022AMAZING!!!!!
The Big Butter Jazz Band was so great! Everyone had a great time listening and interacting with the band. We will for sure be hiring them again!
Hired as: 1920s Era Entertainment, 1930s Era Entertainment, 1940s Era Entertainment, Dixieland Band, Jazz Band, Swing Band
Booking information
Price range: $500-$1500, dep. on # of players, distance, length
Languages: English
Gig length: 45 - 240 minutes
What to expect
Big Butter can be configured from a quartet to a six piece, depending on size of venue and budget. We will come up with a configuration of instruments that will suit your needs.
About
The Big Butter Jazz Band is dedicated to playing New Orleans traditional jazz. Back from the times when jazz was still dance music. Whether you call it vintage jazz, early jazz, hot jazz, Dixieland, New Orleans jazz, or trad jazz, it's full of beautiful melodies, infectious energy, and a pulsing rhythm that you can't help but dance to.
The band was founded in late 2013 by drummer Mark San Filippo and guitarist Conrad Cayman. and was named after the 1926 song “Big Butter & Egg Man”. The two had met as auxiliary members of Los Angeles roots orchestra / collective The Dustbowl Revival.
Drawing inspiration from the musicians of the past and the young New Orleans bands on Frenchmen Street, they’ll get your feet shuffling, head bobbing, fingers snapping, and body moving with their hard-driving rhythm section and hot ensemble choruses. Big Butter is delighting LA’s swing dance crowd and many others with their hot speakeasy sounds.
Additional booking notes
We can provide a PA with a small additional charge if you do not have one. There should be adequate electrical outlets so that we can power the PA and amps.
Water for each band member should be provided, and parking should be covered as well.
Upcoming booked events
June 2026
13
Saturday
Birthday Party
4:30pm - 6:00pm
•
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA
Past booked events
November 2025
22
Saturday
Birthday Party
4:00pm - 6:00pm
•
West Hills, CA
February 2024
10
Saturday
Holiday Party
7:00pm - 9:00pm
•
Stevenson Ranch, CA
March 2023
04
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
2:30pm - 4:30pm
•
Redondo Beach, CA
July 2022
01
Friday
Campus Event
5:00pm - 7:00pm
•
Alhambra, CA
June 2022
25
Saturday
Birthday Party
1:00pm - 5:00pm
•
Fountain Valley, CA
March 2022
20
Sunday
Nonprofit Event
12:00pm - 1:30pm
•
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
01
Tuesday
Cocktail Party
4:00pm - 5:00pm
•
Brea, CA
01
Tuesday
Campus Event
11:00am - 12:00pm
•
Los Angeles, CA
March 2021
20
Saturday
Dinner Party
12:00pm - 12:30pm
•
Redondo Beach, CA
August 2019
28
Wednesday
Retirement Community Event
5:00pm - 6:00pm
•
Duarte, CA
June 2019
08
Saturday
Birthday Party
7:00pm - 8:30pm
•
Long Beach, CA
August 2018
05
Sunday
Funeral/Memorial Service
2:00pm - 2:30pm
•
Culver City, CA
June 2018
09
Saturday
Cocktail Party
5:00pm - 7:30pm
•
Pasadena, CA
May 2018
26
Saturday
Birthday Party
7:00pm - 10:00pm
•
Los Angeles, CA
February 2018
10
Saturday
House Party
6:00pm - 9:00pm
•
Los Angeles, CA
January 2018
27
Saturday
Nonprofit Event
5:30pm - 7:30pm
•
Santa Ana, CA
November 2015
25
Wednesday
Rusty's Rhythm Club, Playa Del Rey
7:00pm - 8:00pm
October 2015
13
Tuesday
Joe's Bar & Grill, Burbank
7:00pm - 8:00pm
September 2015
26
Saturday
Private event
7:00pm - 8:00pm
23
Wednesday
Areal Restaurant, Santa Monica
7:00pm - 8:00pm
18
Friday
Barkley Restaurant & Bar, South Pasadena
7:00pm - 8:00pm
05
Saturday
Camp Hollywood 2015
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Set list
After You've Gone (1918)
Ain't Misbehavin (1929)
All of Me (1931)
At the Codfish Ball (1936)
Avalon (1920)
Baby Won't You Please Come Home (1921)
Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen (1937)
Between the Devil & The Deep Blue Sea (1932)
Big Butter & Egg Man (1926)
Bill Bailey (1900)
Black Eyed Blues
Blue Drag (1935)
Blue Skies (1926)
Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me (1919)
Bourbon St. Parade (1951)
Bye Bye Blackbird (1926)
Careless Love (1921)
Carelessly (1937)
China Boy (1922)
Come Back, Sweet Papa (1926)
Coquette (1928)
Crazy Rhythm (1928)
Dark Eyes
Darkness on the Delta (1932)
Darktown Strutter's Ball (1917)
Deed I Do (1926)
Dinah (1925)
Do Me a Favor (1934)
Do Something
Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans (1946)
Evenin' (1933)
Everybody Loves My Baby (1924)
Exactly Like You (1930)
Five Foot Two (1925)
Girl of My Dreams (1927)
Hindustan (1918)
Home (1931)
Honeysuckle Rose (1929)
Hummin' to Myself (1932)
I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me (1926)
I Can't Give You Anything But Love (1928)
I Had Someone Else (1924)
I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate (1919)
I Would Do Most Anything For You (1932)
If I Had You (1928)
I'll Fly Away (1932)
I'll See You In My Dreams (1924)
I'm Confessin That I Love You (1930)
I'm Crazy About My Baby (1931)
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter (1935)
It Had To Be You (1924)
It's a Sin to Tell a Lie (1936)
It's Only a Paper Moon (1933)
I've Found a New Baby (1926)
I've Got My Fingers Crossed (1935)
Just a Closer Walk With Thee (1944)
Keepin Out of Mischief Now (1929)
Lady Be Good (1924)
Louisiana Fairytale (1935)
Love Me Or Leave Me (1928)
Love Songs of the Nile (1933)
Lulu's Back in Town (1935)
Margie (1920)
Moonglow (1934)
My Blue Heaven (1927)
My Honey's Lovin Arms (1922)
On a Slow Boat to China (1947)
Pennies From Heaven (1936)
Porter's Love Song to a Chambermaid (1930)
Precious Lord, Take My Hand (1932)
Raining In My Heart (1958)
Riverboat Shuffle (1925)
Rose Room (1917)
Rosetta (1939)
Sheik of Araby (1921)
Shine (1924)
Shine on Harvest Moon (1908)
Si Tu Vois Ma Mere (1958)
Some of These Days (1910)
Somebody Else is Taking My Place (1937)
Someday Sweetheart (1919)
Squeeze Me (1919)
St. Louis Blues (1914)
Stardust (1929)
Sugar (1926)
Sugar Blues (1923)
Sweet Georgia Brown (1925)
Sweet Lotus Blossom (1934)
Sweet Substitute (1938)
Sweet Sue (1928)
Swing That Music (1936)
That Da Da Strain (1922)
The Song is Ended (1927)
Tiger Rag (1917)
Till We Meet Again (1918)
Tin Roof Blues (1923)
Tonight You Belong to Me (1926)
Undecided (1934)
Until the Real Thing Comes Along (1936)
Wabash Blues (1921)
Washington & Lee Swing (1910)
Way Down Yonder In New Orleans (1922)
When I Grow Too Old to Dream (1935)
When My Dreamboat Comes Home (1936)
Whispering (1920)
Who's Sorry Now (1923)
Why (1938)
Without Your Love (1937)
You're Driving Me Crazy (1930)
Influences and inspiration
THE PAST:
Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives, Sidney Bechet, Bix Beiderbecke, Bob Crosby & The Bobcats, Fats Waller & His Rhythm, Billie Holiday, Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, Firehouse 5+2, Mills Brothers, Eddie Condon, Miff Mole & His Little Molers
THE YOUNG NEW ORLEANS FRENCHMEN ST. BANDS:
Shotgun Jazz Band, New Orleans Jazz Vipers, Tuba Skinny, Orleans 6, Aurora Nealand & the Royal Roses, Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns, Linnzi Zaorski
OTHERS:
The Reynolds Brothers / Ellis Island Boys, Boilermaker Jazz Band, Dan Levinson's Swing Wing, The Au Brothers Jazz Band, Molly Ryan, Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys
Setup requirements
Shade if the gig is outdoors, or covering if there is a chance of rain.